MAKING A ROOM FOR BABY

Celebrity Designer Vern Yip helps you create a soothing retreat for your little one

ATLANTA (May 2, 2006) – According to celebrity designer and STAINMASTER® carpet spokesperson Vern Yip, nurseries are much different than they were 10 to 15 years ago. Gone are the days when décor choices were restricted to a blue or pink color palette – or yellow or green if expecting parents wanted the result of their family's big day to be a surprise. Nurseries are now more contemporary, with unusual uses of color. Design for these spaces are also more adaptable and transitional, a necessary feature as children grow older.

New trends in nursery décor are also being driven by the current baby boom. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. birthrate has jumped three percent from 2002 to 2004 to more than 4.1 million births per year, the highest birthrate since 1962. With birthrates on the rise, parents are seeking ways to create functional, soothing and transitional nurseries.

Celebrity designer Vern Yip offers parents tips for preparing a beautiful nursery for their new family member. He also offers tips on how to recreate the room for an older child or subsequent children.

“Parents today are moving away from traditional nursery room décor and creating spaces for their children that are more sophisticated and savvy, yet still fun and appropriate for kids,” said Yip. “They are also looking to create spaces that can make the transition with the baby as he or she grows older. These changes are relatively inexpensive and easy.”

Parents are choosing neutral, soothing colors for the nursery's walls and flooring and using accessories to add punches of color. Yip advises parents to use colorful bedding, bound rugs, and window treatments. “Make it fun – personalize and embrace the room with color. Unusual pairings of traditional colors are very popular right now. I have used reds and pinks together with neutral accents as well as décor utilizing various shades of the same color,” said Yip. The variety of colors, textures, and patterns STAINMASTER® carpet offers can fit any décor.

Using neutral colors for the walls and carpet and using accessories to add color makes it easier for parents to change the décor for an older child or future siblings.

Safety is also an important issue. Carpet is an ideal surface for babies and toddlers. It ensures solid footing by providing a non-slick surface that prevents slips and falls and cushions babies as they learn to walk. Carpet also provides softness for knees and hands as babies crawl and play on the floor. In addition to the safety features carpet offers, carpet also maintains a comfortable temperature in the nursery throughout the year. Carpet retains heat, keeping the nursery warm in the winter and insulates the space, keeping the room cool in the summer. Carpet also has excellent accoustic capabilities and acts as a sound barrier between floors.

“Parents should keep in mind that everything in the nursery - especially the carpet - should be easy to clean and maintain,” said Yip. “Carpeting or bound rugs that are durable and stain-resistant are key. It is also important to make sure that the flooring is soft and comfortable. Carpet such as STAINMASTER® carpet with Tactesse® fiber is incredibly durable with a uniquely soft and luxurious touch.”

STAINMASTER® carpet provides extraordinary resistance to crushing, matting, spills and soils and is easy to maintain. Regular vacuuming, quick attention to spills and having your carpet professionally cleaned every 24 months as required by the STAINMASTER® carpet limited warranty will keep your carpet looking and feeling like new.

Decorating a nursery is one of the most enjoyable home improvement projects you can do. Use these tips to not only have fun, but also create a beautiful space to welcome your child into his or her new home.

STAINMASTER® carpet is available in a variety of colors and constructions and features the unique STAINMASTER® carpet stain and soil protection technology. STAINMASTER® carpet employs a repel and release technology that reduces the ability of soil to penetrate the carpet fiber and allows most food and beverage stains to be easily removed during cleaning. STAINMASTER® carpet is available in several innovative fiber technologies including ExtraBody fiber to provide more luxury and thickness than carpets of similar construction and Tactesse ® nylon fiber that makes carpets incredibly soft while maintaining durability.

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