Decorating Your Nursery and Toddler Room

Parents love to decorate a nursery and have everything just so by the time baby arrives. Chances are if you start early you’ll have more time to create a perfect environment and find unique items. With a little thought you can design a room that will grow with your little one from infancy and on through the toddler years.

Knowing the gender of the baby may make it a bit easier to decorate but it can still be done well. Green is said to be a neutral color in nature and promotes tolerance. It is soothing and harmonizing and can be used for either gender. Yellow is also great for either sex and thought to promote happiness.

Many parents are afraid to decorate with color and choose white walls and furniture instead. Some times white can be sterile looking and cold. Studies have shown that babies develop color preferences early, so it’s important to expose them to color in the nursery.

Start by selecting a theme for your nursery that can carry over to the toddler years. Animal themes are great for either gender as is nature, the heavens, the ocean or even cartoon characters. If you are creative or know someone who is, you may want to design and paint a mural on the walls or even the ceiling. Babies spend many hours looking up at the ceiling above their crib and a brightly colored mural will keep them fascinated for a long time. Coordinate your baby cradle bedding with the wall colors and don’t be afraid to use plaids, stripes or dots for accent. A rocking chair with a pretty cushion or two is useful during feeding time. You can easily use an old chair and freshen it with a coat of paint to match your color scheme.

As your baby grows you can keep the nursery as it is but simply swap a toddler bed for the crib and add a toy trunk or some toddler size furniture in the play area. You will need bedding sets for the toddler bed and maybe a few new decorations.  If you and your baby loved the nursery, there is no reason to start all over again just because your child needs a bigger bed. If you do it right, all the nursery furnishings can grow with the child to the toddler stage. Children love continuity and having a room where your favorite things surround you is very a cozy and comforting feeling.