By Bethany Kandel
Baby will soon be here, so let the decorating begin. You’ve bought the core pieces for the nursery – the crib, changing station, dresser and rocker – and now it’s time to add the details. Have some fun with touches of your personal style, bright splashes
of color, elements that reflect the baby’s gender if you know it, or even some of your own childhood favorites.
After all, a baby’s room is much more than the essentials. It should be a warm, comfortable space to welcome baby home. Here are some ways to personalize the space for your little one:
Walls
Think non-permanent. Baby grows so fast and so will his or her interests, so make it easy to adapt the art and decor. Accent the walls with removable peel and stick wall decals and borders, like those from WallPops.com. Choose
from adorable animals, trees, alphabet letters and nursery rhymes.
Floor coverings
Rugs are a great way to add color, pattern or theme to a room. Babies are messy little creatures so choose one that’s stain resistant and easy to clean. Rugs may harbor less dust and allergens than carpets, plus, they
have a shorter life span and can be moved around or replaced easily if your décor changes. Be sure to add nonslip padding underneath for safety.
Bedding
Choosing sheets is a great way to focus the color or theme of baby’s nursery. If you know baby’s gender, you may decide to go pink or blue; if not, go with a more generic palette of turquoise, yellow, white or a mix of primary
or pastel colors that work for both. The best thing about sheets is that you can change these often and thus change the highlight of the room. You may also want to choose window treatments, rugs and other elements that pick up some of the same
colors.
Storage
This is the key to an organized room that feels comfy without being chaotic. Use open, color-coordinated storage cubes for quick cleanups at the end the day. Find fun shapes and sizes that become part of the room’s design.If
you use a toy chest, be sure to follow CPSC guidelines to protect children from getting stuck inside. Choose one with a detached lid or a lid support device to hold the lid open in any position,
has ventilation and no latch. With other storage units, be sure they cannot topple over and can be attached to the wall for safety.
Personal touches
It’s nice to add some family history to baby’s room. Perhaps you have something special saved from your childhood…a collection of your favorite Dr. Seuss books, a well-worn stuffed animal, or even a photo of you as a
child that you can hang or put on a shelf. You can also blow up photos of relatives and put them in colorful frames so baby will get familiar with his or her loved ones.
Image : Getty
