Nesting: 5 Great Ideas for Decorating Baby’s Room

There are two types of mommies-to-be: the kind who gleefully look forward to decorating the nursery and the kind who are overwhelmed by the prospect. Whether the thought of decorating makes you ill or you're the sort who's been looking at paint swatches since before you were pregnant, put your own signature on the baby's room. You'll be spending a substantial amount of time in the nursery, so it should be a pleasant atmosphere for you both. Mix things up, add elements that give a nod to tradition and combine them with design features from the rest of your home to make it flow with the decor in general, and it'll be a beautiful space of its own.

Rock Your Little One

Photo by Flickr user globalreset

A rocking chair is essential for a nursery, and it's in the top five of The Bump's tips for decorating your baby's room. A rocking chair will comfort baby and you both, whether it's during a late-night feeding, an early morning or just a lazy afternoon. There are so many choices: traditional wooden rocker, rocking recliner or a classic glider with upholstered cushions. Whatever kind of rocker you choose, it is certain to make the topsy-turvy hours a baby keeps easier to deal with.

Do Color Differently

You may want to go traditional with the color scheme and paint your nursery blue for a boy or pink for a girl. Better Homes and Gardens advises you pass on the typical pastels for more stimulating colors, such as turquoise or mustard. Off-set them with basic, neutral shades such as black, gray or an earthy brown.

Nursery Window Treatments

Photo by Flickr user trekkyandy

Window treatments are a nursery necessity that can be worked in effortlessly with the overall decor. Opt for curtains, layers of sheers or fabric, or wood blinds in shades that accent the color scheme you've chosen. Whatever window covering you choose, just be sure you don't put the crib close to the window. Once he's mastered standing up, his next goal will be to climb the curtains.

One to Grow Into

Multi-purposing the baby's room is sheer genius, especially if you're short on space. Make it a room your baby can grow into by furnishing it with a regular bed in addition to the crib. A raised bunk, for example, can sit over the crib and be used for guests (just roll the crib into your room to provide privacy) or even by you on those nights when you don't have the energy to drag yourself back across the hall. When the baby is old enough for a "big boy/girl bed," put the crib in storage and replace it with a toy box, a desk and chair or a twin bed for sleepovers.

Baby's Wild Side

Animal prints for a baby's room? Sure, if you limit the theme to accents such as pillows and rugs. Mix the prints with wood finishes, and keep the walls less busy with just one or two paint colors to adorn them. Keeping a light hand with this fun theme makes for easy theme changes and redecorating when your child gets older, too.