Robert Magda: 3 Steps to Styling a Nursery That Grows With Your Child

Thursday, May 28, 2015

3 Steps to Styling a Nursery That Grows With Your Child

Preparing for your child’s arrival is one of the joys of pregnancy, and a large part of the process is putting together a nursery. A common problem among nursery designs is they focus solely on the baby years, which means your child will likely outgrow it — and during a time when you’re too busy to even think about redecorating.

Here are three simple steps for designing a room your little one will not only love, but also enjoy for years to come.

1. Pick an inspiration piece

Give your nursery planning some direction by choosing one main item that will influence the rest of the design. Make sure this is an item that is timeless and doesn’t appeal to a certain theme.

In this nursery, the inspiration item is the floral curtains. They’re perfect for a little girl’s room, but they’re an item that girls of any age would love.

Use the item you choose to inspire the color scheme and the rest of the decor. By making this versatile item a focal point in the room, you’re already well on your way to designing a room for your child at any age.

2. Choose sophisticated, versatile furniture

For your furniture pieces and larger items, ask yourself the question, “Would I use this anywhere else in my house?” If the answer is no, don’t buy it. This is a great test that will steer you away from overly juvenile furniture that your child will outgrow.

For example, choose a glider and end tables that you wouldn’t mind using in your living room later.
Next, select a dresser that could go in any room, and use it for the changing table. Once your child outgrows the need for the changing pad on top, it converts to storage space that will work at any age.

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3. Bring in baby-specific items in small doses

Complement your inspiration piece and stylish furniture choices with accessories that reflect the room’s purpose. Low-cost accent pieces, textiles and artwork are the perfect way to add charm and make the room feel ready for your baby.

In this little girl’s nursery, a vintage baby dress and copper baby shoe hang on the wall. In several years, those items can be easily changed for more age-appropriate artwork.

Another great way to make the room feel personal is by setting out some of your child’s accessories as decor, like this pair of baby shoes.
Corral their hair bows or bow-ties in a bowl for easy access and display.

Bring in a basket to hold stuffed animals, and display some toys in a vintage doll’s highchair.
Now, you have a room that is sweet and special for your new little addition, but can also be easily tweaked as your child grows.