HE NURSERY DESIGN AND BEYOND:
Whether you have a whole house full of children or you're expecting your very first one, creating a special place for your new baby can be a wonderful experience for you and the whole family. There are a few considerations when creating a space for your new baby. One of these is to
remember that your baby will grow and change and the space where he/she lives will need to grow and change as well.
If you start your nursery with a good plan, you should be able to make the eventual changes accommodating your child's aging without spending a great deal of money.
(Budgeting is addressed on another page.) Whatever you choose to do for your baby's room, remember that one of the most important things is to be sure to enjoy creating it and to have fun---making it a family affair
is always nice.
Safety is another consideration for your nursery, and this should be part of any design plan that you take on or any plan that is given to you. Everyone takes buying the crib or baby bed very seriously for safety factors, but there are many more considerations to think about and to follow through for the time when your little one begins to crawl and walk. Trying to cover as many of these safety factors from the beginning will make it easier to have the room grow with your child. You will find safety addressed on another page.
The aesthetics of your nursery, or it's appearance if you will, is a consideration that almost goes without saying. However, there are so many choices in the market place and so many decisions to make that creating an aesthetic and pleasing nursery can sometimes be difficult. Not only is there the color scheme decision, but there's the theme or no theme decision. There are the furniture choices and decisions to make about the window treatments, lighting, wall decor and on and on and on. It can almost be overwhelming at times. Then you have to figure out how far to take the room at this early stage of your baby's life.
I know there are a lot of places to go to get your bedding and all of "trimmings" for the nursery. However, I believe that to have a truly distinctive and individual nursery (or any room, for that matter) you should be careful with just how many items you choose that match---what I call matchy-matchy. Using a little imagination can create a truly unique space for your child.
Another important aspect of designing and creating your child's space is the closet. It's important to have the closet organization be as functional and age appropriate as possible. There are other storage areas and needs to consider as well.
Taking your child from the nursery to the big kid's room can be challenging, but mostly it can be fun. Careful planning in creating the nursery can make the conversion much easier. For instance: Find a dresser that is the right height to serve as a changing table. When the changing table is no longer needed, remove the changing pad and the dresser is ready for your big kid.
As your child moves into the school age and preteen years, adding a desk---which can be done creatively---and changing the color scheme, artwork, etc. to suit his or her tastes is about all you'll need to do. Selecting a couple of themes or color schemes that you would like to have in your home and letting your child choose his preference is the key to creating the room that your child will want to live in and want to take care of. Letting your child or preteen help with the selection of at least some items for the room will create a sense of ownership and a sense of pride. This may well be a factor for you not having to be constantly after him to pick up his room.
The main thing to remember is to have fun creating the nursery and to have fun with your child creating his room and also, to let him know that he is special and that his room is special.
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--- VISIT OUR OTHER CHILDREN'S ROOM PAGES ---
Holding the Budget in Check Designing Safety Into Your Child's Room
Examples of Design Advice Ask Your First Low Priced Design Question
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