Nursery Decorating Ideas

Preparing for a newborn is an exciting time. During that waiting period, before you find out the gender of your new baby, you might start gathering furniture and setting up a nursery room. You start out with the basics: a crib, changing table and rocking chair. Once you have those necessities, you might move on to choosing what color to paint the walls and what sort of light fixtures to add to the room. Let the nesting begin!

Here are some tips for helping you get started with decorating:

Personalize the Room - Even though you are filling this room with many new items, especially if this is your first child, you can make the room more comfortable by adding something that is special to you. If you love a favorite animal, choose that for the stuffed animals you get. If you're a Yankees fan, hang a framed infant baseball jersey for your favorite team. If you love a certain storybook character, let that guide your purchases. This will make your room cozy and familiar.

Create Lighting Options - As you prepare to be in this room both night and day, make sure there are flexible lighting options. At times, you might want a dim light during those late night feedings. You might want bright lights to help you locate diapers or blackout curtains for naps. Having a small lamp as well as a standing lamp can help you vary the mood of the room with a flick of a switch.

Choose Soothing Colors - You're going to be spending a lot of time in this room with nursing and holding your newborn and more. Earthy colors and warm tones can provide a calming effect. If you want the room to have a bit more liveliness, add a shock of a contrasting, bright color here and there. The contrasting color could be on the pillows, in a framed infant baseball jersey or soft blanket.

Avoid Clutter - Another way to make your nursery a peaceful place is by having good storage in the room. There should be closet and dresser storage for new diapers, burping clothes, clothing (including that beloved infant baseball jersey or sports onesie), and blankets. Keeping these items off the ground will help maintain balance as you transition into this new phase.