The biggest urge you will have is to make this room a baby paradise. Resist this urge! Babies don’t stay babies long enough these days to justify the expense. I’m not suggesting for one moment that you give up on the nursery idea; instead, I’m offering a way to pander your maternal need to create a place fit for a little prince or princess that converts into a room for a toddler without too much work or expense.
The way to do this is simply to keep the walls plain. If you know the gender of the baby, go for a soft pink or a soft blue paint for the walls. This shouldn’t be too babyish, but not a bold colour either. Somewhere just a shade or two darker than the usual baby blue or pink will be just right. Paint all of the walls of the room in this colour. Paint the woodwork fixtures in the room white. This provides all of the necessary foundation canvas which will get you through the next 3-5 years (trust me; you’re going to have your hands full enough without thinking about redecorating during that time!).
The most important aspect of decorating the room now is the soft furnishings. These are easy to change and so here you can indulge that mommy-to-be-nester with all the baby colours you desire. Put up a border on the wall with pastel baby block motifs, or bunnies, or any theme you’ve decided to go with. Alternatively, use some temporary rub-on transfers that peel-off when you want to change them (just make sure you put them out of baby’s reach or they may be peeled off before you’re ready for them to be!). Buy (or make) window drapes that match the bedding on the baby’s crib, then add a floor covering that’s durable, washable and can co-ordinate with any tone of the main colour in the room, and you’re done.
When baby finds his feet, and outgrows the crib, you can move into the next stage of development by simply changing the soft furnishings and wall motifs. Within an hour your dream nursery can become a toddler’s paradise - simple.
Katie-Anne Gustafsson, 2005
