Doesn't it seem like you bring your baby home from the hospital one minute and the next minute they are opening the fridge door by themselves to get their milk cup? Ok so maybe it doesn't go by quite that fast but there really is something to be said for that line that everyone feeds you once they find out you are either expecting or just had a baby. You know the line. It goes something like this: "enjoy every moment because they grow up so fast." or "don't take it for granted, before you know it they'll be off to college." This usually comes from total strangers or relatives you haven't seen for awhile. Anyway I guess I'm getting off on a tangent because this post was supposed to be about how to design a room that will grow with your child. (and apparently that is at lightening speed) So lets get to it.
Although I believe there is never one right way to go about designing a room, the intention of this post is to help outline some of the important points in choosing furniture, bedding, artwork, etc. that will last as your child grows. It is important for the environment and your pocket book to look at the lifespan of your purchases and also to get the best value for your money.
In this post I'm going to focus on the nursery and toddler room. (Part 2 will be about rooms for older children & teens) Think about the intentions you have for this room.
- Is this the room your child is most likely going to stay in his/her entire childhood?
- Is he/she going to be eventually moved into another room or another house?
These two questions are important when thinking about the size and scale of furniture you plan to use. If you are set on buying a crib that converts into a toddler bed and then a headboard/footboard, that may be a great idea. However if the room is too small to accommodate a full-sized bed (which is usually what size you need to actually use the headboard/footboard) then it doesn't make sense for your space. (unless you love the crib and don't care if you are able to use it later on) If you are planning a nursery try to choose pieces that will be able to work in a toddler room. One way to do this is to forgo the changing table and use a dresser instead with a changing pad. When it is time you can remove the changing pad and continue to use the dresser. The only way I would say this doesn't make sense is if you are working with a really small space but you know you will move your child to a larger room when they get older. (it might be more economical in the long run to buy an inexpensive changing table for now and then buy a nice sized dresser that will fit a larger room later on when the time comes)
So on to the decorating part. Once you have chosen your furniture pieces look at each aspect of the room.
- wall finish - Paint is something that is easily changed so don't hesitate to go bold if you desire. If you go the wallpaper route ask yourself "will my daughter still enjoy butterflies in two years" Maybe opt for something a little more neutral and add artwork with butterflies on it. (which will be easy to change)
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Choose something like these prints that will suite your child's tastes longer.
- bedding & window treatments - I usually like to go with graphic prints or something a little more plain on the bedding and window treatments. Yes, this may sound boring since there are so many adorable bedding sets with stuff that children love on them. Choosing wisely really can pay off though because you can get a better quality set that will last several years. If you want to pull in something to go along with a theme go for the owl printed sheets set to co-ordinate with a striped quilt or star sheets with a plaid duvet cover for the outer space theme your son is so excited about. When outer space is no longer cool you can pick a plain color to match the plaid. Here is another example of this:
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- artwork & accessories - Ok, you've restrained long enough by choosing practical things that will last. With the artwork and accessories you can go crazy. If you have a theme choose fun artwork and accessories to go along with it. Even if there is a theme I typically like to include a variety of things that children love into their space. If your son has a favorite stuffed monkey work it into that sports theme. You shouldn't feel like you can't mix stuff together. Besides there will be a day when your child decides they want to move stuff around and add some things on their own. It may not look as good as you think it could but to them it is awesome. That is when we have to stand back and let them hang the Justin Bieber poster on their wall. (oh how I cringe at the thought.)
