Design a Nursery with Room to Grow

Our friend Mary Bauer, founder of Bratt Decor, is here to share her expert advice on how to plan your nursery with room to grow with your child—there are so many smart ideas below. Thank you, Mary, for sharing with us.

Designing a nursery is a labor of love. A few careful considerations at the beginning can save you both time and money along the way. Check out these eight elegant nurseries that will grow with your child and look amazing along the way.

1. Choose a Sophisticated Color Palette. Think beyond pink and blue, and try a bold, beautiful black palette. Black furnishings are sophisticated, neutral, and wear oh, so well. Colors pop, so if your heart is set on pink or blue, pop them in without sacrificing sophistication.

2. Pick Classic Patterns. Adorn your walls with classic looks and add in age-appropriate toys and accents that speak to the stage your child is enjoying at the moment.

3. Consider Non-Traditional Lighting. We are swooning over this rose globe drop pendant that is romantic and sculptural. This is not what you’d think of for a nursery, but it works! It will continue to work and look amazing as your babe grows.

4. White Always Works. When in doubt, start with white. An all white room is like a blank canvas that can be added to, changed and updated with whatever your little one is loving at the moment. Think oversized art, a pint-sized play table, or a matching bookcase just her size, that holds all that is dear to her heart.

5. Choose Furniture that Transitions. Where do we begin with all that we love about this space. The dresser became the most elegant of dressers, simply by removing the matching change top. The beautiful oval crib looks adorable and offers ample space for the growing toddler, and the color scheme throughout screams elegance without sacrificing the fun.

6. Think Beyond Baby. Your baby will grow at the speed of light, so while it’s important to have a safe crib, it’s also smart to get one that will grow beyond the crib stage. Think daybed (one that transitions to a three-sided couch like space), toddler bed or full bed. Also, when choosing your nursing chair, pick one that will be amazing in other rooms of your house and choose wall, floor and lighting that is not baby-themed.

7. Keep Themes to a Minimum. Everyone loves chevron today, but what about tomorrow? Trends come and go quickly, so if you choose to incorporate them, keep it to a minimum and on lesser priced items so you can change them out when you are ready for the next big thing.

8. Create an Ever-Changing Art Gallery. Paint an accent wall with chalkboard or magnetic paint and express yourself! Bunnies and bows when they’re babes and trains and whatever they want to create as they grow.