Excerpts from this article were originally published in Central Penn Parent.
Planning a nursery is one of the most exciting parts of expecting a new baby. It is an opportunity to create a haven for your little one; a gentle, calm place to soothe your child, or a stimulating place for play. With a little creativity and ingenuity, you can create a beautiful, functional—and most importantly, safe—space within any budget.
Although expectant parents often envision a room designed for a newborn, your baby won't be a newborn very long. It is helpful to think about the way that a curious, mobile toddler will interact with the space. Basically, he will pull up on everything—including the furniture and curtains. She'll open and empty everything—dresser drawers, hampers, and toy baskets are favorite targets. And he'll touch and explore everything—especially artwork on the walls, that tempting mobile hanging over the crib, and anything else you don't want him to touch. If you can anticipate how your toddler tornado will spin through the room, you can save yourself a lot of work and worry a few short months down the road.
With so much of your disposable income being siphoned into disposable diapers, you won't want to redecorate in a year or two. A successful design is comfortable and functional through the first few years of life and beyond. You can do this by selecting a neutral base-- walls, floors, and furnishings—and adding accessories like artwork, rugs, and fabrics that express a theme or add personality to the space. These can be easily and affordably swapped out as your tastes and your child's desires change.
Here are some guidelines for creating a space you and your child will love, today and tomorrow:
Before you begin shopping or registering, download The Safe Nursery—a free guide to planning a safe space for your baby—and other child product safety publications from the Consumer Product Safety Commission website, http://www.cpsc.gov. While these documents do not evaluate specific products, they do give general safety guidelines to help you to become an informed baby shopper. A helpful guide that reviews specific brands and models of baby gear is Baby Bargains: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on Baby Furniture, Equipment, Clothes, Toys, Maternity Wear and Much, Much More! by Denise and Alan Fields (Windsor Peak Press, 8th Edition, 2009).
When selecting paints for a child's room, look for products labeled "no- or low-VOCs" (such as Sherwin-Williams Harmony, Duron Genesis Odor-Free, Mythic Paint, or Benjamin Moore EcoSpec), or for a more antique look, choose milk paint. Young children and people with allergies can be sensitive to the smell and chemicals in paints; low-VOC paints are formulated with little odor and virtually no offgassing. Still, try to complete your painting project at least a few weeks before your baby's anticipated arrival—and as weather permits, open the windows to allow the room to "air out". This is a great job to delegate to Dad- or Grandpa-to-be or a helpful friend; the chemicals, ladders, and bending and reaching involved with a painting project are best avoided by pregnant women.