Simple tips for easy nursery transition

Planning for your first baby can be hectic. With doctor’s visits and roller-coaster emotions who can think, let alone plan setting up a nursery. Never fear, the keys to an easy nursery transition are simple: neutral furniture pieces paired with changeable, colorful accents.

Figuring Furniture

■ Furniture shapes in curves are a feminine trait while straight lines represent more masculine ideas. If you’re planning on more than one family addition, you might want to go for middle ground so that your nursery can be easily renovated for baby number two. Mix some soft lines for a crib and a rocker with clean edges on bookshelves and a dresser.

♥ A crib is the subtle showpiece of the room, but it shouldn’t overwhelm its surroundings. A white, cream-colored or wood stain frame can be easily accented to complement a nursery’s theme and, if you want to change the colors around in a few years, all the crib will need is new bedding.

■ Traditional shapes and whites or woods are also the best way for a dresser to endure your transitions. If your heart is set on a pink ballerina dresser, think about how that furniture can grow with her. Could the dresser become a home for dolls when she moves into a big-girl room?

■ Most professional designers recommend that every nursery have a low bookshelf, which can be used to house books as well as toys. Low shelves should hold soft books for baby to grab, plus a few favorite games and toys.

■ If you’re putting a chair or rocker in the nursery, choose a simple design and let the fabric of a pretty pillow or slipcover bring the piece together with the room’s theme. That way, the accent is easily changed if the chair moves into another room as your child grows.

Color Conclusions

■ While it might be tempting to use bold, gender-specific colors in a nursery, painting the walls neutral in whites, yellows and greens is the best way to go. You can accent these colors with bright pinks and blues. Keeping the walls toned down makes for an easier transition a few years down the road.

■ When it comes to accessorizing, however, go color crazy. Wall hangings, throw blankets and colorful area rugs are fun ways to integrate bright hues into the room. One inspiring accent can create a whole theme. For example, a rainbow hot-air balloon lamp might lead you to buy a rainbow quilt and sheet set to match.

■ Still, there are plenty of people who prefer gender-neutral accents, not to mention the folks who wait until their baby’s birthday to find out if they’re welcoming a John or a Jane. Yellows and greens lead the pack as the top neutral colors for many new parents.

Finishing Touches

■ Dresser pulls and knobs don’t have to be boring brass rings. Remove those old standards and replace them with items that complement the room’s theme. Try attaching painted wooden stars or alphabet letters to your dresser drawers.

■ Remember that gender-neutral accents like mirrors brighten a room. Reflecting light and color cheers a smaller nursery and creates the illusion of space. Paint or accent the frame to fit the nursery. As a bonus, reflections are enchanting to little ones.

■ Offbeat objects captivate a child just as much as bright colors do. In a white-walled nursery with neutral accents, the decor can be magical by adding high shelves that hold antique book volumes and porcelain figures.

■ Creating a beautiful nursery that can change and grow with your child is easy. Think traditional furniture and eye-popping accents. It’s really that simple.