Oh, Baby! 12 Ideas to Get a Chic Nursery Rolling

There's a lot of chatter about babies lately — spring and summer are popular baby birthing months. If you have been dreaming about your nursery and looking for new ideas, this is for you.

I really like to decorate nurseries with an older baby in mind, because the newborn months are such a blink. I try to stay away from newborn-specific themes and go with something that will work for 0 to 5 years old.

If your baby bump is getting bigger and you have no idea how to start your nursery design, relax, breathe and put your feet up — I've assembled a few ideas that will get you started and ready just in time. Choose your favorites as starting points and just build from there.

1. Start with a fun wallpaper pattern. A nursery can obviously pull off more whimsy than most other rooms. Find a fun pattern and paper the entire room or just one wall. Build on the pattern by adding complementary colors or art.


2. Go bold with geometric patterns. White walls are kicked into high gear with strong colors and geometric patterns in the rug and art. Infants' developing eyes are drawn to high color contrast.


3. Choose a unique overhead light. I love this oversize light fixture above the comfy chair. Let the light fixture set the palette and vibe of the nursery.

Tip: Get the coziest chair you can find. You will spend more time there than you realize.


4. Throw in an oversize stuffed animal to set a playful tone. I remember when my now-teenage daughter was a baby. She had a giant bear that she affectionately called B. Her first words were "Mama," "Daddy," "ball" and "bear."


5. Let the palette create the theme. Pick two or three colors and repeat them throughout the room. Splash color in unexpected places like curtain trim, rugs and art.


6. Create an accent wall. Highlighting one wall is fun and practical when you're being careful about costs. Accent walls can be created with paint, wallpaper or art.


7. Put all the pattern in your curtains. Go with a big baby-inspired pattern on the curtains and leave the rest of the room neutral.


8. Consider horizontal stripes. A pattern of horizontal stripes in fun colors sets a tone of fun and expands even the smallest of spaces. Furniture, rugs and fabrics can all be tied in to the stripes.


9. Dress up the ceiling as well as the room. Babies spend a lot of time on their backs looking up. Treat the whole room as a giant mobile by hanging paper lanterns, parasols or string lights.


10. Include art pieces that have letters and words as well as images. I hung word art over the changing table in my house, to teach words during every diaper change.


11. Use clothes as accessories. Hang hooks on the walls and display cute baby outfits. Open shelves and hooks make clothes and hats easy to access.


12. Repeat a pattern. Find a pattern and repeat it on crib bedding, curtains, chairs and art. Repeating a pattern is a whimsical look in itself, so there is no need for much else in the nursery — which is helpful if you are short on space.

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