Nursery School
Finishing the Baby's Room

As soon as the "am I really pregnant?" question is answered, most parents-to-be wonder how this baby is going to change things.
(Don't forget to see part 2 of this article.)

Not only does she need to fit into your day-to-day life, but also has to have space in your home. Making a place for the baby-to-be is one of the first ways you can make her seem real, months before she actually arrives. But before you do or buy anything, make a plan, and consider your lifestyle, your finances and your future.

The Place
Whether it be a corner of your room, alongside your other child or a nursery of her own, you will need to decide where she is going to sleep and where you can store all the baby paraphernalia. After you have chosen a place for the baby, spend time there at different times of day and night. Keep in mind where the sun shines brightly into the room, and where streetlights might be a problem after dark.

Budget and Schedule
List everything you think you will need and work out a budget and a schedule. As a rule, you should complete all major room renovation at least one month before your due date. This isn't just to give you peace of mind, but to allow your new room to air out and get rid of any dangerous fumes.

Theme
There are hundreds of different themes you can choose when decorating your baby's room - from warm and cozy, with wooden furniture and rich yellow hues yellow - to bright and bold, with white furnishings and bursts of vivid colors throughout. Have a good look around several different stores and through a few catalogs before buying anything. As you look, you'll probably find yourself attracted to variations of the same theme over and over. This gives you a place to begin, though keep in mind that personal attention, imagination and inspiration is far more important -- and often less expensive -- than having any one theme continued perfectly throughout the room.

Feel free to mix patterns and colors, and consider trying something new, like painting a mural on the wall or sponging or stenciling letters or animals on the wall in a contrasting shade. Also, remember that your newborn isn't going to be a baby forever - before you choose a pastel bunny motif for the entire nursery, think about how soon you're going to have to retire it. Similarly, fewer and fewer of today's parents are decorating the nursery pink for girls and blue for boys. Staying gender-neutral also ensures the setup will be reusable if another baby comes along.

Ask our home style specialist your decorating questions in our Lifestyle section!

Paint
You can use color in a child's room like nowhere else in the house, so be creative and have fun. Consider painting two walls in one color, and the other two with a complementing or contrasting paint color or decorate with wallpaper. Keep the ceiling light-colored or white to create the sense of a larger room. Latex-based paints are best because they're easy to use, wear well, are often washable and are less toxic than their oil-based counterparts. However, even with a solvent-free paint (like Benjamin Moore's Pristine), there are no guarantees that painting during pregnancy or around a newborn is 100% safe. Have someone else do the paintwork, and ensure the room is well-ventilated. After the walls are done, try painting a wall mural, or use a paint effect (such as stenciling, sponging, rag rolling or glazing) to add interest.

Wallpaper and wallpaper borders Vinyl-coated wallpapers are the best bet for the nursery. Ways to cut down your wallpaper bill: use wallpaper on only two walls or divide the wall with a paper border or wooden chair rail. Wallpaper borders can instead be used near the ceiling to add a splash of color. Self-adhesive removable borders and wall stickers are widely available, and feature a variety of familiar characters. There also are coordinating adhesive growth charts and other 'extras' in some product lines. Flooring Wall-to-wall carpeting is a popular choice for its look, warmth and comfort. Choose a carpet made with nylon fibers or another synthetic that has been treated with stain protectors. The most common alternative to carpeting is a wooden floor, though wood-based laminates like Pergo, ceramic tile, vinyl tile or linoleum are also used. If you use a rug over any of these finishes, make sure it is secured with a non-slip backing.

"We only had two bedrooms, and I worked from home three days a week. I wanted my office, but I had to have a nursery, too, so I moved my computer and filing cabinets into the closet in the baby's room. You can't see anything when the door is closed, but now I can work and Ryan is right there, playing or sleeping." - Amy, New York

Window coverings
The right window covering can "make" the room - choose something that will allow sunlight but avoid glare, give you privacy but will allow your baby to see the world outside. Consider curtains, mini blinds (do not allow your child to pull at gnaw on the blinds as some miniblind coatings may contain lead), roller blinds (you can make your own with any fabric and a kit available at most craft stores), a variety of fabric shades or and shutters. Whatever you put on the windows, be tremendously careful with any pull-cords. Cut the knots off the of multiple strands pulls, and securely loop up the slack far out of your baby's reach.

In the next segment, we'll discuss the specifics of choosing furnishings and decorations. Before then, take some time to review the Danny Foundation's Crib Safety Guidelines so you know what to look for in a crib to make your baby's room both safe and comfortable.

Action Checklist Clear everything out of the room Repair broken window panes, patch any holes in the walls, replace any old and/or unsafe lighting fixtures Clean and dust all surfaces Prime and paint the walls Prime and paint the doors, the baseboards, around the windows and doors & any built-in shelves or cabinets Replace outlet covers and light switch covers as needed - make sure all wiring is safe and modern Put up wallpaper or borders or do decorative painting Lay the carpet or flooring (Re-)Install the window coverings Bring in the furniture Add posters, pictures, mirrors and mobiles