Build.com For Pros: 6 Steps to the Perfect Baby Room

Any new addition to a family is a momentous event. Give that littlest member of the family a space all their own by checking out our favorite baby room ideas and combining classic design principles with fresh and innovative ideas. Mixing and matching timeless elements with trendy decor items will help create a space the child can continue to customize as they grow up.

Choose a Theme

Any nursery design begins with a theme. You don't have to rely on the classics, such as transportation or farm animals, but there's always a place for the classics when they're done right. When in doubt, try starting with a classic adult decorating theme and adapting it with a child-like twist. Choose a floral and stripe motif but select more whimsical designs or go rustic and then feature baby animal details. Some of our favorite baby room ideas for theme include:

Baby Boy Room Ideas

• Mountain Landscape

• Modern Geometrics

• Urban Farmhouse

Baby Girl Room Ideas

• Florals & Lace

• Beach Cottage

• Raindrops & Rainbows

Contemporary Baby Room Paint Ideas

Before you can decorate the nursery, it needs to get a fresh coat of paint that will help set the stage for the rest of the bedroom design. Long gone are the days when a baby room needed to be a soft pastel hue.

Make the nursery a fun and bold addition to the home by selecting a slightly more mature paint color that will grow along with them into the tween and even teen years. Rich jewel tones, neutral gray and greige shades, and muted primary colors are all fun alternatives to those pastels.

Paint all the walls the same color or create a focal wall by applying wallpaper or a removable vinyl to just one. There are even fun chalk paint ideas that can transform an accent wall or piece of furniture into a place where they can practice their dexterity by learning to scribble and write out their letters.

Choose a Captivating Crib

The crib is one of the spaces the newborn will spend the most time. Make it a statement of the nursery by selecting a crib with a clear and unique design style. If you're looking for a design that will grow along with them, select a convertible crib and make sure to get all the accessories that will help it grow to a toddler and then a twin or a queen bed. Cribs aren't complete without plush mattresses to top them off. Look for one that's easy to wipe down while offering the ideal combination of support and softness.

Provide Adult Seating

There will be plenty of feeding and rocking happening in the nursery. When you're looking for the perfect chair for the space, opt for one that rocks or glides back and forth with minimal effort. Padded arms will provide additional support for the new parent as they feed or lull their little one to sleep. If there is space, an ottoman and small side table complete a small seating area.

Consider Nursery Organization

Little ones come with a lot of little things. Make sure there's a place to store everything that comes with a new baby by selecting a variety of thoughtful nursery organization solutions. Start with a well-built dresser featuring a changing table topper. These pieces are often versatile in design, making them pieces the child can continue to enjoy as they grow up. Open shelving, whimsical hampers, storage trunks and plenty of storage baskets will make it easy to keep all their toys and stuffed animals off the floor.

Fun & Functional Baby Room Decor Ideas

When it comes to the decor, considering a few fun and functional baby room ideas will help the space set apart from the rest.

• Shelves Displaying Books: Choose photo ledges or narrow shelves with a groove and arrange classic baby books with their covers facing out towards the room. Not only will all the colorful books bring a cheerful update to the wall decor, but they'll also stay within easy reach on the shelving for story time.

• Add Layers of Visual Appeal: Newborns need plenty of things to keep their interest. Mix and match patterns and colors around the room to create plenty of focal points. A mobile over the crib provides something the baby can track as it spins.

• Decorate with Toys: There's no reason decor can't be functional. Accessorizing bookcases and tables with fun toys is a classic baby room idea.

• Introduce Texture: A baby is feeling around as much as it is looking around. Throw pillows, blankets, and area rugs with a lot of texture will help to make the room more engaging.

Add Layers of Lighting

You want the space to be bright enough for an energetic playtime yet soft enough to help the baby relax at the end of the day and drift off to sleep. Look for a fun ceiling light with a design that speaks to the theme of the space and place it on a dimmer. Dimmable wall sconces flanking the changing table is a great way to deliver just enough light for a midnight change without waking up the child with glaring lights. Keeping a nightlight by the door or a small table lamp on an end table beside the rocker will help parents navigate the room in the middle of the night.

With so many baby room ideas right at your fingertips, it's easy to mix and match ideas to create a fun and welcoming space they'll love to call home for years to come. When choosing the more expensive furnishings and nursery organization solutions, opt for pieces that will adapt with them as they grow up. A simple basket can be an auxiliary changing station to carry around in the beginning and transition to a fun place to store blocks or bows later. Many of these same theories apply when you're looking for small nursery ideas, simply alter the scale of the furnishings to suit the floorplan of the space.