New parents spend a lot of time setting up and decorating the nursery. But before you know it your baby has already outgrown the space. Unless you plan to move your child into another room because baby number 2 is on the way, you will want to update the nursery as your child grows.
And there’s no better time to make updates to the nursery than the present. Depending on the scale of the changes you want to make, you might want to set aside a weekend or several for the work. If you just wanted to clean the room and swap in a new bed, a couple of hours should be enough. But what if you want to repaint the walls or put in new window treatments? Be prepared to spend some time on this project!
So let’s get started with a few quick and easy nursery updates. None of these projects will take more than a few hours. Remember you don’t have to do it all in one day.
Deep cleaning
Cleaning the room is the first step. Of course, you probably clean the nursery regularly. But it’s no time for a thorough and deep clean. Go through clothes that don’t fit your baby anymore and sort them. You may throw some of them out but you can always share gently used baby clothes with other families. If you are planning for another child, it may come in handy down the line.
You can also take this time to shampoo carpets or refinish hard floors that need some TLC. Reorganize the closets or dresser drawers. For being so small, it’s amazing how much stuff babies tend to accumulate. So go through their stuff – toys, supplies, clothes, etc. and sort what you want to keep, give away or throw out.
Update the furniture
Your precious baby won’t always be so small. Eventually, they will grow out of the furniture in their room. When this happens, you will have to update the furniture to match. The first thing they will outgrow is probably the crib. If you have a modern convertible crib, now is the time to update it into a daybed. Natart cribs are convertible 5 ways, so you can choose the perfect option for your child.
As your baby grows up, they won’t need or even fit on a changing table anymore. When that happens, it’s time to take it out of the room and create some space for other furniture. If you’ve been using a portable changing mat like the Matty changer, it’s even better. Just remove the mat and you have a great dresser for a toddler.
You should also consider replacing the rocking chair with a futon or comfy over-sized chair. It can become a cozy space to cuddle up for storytimes or even double as an extra sleeping space for guests.
Change up the decor
The easiest and fastest way to update the nursery is to swap out the pictures in your frames. Use pictures of your child’s favorite things or your best moments together. Or you can pick images with a new theme and freshen up the room a bit.
Over the years you may have collected some unique handmade gifts from friends and family. As your child grows, you can take this opportunity to display some of the pieces in their room.
Switch the color palette
As a baby, your child may not show much preference for the color on the walls. But even a 2-year-old will have their favorite colors. A neutral color palette is always a good choice for the nursery precisely because of this fact. It’s easy to layer bright colors when the walls have a pastel shade on them. Or you could start with a tan, cream, or grey nursery and add your child’s favorite colors as they grow.
Remember that the bright pink or baby blue you liked so much may not be to your child’s liking in the future. So start with pastel shades or neutral colors and layer other shades on top.
Get their input
Even if you are the one spending money and decorating the nursery, it’s your child who will have to live in it. Take their input when it comes to color or choice of furniture. As long as it’s not a safety hazard or something similar, there’s no harm in letting them decorate a bit of their room.
It can be as simple as using their favorite color for an accent wall or letting them select which picture will go into a frame. You can also ask them about where they want the bed or dresser and place them accordingly. If you have a piece of artwork or crafts that your child created, you can display that as well.
