One of the most exciting things about expecting a baby is getting the nursery ready. When first-time parents start acquiring baby furniture and anticipating their baby’s every need, it makes the reality of having a baby more concrete and believable. The main mistake that many first-time parents make however, is believing that they need to buy every baby product advertised. Before you go crazy buying a retail package of nursery furniture and decorations, consider the long term use and value. Here are some practical (and affordable) nursery ideas for your apartment that could last you well beyond the baby years.
Image: Jelene (Flickr)
The Crib
According to consumer reports, it’s never a good idea to get a hand-me-down, used crib. Older cribs are often recalled for safety reasons and besides, doesn’t this brand new baby person deserve to sleep in a brand new bed? But that doesn’t mean that you need to go out and buy an expensive, trendy baby crib such as the round baby cribs that have been made popular by many celebrities. Cool, yes. Practical, not at all. The most practical cribs are the ones that convert into a toddler bed and even a twin bed when your child gets older. You’ll get more bang for your buck if you think ahead and get something that can be used for a longer amount of time.
Wall Decorations
Before you start painting an elaborate mural of Noah’s Ark in your nursery, think about how old and dated it will look by the time our child is 3. Baby experts recommend using bright colors for developing eyes. One easy and fun way to achieve this is to get some blank canvases and paint. If you are creatively inclined, you can paint your own colorful artwork on a few canvases. If you are not confident in your artistic abilities, you can always find some colorful fabric and staple it to the canvas. This creates a sort of wall paper / paint illusion without having to permanently alter the walls.
The Changing Table
Changing tables can be the most over-rated pieces of baby furniture ever. If you are looking for practicality, use a bookcase, small desk or dresser that is waist-high and throw a changing pad on it. That way, you do not have to sell the changing table when your baby is potty trained and you can repurpose the furniture as a bookcase, small desk or dresser. Voila, that is one less thing that you need to buy as your child transitions from “baby room” to “child’s room”.
The Rocking Chair
While it may seem a little “old school”, you will find a comfortable rocker comes in handy when you are putting your baby to sleep or feeding your baby in the middle of the night. Babies are comforted by slight movement because they are accustomed to it from being in the mother’s womb. The rocking motion mimics the familiar motion of the mother’s body when she walked and moved around. Having a rocking chair in the nursery will undoubtedly be practical and can be used later for seating on the front porch, sun room or backyard patio.
Nursery Themes
Many excited parents are determined to stick to one theme and go all out decorating the nursery with frogs, princesses or teddy bears. This obsessive tendency to theme a nursery can become expensive and is not really practical at all. Remember, your little baby is soon going to have an opinion of his own, and before you know it, you will be re-doing the walls with posters of Thomas the Train, Dora the Explorer or whatever Junior deems appropriate for his own room. As long as you are prepared to part with the elf motif that you labored over before the baby was born, that is fine. If not, keep it bright, fun and simple.
April Lentini writes for Apartment Guide in Austin
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