Today's nursery is rich in style, storage and safety, with a healthy dose of color and plenty of bugs (only their cuteness is contagious). There's an emphasis on furniture that lasts from "crib to college," or at least through toddlerhood, and styles are similar to the clean-lined, casual and contemporary looks popular in adult furniture.
Patricia Youngblood, editor of Your Home Magazine at Furniture.com outlines the latest trends in nursery style, storage and safety:
Colors
While pastels are still never-fail color schemes for baby, today's looks favor lush saturated colors like hunter green and deep blue in everything from bibs to crib bumpers.
Hand-painted trim and nursery rhyme themes add lively touches of color and design. Fun, flower-shaped rugs put a spring into first steps, and no room is complete without a plush rocker in the shape of a horse, panda or St. Bernard.
Bedding designs
Bedding designs offer something for everyone, and with so many adorable choices, nine months is hardly long enough to decide.
Choose from licensed characters, such as Pooh, classic designs like patchwork and plaids, or go out of this world with twinkling moons and stars. Accessories from the Moondoggie Bedroom collection will teach your nursery new tricks with rich colors and fun shapes. The collection, featuring a playful white moondoggie with red collar, and gold moon and stars on a royal blue background, includes a crib bumper, crib quilt, fitted crib sheet, and even a lamp!
Furniture
Furniture is efficient, space-saving and expected to last. As early as infancy, the emphasis is on furniture that works until the kids go off to college.
Manufacturers designing with this "baby shift" in mind offer higher-quality, higher-priced collections for parents who want to invest in furniture that can last from the ABCs to the SATs. Versatile pieces, such as cribs that convert to toddler beds, extend the life of the furniture and in some cases add safety benefits.
You convert the crib into a bed by removing one side and lowering the mattress nearly to the floor, reducing the risk of falls for a toddler who is able to get out of the crib on her own.
Storage
Storage is key. Armoires and dressers keep the nursery clutter-free and continue to work well in a child's room when the crib is replaced with a bed.
Even changing table dressers are being designed for life after diapers. Classic styles like Shaker and clean-lined Contemporary withstand taste changes as a child matures, making it easy for parents to think "beyond babyhood" when buying pieces. If the nursery will include a twin bed, a design with drawers underneath can offer as much space as a five-drawer dresser. With so many resourceful storage options available, the choices are endless.
Have fun!
Of course, there's no reason storage can't be fun. The hand-painted Snug as a Bug collection is literally crawling with fun and excitement and offers multiple storage options: a two-drawer chest, a five drawer cabinet and a nightstand.
Safety
While making room for baby, parents will also have to make room - a lot of room - for all the safety products on the market. Leading the safety campaign are technological gizmos that keep baby in view and in earshot from anywhere in the home.
One monitor/television uses an infrared LED so you can "watch" the baby even after lights out. And if hearing burps and seeing smiles aren't enough, there's a monitor that informs you of baby's movements from a sensor pad placed under the mattress.
Co-sleeping
A big trend is the co-sleeper, an ingenious, three-sided crib-like device that attaches to your mattress, keeping baby close at hand but removed from the possible dangers of sharing a bed with big people.
It's not only safe but also a great boon for sleepy parents and those who want some extra bonding time with baby. Some co-sleepers even convert into portable play yards or changing tables when baby moves into a crib of his own. The latest in crib safety is the recently patented, interior hardware design that eliminates moving metal parts that can pinch fingers and cause injuries. Not only safe, the design is good-looking too.
Safety check
Keep updating your safety check. Children change overnight, and the baby that couldn't roll over today is the toddler who will be reaching for the tub cleanser tomorrow. Redesigned safety gates make it a snap to keep junior from wandering freely and are sure to elicit pangs of jealousy from grandmothers who remember struggling with earlier wooden models.
Now made of plastic, today's gates are more flexible, easy to clean and splinter-proof. Plus, with a variety of sizes to fit different openings, any room can be declared off limits. If your future rock climber does manage to scale his way into the media room, terrific devices like VCR locks can be used to seal the opening from tiny hands and wayward toys. Don't forget old standbys like cabinet safety hinges and outlet covers, and make sure you bolt or weight wobbly objects that can be pulled over.
"With so many safe, good-looking products to choose from, parents should do their homework and start shopping early," Youngblood says. "The drive for manufacturers to improve products, make them easier to use and reduce possible risks is due largely in part to the efforts of concerned parents. Keep up the good work!"
