Planning a baby nursery is a big task. There is furniture to choose, walls to paint, safety to take into consideration. Probably the most exciting part of planning your baby nursery though, will be choosing your nursery's theme. The theme you decide on will set the tone for the whole room so it will certainly need to be one of the first decisions that you make when your start the planning process.
There are an almost endless supply of themes available for a baby's room. You could choose to go with something gender specific, a girl themed room for a girl and a boy themed room for a boy, or you may want to consider choosing a gender neutral theme if you plan to have more children. This will save you the trouble of possibly having to remodel the nursery when the next baby comes along. A pink princess themed nursery won't work so well if your next child is a boy. Likewise, a girl will seem out of place in a nursery decorated with cars.
If you want to plan a nursery that will stimulate your baby as they grow, consider bright primary colors and geometric shapes and patterns. Red, blue, and yellow have been found to be the colors that help stimulate young infants. Bedding and wall d'cor with geometric shapes and patterns will also do this especially if the shapes and patterns are large. This will make it easier for the baby to see since it takes many months for an infant's vision to completely develop.
Whatever theme you decide on for your nursery, be prepared to live with it for a few years. Most babies are not ready for a toddler room until they are two to three years old. If you want to save money, choose a theme that will grow with them into their toddler room. Since toddler beds take the same size mattress and bedding as a crib, you could continue to use the theme and bedding you choose in a toddler room if you wanted to.
No matter what theme you decide on, remember to have fun while taking on the whole nursery planning process. This is a joyous time in your life that you will always be able to look back on fondly.
