Rita writes: My partner and I are just about to start putting together our son's nursery, which we are, naturally, quite excited about. When we conceptualized the design, we knew that we wanted to 'go green', so low VOC paint, etc, is in the plan, but as part of that philosophy, we also want to use items in the nursery that will last longer than our son's babyhood will.
So many nursery items we see seem very specific to very short periods of time in a child's life...
...and we want to find furniture and accessories that will be perfect for a nursery but also transition well as our nursery becomes a toddler's room, a child's room, and then a teenager's room. Do your and your readers have any suggestions?
Do we ever!
First up, the bed. Sure, you could buy a bassinet, then a cradle, then a crib, then a toddler bed, then a twin bed....or, you could start out co-sleeping, and transition to a twin bed that will last until 'baby' is in college. But if co-sleeping is not your thing, we really like the idea of starting with a crib, and then transitioning to a twin mattress on the floor (a la Vincent's room tour), and then eventually getting a twin bed frame when your son is older. And if you can borrow a crib, or buy one and then pass it along to a friend who needs one once your son is done with it, even better, green-wise (and karma-wise)!
Speaking of house tours, Roman's nursery is a great example of a room that will clearly transition well from nursery to big kid room, while still being a charming nursery now. From the lovely neutral on the walls to the furniture that works now in a nursery and 15 years from now in a teenager's room, this is a stellar example of a baby's room done with an eye to the future.
We have a few more suggestions, here, but also want to hear real life solutions from AT Readers - how did you make your nursery design work after your baby started growing up? If you have an older child, what would you have done differently to give your nursery design staying power past the baby years?
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
I wouldn't. Kids have personalities that mom and dad can't possibly predict. I don't think it's a good idea to force a child to have a room go without changes for 18 years. They'll be miserable, and eventually, so will mom and dad.
view Aisling's profile
We have the oval Stokke crib. It started as a bassinet, then expands to a crib (very easy--basically like expanding the dining room table). Next step is to remove one panel, and it's a toddler bed (that will be soon). Apparently we can buy another panel and make it even bigger, as well as install an underbed drawer to store bedding. The ads claim you can use this item until your child is about 7 years old. And then it converts to two semi-circular chairs.
So far, we're very happy with it. We'll see how it goes!
view cmcinnyc's profile
Speaking as a former child, one reason not to go for "whole life of the child" furniture from the git-go is that kiddo's room is an excellent place to send your bedroom furniture when you get bored with it. (Styles change. Tastes change. Will you really love West Elm's 2005 look in 2015?)
Getting my parents' dressers at age 8 or 9 was a great thrill and a badge of being a Big Girl. I had that furniture for about 10 years, then got their next round of discards in my late teens and held onto it almost to the end of grad school. That's an extra 7-10 years of in-house use for each piece of furniture, plus satisfaction for all concerned.
view wende in the twin cities's profile
I agree w/Wende. I got my Aunt's dresser set as a teenager that made me feel SOOOO mature and glamorous.
We moved a dresser that needed a new top into the nursery and covered it with a changing pad, so there was no need to buy a changing table. We moved a bookcase frm the den and used it to store toys, books and a cd player. We went with an older child "theme" of world traveler moving some of our travel purchases to the nursery. A puppet from Prague, framed illustrations from children’s books purchased on Portobello Rd in London, sari fabric used as window dressing (that mom can use when son gets too big to appreciate the feminine touch in his room) and a couple of globes he can use for studying when school starts, completed our look.
When he's big enough we will move him into a double bed, the head and foot board of which originally belonged to my husband’s grandfather. It used to be our guest bed until the guest bedroom became a nursery.
Oh and the bassinet was an antique (I consider using antiques a form of recycling) that we'll hold onto for future use of our grandchildren.
Come to think of it, the only new stuff we bought for him was a crib (a good one that will last and after the next baby, straight to charity), a car seat and a highchair.
view jairip's profile
We had a change table for our first child and, even though we still used it until he was two, it is a piece of furniture that takes up room and has a limited life span for future use. We sold it and bought the IKEA Hemnes 8 drawer chest of drawers and put a change mat at one end for the second child. The top is roughly the same height as a kitchen bench top (easy on the back) and the little drawers at the top are perfect for storing nappies and wipes (for one-handed accessibility). We left enough room at one end for us to stand in rather than attempt to change the baby from the front of the drawers (baby laying sideways isn't ideal!). And when the baby doesn't require changing anymore the drawers will still have a long and useful life.
view Miss_Shwee's profile
Borrow the crib/car seat/high chair/stroller and give it away after use, use a dresser for a changing table, after the crib get a twin bed.
We got the stokke tripp trapp high chair whcih is expensive but will last until the baby leaves home altogether and then be used as a dining room chair....
make curtains and bedding neutral (ie, white blinds). The fact that the room belongs to a baby or kid or teenager will then depend on the toys, stuff, lying around. To transition you might paint the walls-although many colours are age-neutral. or change a couple of pictures/posters, or the bedding, which is cheap
view Sofia's profile