What Are the Best Tips for Decorating a Baby Girl's Room?

Decorating the nursery can be one of the most exciting parts of getting ready for a new baby. Some of the best tips for decorating a baby girl's room are to evaluate the room, to make the most of the available space, to choose warm and relaxing colors for the paint, and to choose a theme before you begin choosing colors. In addition, taking measurements of the room will ensure that the furniture you select will fit.

When choosing furniture for a baby girl's room, it's a good idea to choose pieces that will not overcrowd the room. If the room is small, furniture can be limited to the necessities of a crib, changing table, and rocker, if there's room for it. Some styles of changing tables have drawers for storage, making them multi-functional and omitting the need for a separate dresser. For large rooms, where space is not a problem, a dresser for clothes and storage for toys and books can be added.

Many times, the nursery is decorated with a specific theme. Butterflies, flowers, ballerinas, and fairies are all popular choices for a baby girl's room. One tip is to pick the theme first, before selecting paint colors and accent pieces. Once a theme has been chosen, colors from within the theme can be used for wall colors, linens, and rugs. Additionally, other decorative features, such as artwork, lamps, and other room decor will be better suited for the room if they fit in with the room's theme.

Paint color is an important consideration and, in fact, can be the room's only theme. Some parents decorate the nursery with a color scheme only — pink and chocolate or shades of purple, for example. Either way, paint colors should be warm and soothing, as the majority of hours spent in the baby girl's room will be for sleeping. Pastels and light colors are good choices over loud and vibrant shades. Bold colors can certainly be used, but they should be reserved for accents, such as window treatments, wall stickers, or bedding rather than wall colors.

An essential part of the room decor, which should not be overlooked is lighting. The room's lighting should be adequate for chores such as changing diapers, yet calming and low, for getting the baby ready for bed. One way of bridging the gap between the two is to have to separate lighting sources — a bright lamp on or near the changing table and a softer lighting source elsewhere in the room. Another option is to select a lamp that has a three-way bulb feature so that you can choose the level of light as needed.

Framed artwork, wall stickers, accent rugs, and window treatments are all other things you may want to use to decorate the room. These items should complement the nursery theme or color scheme, however, if every item in the baby girl's room is the same, the room will be boring and monotonous. Accents for the room should go with the theme but shouldn't necessarily be identical. For example, if the room theme is ladybugs, having ladybugs on the curtains, bedding, rugs, and walls may be a bit too much. Instead, pick something that goes with the ladybug theme, such as butterflies or flowers, to enhance the theme and give the room variety.

One last decorating item that is essential in every baby nursery is the mobile. The mobile serves as a decorative accent and should match the room's theme or color scheme. In addition, the mobile should be functional and provide baby with amusement while she is in her crib.