Designing a Boy's Nursery

Your choices of themes are endless, from animals to sailboats to something as simple as a plaid that you love. Bring your theme to life in multiple dimensions. Crib bedding and rugs are great places to start; mobiles and window panels also lend themselves well to playful prints and appliqués. You could also use decorative painting, such as star constellations on the ceiling, to illustrate the theme. Small details – like oversized alphabet cards for wall art and the texture of a woven rattan hamper – can have a big impact and make the room look more polished overall.

After your baby is born, make the room unique by adding personal touches. Have large prints made of some of your earliest portraits of your baby and hang them in a row on the wall. Choose a toddler quilt and have it embroidered with his name, and display it with quilt clips or on a rack until he's old enough to use it. Stencil his name on the wall to spell out exactly whose room it is.

The color you choose for the walls can be a tonal shade of one of the colors in your crib bedding, or it can be white or another neutral that serves as a clean canvas for textiles and other decor. Don't forget that you don't have to paint everything the same color: one accent wall painted a rich color can add depth and a distinct sense of style to the room.

A soft blue ceiling is another great choice for the nursery, evoking a warm summer sky.

Take into consideration the finish of your furniture when considering the colors of the rest of the room, and think about whether you want bold contrasts or a more tranquil palette of similar tones. Furniture that's finished with a rich brown stain or painted a color such as navy will tend to have a distinct presence in the room and become one of the most eye-catching elements of your design. White or light-colored wood is more likely to function as a backdrop that lets other colors or decorative elements pop.

Your baby will be up and moving around before you know it. To prepare, choose furniture and motifs that will transition effortlessly from infant to toddler and eventually to child. Many cribs convert to toddler beds and then to full-sized beds; look for other pieces that are adaptable as well. A changing table with a removable top will become a functional dresser once your baby is out of diapers,

while modular shelving works for holding all his essentials now and can be repurposed in another room later. Even though at first your baby won't be exploring his surroundings and reaching for toys on his own, keep in mind that when he's starting to become mobile and establish his independence, he'll grasp and pull on just about everything he can reach. Make sure you give him plenty at eye level that's safe, fun and stimulating.