Nursery furniture
Kerri Stalton

Furniture is an important part of the décor of any room. It sets the tone of the room, and enhances the colors and patterns you have used throughout the room. This is especially true of a nursery that has an underlying theme. Once the walls have been painted or papered and the window treatments are in place, you should look around for baby furniture.
There are some necessary pieces of furniture in a nursery. The first of these is a crib. When you select a crib, do not go by beauty alone. Look for additional features that make the crib long lasting and more convenient as well. Some cribs come with casters that make movement easy. Rocking cribs or cribs that can be transformed into a youth bed are other useful options.
When the baby is very young, cradles or Moses baskets are very convenient. With these, it is easy to carry him or her around the home. Though bassinets do the same job, they are not portable. But they are useful after your baby outgrows the basket.
A changing table that echoes the basic colors of the room is another must. Preferably, choose changing tables made of wood and covered with non-toxic paint. Most changing tables have a belt that runs across the middle to keep baby safe. Baby mobiles are important too. Choose mobiles that enhance the theme of your nursery or add color to it.
Dressers and lingerie chests are necessary in a nursery. Young babies need loads and loads of cloth. Use cupboards that have three or six deep drawers, so that you can easily put away all clothes. These can also hold all the blankets, sheets and towels you need. Dressers come in different shades and can easily blend into any setting. Buy lingerie chests with colorful motifs and attractive color schemes. Many of these come with hanging rails and shelves that are adjustable. Sliding drawers give you enough room to store bibs, diapers, layettes and the umpteen things that your baby needs.
As he grows, every baby is entitled to at least one toy chest. So look out for chests or other pieces that can double as storage chests.
Soft mattresses, clean sheets, cuddly blankets and luxurious towels make the nursery look comfortable and spotless. Always select a mattress that fits tightly into the crib so there's no space leftover for the baby to insert his head or leg.
When your baby is old enough to hold up his head, you will have to consider buying rockers and bouncing chairs to keep your baby quiet and engaged. The vibrating action soothes the baby and the various toys enable him to enjoy his time in the chair. These are made of tough and non-staining fabric.
No nursery is complete without matching diaper pails, diaper bags, backpacks and carriers. Lamps and night-lamps, swings and highchairs become essential as your baby starts growing.
The number of items keeps increasing and is limited only by your imagination. However, one should be sensible about what to get because very soon a baby outgrows its present needs and develops new ones. That means you may be left high and dry with lots of sturdy pieces that you can't use. Always keep your long-term needs and storage facilities in mind before you buy any piece of nursery furniture.