Save Money by Creating a Nursery That Will Grow With Your Child

In this guest post, Kara shows us how to save money by creating a nursery that grows with your child… maybe even until she goes off to college!

The key to pulling off a room that will grow with your little one is choosing a theme that does not restrict you to solely baby items. By the time your child is three or four, she may not love Pepto-Bismol pink walls and Winnie The Pooh décor anymore. We went with a neutral paint color on our walls, which gives us flexibility with furniture, wall décor, and accents that can easily be changed throughout the years.

Our daughter’s first name is after my great-great grandmother from Australia, and her middle name after her daughter. I decided that I wanted her room to be an Australian themed room fit for royalty with a vintage feel. I believe it is important for her to know where she came from and who her ancestors are, so I framed pictures of these incredible women and have them hanging on her walls. As she gets older and wants different themes in her room, these pictures can be moved to other areas of our home.

The frames were all bought from Aaron Brothers, who regularly comes out with a 40% off coupon; limit one per person, per day, per purchase. So my husband and I would go in every day with a coupon until we had all of the frames we needed. We have a kangaroo print and maps of Australia in addition to other photos. The frames will last forever and the prints can easily be changed out for new artwork and photos as our daughter grows.

We chose the 4-in-1 Graco Lauren crib in espresso. My mom got it for us from Target and the sale they had going on at the time included the mattress for free! It is a beautiful convertible crib that becomes a toddler bed, daybed, and full size headboard. This bed will grow with her for a LONG time!
Instead of buying a separate changing table, we used this antique dresser that belonged to my great-grandmother. Our baby girl loves looking at herself in the mirror when we change her diaper! It can be refinished or painted later on if needed. This is a piece that I can envision perfume bottles and make-up sitting on during her teenage years.

Some dear friends gave us the other dresser/armoire in her room. It is wonderful for storing diapers, clothes, and other necessities. Later on it can also be refinished, hardware changed, etc. to suit her big girl needs.

The chandelier and netting will most likely stay in her room until she is 18! It can easily be placed over her big girl bed, or moved to a corner of the room with lots of pillows that is dedicated to reading. The cube organizer will no doubt house many different items as she grows up. It may even end up inside her closet at some point!

The wingback chair and glider can both stay in her room, be reupholstered, or moved to other rooms as her tastes change and she grows. Placement of furniture, refurbishing old pieces, and simply rearranging items can change your baby’s nursery into a grown child’s room.

Kara is one hot momma from California! She is an amateur photographer, baker & chef, relishing the moments with her family of three. She enjoys traveling, singing, exploring the beautiful outdoors, and spending time with friends & family. Check out Kara’s blog: KaraandMattMiller.blogspot.com.