Nursery Furniture That Will Grow With Your Child

Game Plan Dress the nursery for today and a decade of tomorrows. Begin with neutral carpet, blinds, and wallpaper/borders that are not age sensitive. Achieve the nursery look from non-permanent items like lampshades, light switch covers, throw rugs, decorator pillows, bedding, and wall hangings that are nursery appropriate.

The Transformation
New parents can hardly wait to buy a lovely crib, only to realize that in a little over a year, baby has become a tiny Houdini, able to escape up and over the bars; soon it's time for the big-kid bed. Some of today's cribs transform into junior beds, daybeds, settees, and twin-size beds, with extensions and side rails to accommodate each growth stage. Daybeds are practical beds, especially when trundles are purchased for years of sleepovers.

More Than a Diaper Station
Changing tables are necessities, but not always practical. Some baby changing tables are outgrown before the diapers. Plan ahead with a changing table that transforms into a large chest of drawers or a changing table system made up of shelves and drawers that for years can be used as storage or as an entertainment wall system. Some of these wall systems utilize storage baskets and bins that later will hold small toys.

Dresser Dressing
Buying a tiny dresser for today's tiny clothes is a waste of money. If you are wise enough to avoid whimsical pieces with nursery rhymes, you might later be able to convert the little-dresser-that-was into a nightstand. Think outside the baby box, and select dressers and armoires that will look as good in your baby's room as in your teenager's room.