How many of us, when we first see the positive pregnancy test, have started decorating our child’s nursery in our minds? But before you go crazy at Babies Galore, it is worth putting some consideration into how the choices you make when first putting your baby’s room together will affect the room they will be living in for the next few years.

Firstly, when choosing your babies furniture, try not to put too much focus on the cot. Obviously it is very important to find one that is safe and comfortable as well as aesthetically pleasing, but try to remember that your baby will only be in it for about 2 to 2 and a half years. If you have bought furniture to match it, consider how that furniture will look in 5 or 10 few years time. Unless you want to spend a lot of money every few years, pick furniture that will work for an older child as well, then choose a cot that works with that.

Chests of drawers that have a change table attached are great as long as you like the chest of drawers themselves. Otherwise you are better off buying a cheaper change table and getting rid of it when your child is out of nappies.

It is tempting to indulge in child size furniture but probably best limited to chairs and tables. Scaled down wardrobes and chests of drawers can look very out of proportion when your child upgrades to a bed, especially in rooms with high ceilings. Children grow very quickly, and their clothes get bigger and longer. You will need the space an adult wardrobe provides. Many children’s wardrobes are not deep enough to accommodate adult coat hangers, making that wardrobe redundant in a few years time.

Avoid babyish themes unless you really do want to change the room every few years. It may be hard to reconcile the fact that your gorgeous 6 week old baby will one day be a headstrong 3 year old, but it will happen. Young children hate to be considered to be “babies” and will reject babyish things. You can either choose a colour based theme and add more sophisticated items as the child grows, or choose a theme slightly older than your child to start with and your child will grow into it. Wall to wall Winnie the Pooh will be the bane of your existence by the time your child is three. And if you are starting to design a room for your toddler, take their tastes into consideration but remember how fickle they can be. They may love Dora the Explorer now but by the time you finish the room they will want Barbie. Better to stick to stick to something that is not quite so age specific.

Choose your linen carefully. Falling in love with a cot cover and designing your room around it is a great idea, but think about what will happen when your child moves to a bed. Does the manufacturer make a single bed doona cover in the same pattern? If so, buy it at the same time as the cot cover. You will regret it if you don’t because it will undoubtedly be discontinued a few years later. If you change your mind and hate it a few years later you can always sell it on ebay to someone with less foresight than you!

When designing a room for a client I usually start by sourcing some great fabric for the bed coverings. I then have a cot cover and single bed cover made, as well as matching cushion covers. Then I co-ordinate the room around the colours and patterns in the fabric and there is a seamless transition as the child grows up.

If you choose good quality furniture in classic colours then you can update the soft furnishings and wall art fairly inexpensively when your child tires of them. Also consider that by the time your child is in school you may want to add a desk to the room. Will you be able to find something to co-ordinate with the furniture you have bought? It doesn’t have to be part of the “set” but you should try to find something that fits in.

It is also important to remember that your child’s room will be seen from other areas of your house. Think about the adjoining areas (hallways, other rooms with a view of the bedroom) and the décor you have there. If the rest of your house is understated browns and beiges, you are probably not going to love living with a pink and purple bedroom. Try to pick tones and styles that work with the rest of the décor, otherwise you will want to keep the door closed the whole time!

A child’s room will always be a work in progress, but if you start with good basics you will save yourself a lot of money and hard work in the long run.