Rooms with a Future

With thought and planning, you can make a happy room for your baby that will retain its appeal into its early school years. The charm of a child's room starts in a simple way-with lively fabrics that are easy to live with. Choose a bright, unexpected color paired with cheerful patterns for long term style.

Make a Mural

Closet doors make the perfect canvas for introducing a mural into your child's room. Kidco has ready-to-order closet doors and custom doors that can be designed based on the colors of the fabrics and wallpapers you choose. As alternatives, use stencils or wallpaper for your own creations or have your child hand-paint the walls with nontoxic paints. A toddler might just do his or her handprints; older children could paint family pets or story characters. For easy application and cleanup, first paint the doors yourself with latex paint (a good-quality brush will give a smoother surface than a roller.)

Paint a Shelf

Special touches, such as a baby's treasures, make a room. Wall storage allows you to display the items safely and out of reach. Construct a three-shelf unit out of 3/4 inch, paint-grade birch plywood. Prime the wood and paint it with blue and yellow enamel for a smooth, durable finish. Distress and add a white wash to complete the look. You can add wood pieces to include the room motif. To decorate, match the artist acrylics to the colors of the room's fabrics. **If you can't find a pattern your like, use a motif from a children's book. Or as a timesaver, look through precut decorative wood pieces at crafts stores. **

Mix Fabric and Pattern

Select your scheme-setting fabric first, and then look for compatible coordinates in other patterns. Notice here how the complementary fabrics repeat at least one of the colors in the dominant fabrics and is the same intensity (brightness) of color. Add different pattern types (print and plaid) but from the same color family.

Don't get hung up on exact color matches. Just look for shades of your colors that blend. ** Don't be fooled by artificial store light. Ask for cuttings and take the swatches home with you to try in you own natural or artificial light. Or, if you are shopping at an outlet miles from home, take the cuttings outside to see how they blend in natural light.**