How Do You Decorate the Nursery if You Don't Know the Baby's Gender?

So you have decided NOT to find out the sex of your baby. That's cool - I decided not to find out with my first 2 and then opted to know with the last one. Although it is a great decision, it can be a challenge when it comes to decorating the nursery. Thankfully we have a lot more choices available to us today than our parents and grandparents had when they were having babies. They worked with the two basic baby colors; blue and pink. We have the entire rainbow and our imagination is the only limit.

Before you put anything into your nursery, it’s a great idea to tackle the walls. You’re going to want something gentle and soothing that will work with all kinds of ideas you come up with later. Without being girlish or boyish, you could go for a simple blue sky scene using a few shades of light blue. Add in some fluffy clouds and you have a great backdrop for anything. Carry this same theme over into curtains with some fabric paints. Just about any fabric color you choose for the windows will look complimentary.

Most nurseries have four basic elements of furniture. The baby’s crib and changing table usually match. Then you have a dresser and a rocking chair for Mom. You may also have a cradle, but that’s more likely to be in your own bedroom. Since you won’t know the gender of the baby until you bring him home, and you certainly won’t feel like shopping for furniture then – you will probably want to go with natural wood tones. If you pick up some unfinished pieces, you can add color and design elements later when you have more time.

The next step in decorating your baby’s nursery might be all about the functions of the nursery. If you’ll be spending time in the nursery late at night, a little side nightstand with a lamp next to the rocker will be nice. Find a plain white lamp and lamp shade and you’ll be able to modify it later to match the theme you choose.

Look for two or three large shelves, two or three feet wide, at least eight inches deep and hang these up strategically around the room. Choose a natural wood tone to match the furniture or stick with white until later. These shelves will be a blessing to you for things like a small stereo, some books to read your baby, or a few favorite décor items. These basic elements are so versatile and can flow with any ideas you come up with later when the baby is settled in. Whether you end up adding butterflies or frogs to the room later, the blue sky and neutral additions will fit perfectly.

This is a room with a really nice canvas of sky and all of the basics in place. You can wait for baby to reveal his or her gender to really dig into a decorating theme, or just choose to go with something that isn’t girl or boy specific to get everything done in advance. Whichever you choose, don’t be afraid to be daring – remember, the nursery gets redecorated in just a few short years and you get to have the fun all over again.