But decorating the nursery is much more than just painting the room pink or blue. There are many things you must consider when decorating your new baby's room, from color to safety to storage.

The following are a few things to keep in mind for decorating the nursery:

Decide on a theme or color scheme
Assuming you know the gender of the baby, picking a theme can be as simple as choosing bedding or as complicated as painting a mural on the wall. One thing to keep in mind when deciding on a theme to the room is whether or not your baby will have the same room as a little boy or girl. If you want the theme to span longer, choose themes that are less babyish; for example, Mother Goose or Noah's Ark would be great for a baby but not so much for a 5 or 6 year old.

Themes for girls that will last well into childhood can include flowers, gardens, or simply a pink colored wall with bedding and accessories like gingham, polka dots, or similar. Boys can grow into themes like cars or sports with ease as well.

Another idea is to choose a neutral color for the room, and change the bedding, accessories, and knickknacks based on the child's interests as he or she grows. This is a great idea as well. When choosing paint, be sure to get a quality paint that will wash off easily.

Choose furniture wisely
With so many finishes and styles available for furniture, this can be a daunting decision. If you're crafty, you can find used cribs, dressers, and changing tables and then sand, paint, and decorate them yourself to match the theme you've chosen. You will also want to consider bedding as well. Some furniture finishes and stains don't match well with certain types and colors of bedding.

Another thing to consider is furniture that can grow with your child. There are many cribs that can be converted to twin beds as your baby gets older and will need a larger bed. The same goes with changing tables that can be used as dressers.

Remember storage
When decorating the nursery, it's important to keep in mind that your baby will have all sorts of things that need to be stored. You can find many baskets, storage bins, and toy boxes that will compliment well with the décor you have chosen and be functional as well. For example, if your nursery is a car theme for a baby boy, choose a toy box shaped like a car. Or, if you're having a little girl and your main color in the room is lavender, get lavender gingham lining for white wicker storage baskets.

Many times, the furniture you buy will also have built in storage, which is helpful as well.

Don't forget accessories
The fun part of decorating the nursery will come in the accessories that you choose to tie your décor or color scheme together. This can include rugs, lamps, wall hangings, picture frames, window treatments, or framed art you can hang on the wall.

Decorating the nursery is a fun part of getting ready for a new baby. These tips will help you put together a stylish and functional nursery!