Ideas for Sharing a Bedroom With a Baby

Color Schemes

• If you don't prefer some of the hues that are associated with a baby nursery like powder blue, light pink, or soft shades of yellow, choose colors that both you and your baby will enjoy. For instance, if you like purple, paint the accent wall in stripes of varying shades of purple from aubergine to lilac. Paint the paneling or wall where your baby's crib will be positioned in a more subdued shade of purple to distinguish this part of the room from the rest of the area. Reserve the deeper shades of purple for your comforter, throw pillows or area rug. If the bedroom has a basic color scheme like black and white, add pops of color to your baby's section of the bedroom, such as cherry red crib linens or a cobalt blue rocking chair if space permits.

Furniture

• Select furniture pieces that coordinate well with one another and are fitting for both you and your little one. For instance, if you have a cherry wood dresser or armoire in the bedroom, select a smaller nightstand or bureau made in the same wood hue to store your baby's clothes, bibs and pajamas. To complement the hunter green armchair or chaise in the most prominent corner of the room, select a small rocking chair in dark green for the opposite corner of the bedroom so that you can rock your baby to sleep near her crib.

Room Dividers

• Purchase a room divider in a solid color so you can adorn the item with baby-friendly decals like baby bottles or rattles. Or place stencils on the divider and fill them in with paint; choose shapes like the initials in your baby's name or images that match the decor you've chosen for the crib and curtains, like teddy bears, hearts or stars. You can also use a large area rug to create a decorative separation of your section of the bedroom and your baby's. A jewel-toned rug underneath the crib is pleasing to the eye when paired with the ruby red or emerald green throw pillows on your bed.

Organizing the Room

• If space is limited in the bedroom, use plastic bins, each in a different color, to store your baby's toiletries like powder, shampoo and lotion. Stow the bins underneath the crib or changing table. Bins of similar size and color may also work well underneath your own bed to store off-season clothing and free up closet space for baby items like strollers and high chairs. Installing shelves on the walls in various sections of the room will free up floor space as well. Use classic white shelves on your baby's side of the room for toys and cloth diapers, and use dark gray or black shelves to house small flower arrangements and family pictures on the side of the bedroom you live in.