Comfort and safety of the baby are the topmost and foremost priorities while decorating a nursery. Early morning sunrays may disturb a little one's morning sleep while streetlight and traffic flow may disturb its sleep and make the baby cranky. A particular tree outside the nursery's window may cast shadows that may terrify a little child and window that sends in cold drafts may keep the child cold in winters. A crib too close to the window may cause a child to climb on the window and fall out! Here is some very practical advice for your nursery décor:

    * Babies cannot differentiate much between a plastic laundry basket lined with a soft blanket, expensive Victorian antique cradles and latest high-tech cribs.
    * You may use a deep waist-high bookshelf to substitute changing table and chest of drawers. Use common sense and functionality for cheaper options of the traditional furniture pieces.
    * The furniture essential for nursery includes bassinet or cradle, crib, changing table, chest of drawers, rocking chair and glider.
    * Cribs with slats or posts too far apart may cause the newborn baby to slip through it.
    * Corner posts should be in level with railings of the crib so the baby's clothes do not get caught in them.
    * Mattress should fit the crib exactly to avoid the baby's limbs getting caught in them.
    * Never used lead-based paints for anything in the nursery as they are poisonous and babies tend to chew on everything they can find.
    * Changing tables, potty seats and other furniture pieces for the baby should have straps to avoid them from falling.
    * Don't use floor lamps and put all electricity switches, plugs and sockets high on the walls so that children cannot reach them or have child safety devices fitted on them.
    * Don't use any accessories that are small enough to be swallowed by the baby and get choked or having sharp edges.
    * Nontoxic paints and wallpaper patterns suitable for the nursery are available in the market for you to choose from.
    * Do not spend too much on nursery décor as children soon outgrow them and then you will need to refurnish it, probably with children's choice.
    * Solid color walls and inexpensive area rugs are a good idea that can be given the funky look by adding borders and other accessories, lamps, mobiles and framed pictures.
    * Children tend to grab at floor-length curtains or drapes and may even get suffocated by them.
    * Similarly, blinds with long pull-cords, especially the looped ones are NOT for the nursery.