Question: My baby is growing out of her crib and into a “big girl bed.” I’d like to update the room without a complete re-do so it is less nursery and more mature, but I don’t want to spend a lot of money. Do you have any ideas on making the transition?

Answer: Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater! Keep some design elements and update others. Try keeping the paint color the same while updating the linens. Swap out the dainty flowers for an oversized floral, more appropriate for a young girl’s personality; or try a bold awning stripe rather than a pinstripe. You can also keep textile colors consistent and choose a new wall color, perhaps a richer hue to g ive the room a stronger, more confident appeal.

Re-engineer your floor plan to suit the needs of a toddler.
While you may not need to add more furniture than the bed, you will still need to think about how to re-arrange the room to suit your growing child’s needs. Consider more toy storage, books, play spaces and hidden nooks. Get creative: place a bookshelf perpendicular to the wall to create a private child-sized play nook for a space all their own.

Reflect your child’s personality with decorative accents that can be updated easily.
What are your child’s unique quirks and interests? Think about what they love and how to accommodate that in their room. Since their interests can (and will!) change over time, you’ll need to be creative, however. Opt for things that are easy and inexpensive to change, like an art collection instead of a custom-built skateboard bed.

Get creative with toy storage.
One of the biggest transitions from baby to kid is the increase in the amount of stuff that must now be dealt with. So when it comes to storage, think out of the box, literally! We once used a grouping of bright orange rubber lawn and leaf bins for open toy storage in a kid’s room - they are deep, kid- friendly, and very easy to move around.

Create a cozy space for reading.
Turn your nursing chair into a reading chair with lamp and bookshelf nearby. Add a new blanket or pillow to update your look and make it comfy and special for you and your child to spend time together there as part of your daily ritual.

Source: Press Release, Serena and Lily, www.serenaandlily.com