If you’re anything like me, when you’re thinking about decorating your new baby’s nursery, the last thing you’re thinking about is how they’ll grow into it. The thought of that tiny baby growing into a toddler, much less an older child, seems so far in the distant future, but I’m here to tell you it’s not. The early years fly by, and you’ll want to focus on soaking up every moment with your precious little one, instead of constantly redoing their room to accommodate their changing needs.

When it comes to doing the nursery décor, my best recommendation is that you work on creating a space that will suit the needs of your new baby (and you) currently but will also easily transition with your child.

The following are some of my personal favorite tips for creating a nursery that will grow with your baby.

Choose High-Quality Staples

The items that are going to stay in the room possibly for many years include things like the window coverings, dresser, and furniture like shelves, which is why you should invest the most in these items.

For example, go for custom Roman shades and well-made primary furnishings that you can see your child getting a lot of use out of.

Go With a Comfy Club Chair

It can be tempting to go with a traditional rocker for your nursery, but that rocking chair probably isn’t going to be useful beyond your child’s early baby years when you’re still nursing. I went instead with a large, comfortable club chair in a solid, neutral color. I also got the accompanying ottoman.

I used it every day for nursing, and it was great, and my daughter is currently in elementary school, and she still uses it as a reading chair and general spot to hang out in her room. It was one of my favorite nursery purchases I made for her.

The club chair concept extends to other furniture as well. In addition to choosing a chair that’s versatile in its use, think about multi-purpose furniture like a crib that can also be used as a twin or double bed.

Neutral Color Palettes

I love neutrals in a nursery because they’re so calming and relaxing which is great when you’re spending a lot of sleepless nights in there, plus they can easily transition with your child. Neutral nurseries also tend to feel really chic and stylish.

You can always add pops of color to liven it up in the form of accessories, and accessories can also be changed out to suit your kids’ inevitably changing tastes.

Finally, another quick tip that I found is useful: don’t buy a changing table. I personally wasn’t sure if I should purchase a changing table, but I ended up going with a dresser, and I used a changing pad on that.

I’m really glad I did because the dresser is still being used in my daughter’s room and I did the same in my son’s room.