Changing trends in baby rooms
Say farewell to oversized cartoon characters in a baby's room. Today's "in trend" is for parents to create artfully d e s i g n e d environments for their children's living spaces. These designs flow t h r o u g h o u the entire home, serving as a connection for the family.

This Old World style cradle can serve as an heirloom piece passed on from generation to generation.

According to Kelly Neal M a r i o t t i president and chief designer of Green Frog Art, parents are now s e l e c t i n g n u r s e r y designs and f u r n i s h i n g s that are versatile enough to be used in any room of the home. "It's no longer about creating one whimsical room that is solely dedicated to a baby," says Mariotti. "Parents today are blending juvenile furnishings into every room of the home - and they are selecting those pieces to complement their existing life style.

"In today's home you may find children's tables and chairs, rocking chairs or even a cradle as part of the furnishings in the family room or den. Children are no longer relegated to just one room in the home, so parents are choosing adultinspired designs that comfortably live within the entire home."

Mariotti, who serves as the chairman of the national Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, has identified the following trends that parents may want to consider when selecting furnishings for a baby room:

Trend #1: Choose a heirloom piece as the center of your baby's room. Whether a finely-crafted cradle or crib, select a piece of furniture that magically transforms the room with a conversation piece and can then be passed on to future generations.

Trend #2: Stay away from pink and blue bunnies or any themebased room concept. Look at rich, elegant bedding that stimulates the baby while serving as a decorative element of the home.

Trend #3: Select baby room furnishings that follow styles t h r o u g h o u t the rest of the home so that pieces can be moved around and easily incorporated

into the existing home design.

Trend #4: Purchase products within a specific "collection" such as toy chests, rocking chairs and changing tables, to provide a unified look to your baby's furnishings. As an example, Green Frog Art offers the Old World Collection that includes an award-winning cradle, toy chest, changer and accent furnishings.

Trend #5: When it comes time to decorate the walls of the nursery, select sophisticated, appealing artwork that will remain with the child as he or she grows. Limited edition artwork has archival quality and value and can be used throughout the home and then passed on to children when they grow up and start their own families.

"In today's world, you may just as easily find a crib in a grandmother's kitchen as you would in a parent's home office," says Mariotti. "Blending furnishings throughout the house has a soothing effect on the living environment that is unconsciously communicated to the entire family."

For more tips and ideas on furnishings for children, visit www.greenfrogart.com.

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