BABY TO TODDLER ROOM RX

- Pam Ginocchio & Melisa Fluhr, ProjectNursery.com

After graduating from UCLA, Pam Ginocchio and Melisa Fluhr, the two moms behind Project Nursery, became roommates in New York City. Flash forward past careers, husbands, and pregnancy. Through all of their life changes, Pam and Melisa stayed close friends and suddenly found themselves in mommyland. It wasn’t until Melisa posted photos of her young son’s new bedroom online and received 26,000 hits and 266 comments that they realized they could be on to something special. ProjectNursery.com covers everything from kid’s rooms, playrooms, eco-fun finds, and everything in between.

Hi Tasty Moms, Project Nursery here. If you haven’t heard about us we are two moms who love inspiring nursery and family

focused design for the home. We have received tons of requests from our readers for tips on how to take the baby nursery and easily convert it to a toddler room. We wanted to share our ideas with all you Tasty Moms first!

It’s tough to part with those precious porcelain baby shoes you have on display in the nursery but there comes a time when toddler takes over and the room simply must change. Here are Project Nursery’s top tips for making the switch without crazy expense or hassle:

1. Invest in a good looking and functional bed. Go for a full size bed so that the nightly reading sessions are just as comfy for Mom and Dad. The bed will take center stage in the room and now there are great options for tufted headboards, playful bunk beds and clean, contemporary designs. Have fun with it!

 2. Give that changing table a makeover. Remove the changing portion and add a fresh coat of paint and hardware to transform it from sweet baby to fun toddler. Go for a pop of color to give the room some punch and to further incorporate all the colors going on - thanks to the zillions of toys you have now acquired!

3.  Bring in a pint-sized table and chairs. It doesn't have to be expensive. What it will do is fill up the room and create an instant play space.

4. Add an area rug, even if you have wall-to-wall carpet. An area rug really defines a space. If you are worried about wear and tear try carpet tiles. There are lots of great colors and patterns to choose from these days.  Since you can replace tiles easily maybe play dough doesn't have to be for school only?

5. Give the walls a face-lift. Add new prints, cork boards, shelving or wall decals.  

6. Embrace the toys! Get some big buckets or bins for toy storage and easy clean up. 

7. Reconfigure the closet to suit the needs of a toddler. With such great closet organization systems out there, you can even create a mini toddler desk inside the closet space.

Don't stress out too much with the transition. Toddlers love to run, jump, play and destroy! So, clear out all those delicate frames and bring in the bean bags!