Every parent-to-be experiences that moment of sheer panic when they have to decorate a nursery. It's tempting to go all-in and splurge for a luxurious oh-so-cute baby room décor. Nevertheless, such an investment could be rather irresponsible. The nursery will have to be re-designed into a little boy's or girl's room before you know it, so don't rush in to buy the most expensive furnishing. Instead sift through all the "cute baby stuff" on the market and get the high-quality must haves.

Plan for the Baby

Make a list of all the Must Haves that you couldn't go without like a crib, a changing table, blackout blinds and so on. Then go over the Want to Haves – they are basically the Must Haves but with a few extras. For example, a crib is a Must Have, but it can become a Want to Have, if you decide to look for a specific item like a crib in teak with engraved details.

The last items on your list should be the Dream Ofs. Those are the items that have no direct use when it comes to your baby, but would satisfy your aesthetic desires. In this column you could add items like new wall to wall carpet, rugs, hardwood furniture and etc. A custom made rocking chair is a luxury furnishing.

I am sorry to say this, but the plan shouldn't end with your purchasing list. Actually, you are making it, in order to determine how to allocate your budget. After you choose the Must Haves, you have to decide on other aspects of the decoration such as repainting the walls, adding wall paper or purchasing wall stickers. Deciding on the theme of the room is another important decision, you might want to make in advance, especially, if you don't want to get distracted and end up with a mixture of styles and a nursery cluttered with various “baby stuff”.

Choose a Crib

Select a piece with sturdy and durable construction. In best case scenario, you will get a crib with adjustable mattress, so that you can used over a longer period of time. The crib would be the sole place where you would leave your little one unattended, so you need to make sure that it fits all the safety rules.

In addition to choosing the right crib, you have to be careful to buy a crib bedding that is machine washable. Furthermore, you could use the colour palette of the bedding as a starting point for the colour scheme of the whole nursery. Since it is a children's room, you could actually let your imagination fly and pick something funky.

Pick a Changing Table

Surely, you have already heard all about changing diapers and you feel that you are already prepared, but believe me you are going to be doing much more than you have initially anticipated. Therefore, a good changing table will make your day. An investment in a good changing table might just change your life. High end ones come with a built-in sanitation table where you can put baby wipes, powder and other items you will need to keep at hand. It's also important to make sure the material (and design) of the table is easy to clean, or you might find yourself enslaved to cleaning, warn professional maids from Melbourne.

A useful tip: Hang some “distractions” right above the changing table. It could be just about everything from a mobile to a your baby's favourite toy. The point is that the entertainment will keep your little one occupied while you are changing it's diaper.

Decorate a Sitting Area

You will be spending a lot of time in the nursery, so you would need a comfortable chair or a sofa. Make sure it is compatible with the furniture in another room, so that you can later relocate it. Besides the seat, you have to place a small table, where you can leave a glass of water and some reading material for you and for your little one.

An easy-to-reach light is also a must. Sometimes you would be forced to spend hours without so much as standing up, so you need to have everything that I mentioned above at arms reach.

These four steps are just the basics you need to know about decorating a nursery. Once you have these in place, you would have to consider expanding the storage space (with babies it in never enough), placing some rugs (your baby wouldn't enjoy learning to crawl on a hard floor), blackout shades and some more lighting fixtures.