On a related note, if there’s a special story behind your child’s name, you should definitely consider ways to cleverly work this into your nursery design. If your child shares a name with a season, place, flower, or color, for example, there are plenty of ways to get creative here.

We get it, working antique pieces into a contemporary home can sometimes be a bit of a challenge, but vintage pieces can look fabulous in the nursery. Perhaps that wooden chest that served as your mother’s bedroom dresser when she was a child has done its fair share of time in the living room and is ready for its next adventure. Consider placing it in Baby’s room and using it to stash away onesies. Or maybe your parents are downsizing and are offering you some of their beloved furnishings. It may be worth seeing what they’re parting with, as older pieces can look ultra charming in the nursery (and are often smaller in scale, too). Giving a treasured family find new life will ensure that Baby’s space is full of personal flair (and will prevent you from having to shell out for all new furniture!).

If you’re lucky enough to have photos of your parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents from their baby and toddler years, consider framing these and displaying them in the nursery. You can create a miniature “family tree” in the space and “introduce” your child to these relatives as he or she grows older. If these types of pictures are kept tucked away in a scrapbook, you can still place that on a shelf to flip through together from time to time.

Maybe your aunt or grandmother is an amazing artist and has offered to paint a piece for your little one. Or perhaps they recently gifted you one of their beautiful creations and you’ve been struggling with where to hang it for quite some time. Why not honor relatives by displaying their art in your baby’s space? Art made by a family member is much more special than anything you can purchase at a store, after all. And we can bet your relative will feel super touched knowing that the newest member of the family will get to admire his or her work every day.

Perhaps you and your spouse love to travel and are inclined to add personal touches to the nursery while honoring this favorite hobby. Print out photos of the two of you all across the globe and work decorative souvenirs (trinket boxes, trays, and the like) into the space by displaying them on Baby’s bookshelf or dresser. Every time you’re in the nursery, you’ll look back fondly on fun times with your partner.

Maybe you have a favorite quilt from childhood that you just can’t part with and will be able to integrate it into the nursery in some way. Or maybe you’ve been holding onto fabric that has personal meaning—consider using it to design throw pillows for Baby’s room. You’ll love seeing a beloved design take on new life.

Framed sheet music looks adorable in the nursery. Pick a song with special meaning to you: Maybe it was the tune you danced to at your wedding or a lullaby your grandmother used to sing to you when you were a kid. Perhaps a certain song helped inspire your child’s name or middle name—you’ll definitely want to incorporate this into the nursery in some way, even if it’s somewhat subtly.