Design with your child and yourself in mind.
When shopping for furniture pieces and accessories for your child's room, choose items you would put anywhere in your home. Try to avoid pieces that are totally marketed towards children. Doing this serves two purposes: Style and longevity.
Changing tables are a perfect example of furniture marketed completely towards children. Yes, they are awesome and there is definitely a place for them. But what happens to that piece of furniture when your child is potty trained? For me, the best option was finding a simple dresser and adding a changing pad on top. We found ours at IKEA. It's very, very basic. It works in Sam's room now. Later, I can paint it, change the hardware and use it as an entryway piece to store shoes. Or I can keep it white and throw it in my craft room to store all of my supplies. I can slap on chalkboard paint and use it in the school room. The list of possibilities is endless. This piece of furniture has a long and happy life in front of it.
As for style...There is just something about walking into a child's room and seeing the unexpected. The armoire in the photo above is a perfect example. It's a statement piece. That doesn't mean it was expensive. It means the piece has a voice. It tells a story. This armoire was a very inexpensive floor model at an already inexpensive discount store. It has served as a tv hutch in our newly finished basement, an entertainment center in a family room, a clothing wardrobe in our master bedroom and now center stage in our son's room. When we chose this piece of furniture we had no idea the roles it would play in our home. That is why choosing a piece you love is so important. Don't settle! Think outside the baby superstore box! Every piece of furniture speaks. What do you want yours to say?