Cool Art for the Nursery

You've always loved modern art, and that hasn't changed just because you had a baby. Cookie-cutter watercolors of baby animals? Not really your style. But don't fret -- you can find kid art that fits your aesthetic. You just need to know where to look. We've rounded up totally kid-friendly, totally cool wall art -- some of it surprisingly affordable, some of it a splurge, but all of it perfect for cultivating a wee artiste.

Rock-a-Bye Baby
For your pint-sized rocker, this pop art print salutes you. Each print can be personalized with custom hair, skin, and background color -- a name can be added too. Your kid loves meteors more than metal? Astronaut, surfer, and mountain climber versions are all available, too.

Available at www.yoonkids.com. Art paper print: 11 x 14 inches, $85 framed, $50 unframed; 18 x 18 inches, $150 framed, $85 unframed; 18 x 24 inches, $150 framed, $85 unframed. Stretched canvas: 9 x 12 inches, $85; 18 x 18 inches, $150.

The tagline for 20x200 is "Great Art $20. Really." And it's totally, awesomely true. They introduce two new pieces -- one photo and one painting -- each week with a limited edition of 200 (larger prints are made in even smaller batches so you'll pay a lot more). Not all pieces would work in a kid's room so keep checking back until you find the just-right thing, like this swirly design by Jennifer Sanchez, which would look fab in a pink-red or green-yellow nursery.

Available at www.20x200.com. 8 x 10 inches, $20; 16 x 20 inches, $200; 30 x 40 inches, $2,000.

Name art can sometimes feel hokey, but this hand-painted piece from Bret Herbert is an unexpected and dreamy way to personalize your baby's room.

Available at www.babyoliverboutique.com. Print: 16 x 20 inches, $295; 18 x 24 inches, $375.

This playful print by Meghann O'Hara is perfect if you're going for a don't-know-the-sex nursery -- and it comes in a twin version too. Each piece is stretched over wood bars and ready to be hung sans frame.

Available at www.euphoriamaternity.com. 10.5 x 10.5 inches, $49.

This bold and graphic limited-edition silk screen captures a universal kid obsession -- trucks -- in sleek modern style. It's already stretched over a hidden frame, so it's ready to hang.

Available at www.jeeto.com. 12 x 9 inches, $39.95; 24 x 18 inches, $79.95.

Bed linen company Dwell now has wall hangings with the same super-mod look and feel as their sheets. Match them to your bedding -- or mix patterns and colors for an eclectic, "goes with nothing and everything at the same time" look.

Available at www.dwellstudio.com. 22 x 22 inches, $80; 22 x 26 inches, $85.

This would have so worked in your circa 1985 bedroom -- but the silhouettes update it with a crisp modern edge. Deck your kid's room out with this '80s-cool print, one of only 100.

Available at www.etsy.com. 8 x 10 inches, $18 (frame not included).

This collage is hand-cut using a mixture of different paper types, from construction to origami, which are then glued in perfect place. If you love the look but don't want to spring for handmade, you can also just buy a print. Either way, the sweet coat and rain boot combos make us long for rainy days.

Available at www.idapearle.com. 11 x 8.5 inches, $400 for a collage; $88 for a print.

Send in a digital image of your child's face, and the folks at Kiki & Polly will incorporate it into quirky-but-sweet hand-painted scene (our fave: "Birthday Bird," pictured). Have another idea in mind? You can also spring for a custom-designed original piece.

Available at www.kikiandpolly.com. 8 x 8 inches, $135; 8 x 10 inches, $165; 10 x 10 inches, $205; 11 x 14 inches, $245; 16 x 20 inches, $305.

Pick and choose from hundreds of Laura Zeck's tiny etchings to create a story or simply display a few of baby's favorite things, from cupcakes to airplanes. Combos range from a double all the way to 30, and you can even work with the artist to create custom etchings if you can't quite find what you want.

Available at www.laurazeck.com. 15 x 15 inches, theme $240; custom $260 (for nine etchings).

If it's going to hanging in your kid's room, it might as well be educational, right? This mixed-font poster is in beautiful shades of green and blue, and it's great for little minds just learning to count.

Available at www.robin-rosenthal.com. 18 x 24 inches, $40.

Graphic artist Sion Lee pulls in calming aqua and creamy white to create these retro, unfussy flowers. Pick up a couple (at this price you can afford to!), frame them similarly, and cluster together to fill a large space.

Available at www.imagekind.com. 8 x 10 inches, $16.98; 11 x 13.8 inches, $19.98; 16 x 20 inches, $25.98.

Give your nursery an instant Asian feel with this girly print from Hadley Hutton. Since it's not kid art per se, it will grow with your kid, look as stunning in a nursery as it does in a teen's room.

Available at www.etsy.com. 8.5 x 11 inches, $22.

Can't afford truly one-of-a-kind original art? Yes, you can -- yours. PBteen, which makes lots of stuff that looks great in nurseries too, will blow up your favorite photograph into a large mural. Choose a favorite snap of your baby -- or look for an arty and evergreen nature shot.

Available at www.pbteen.com. 6 x 4 feet, $199.