how do you decorate your classrooms?

Hi! I’m going to be moving into an infant classroom soon and I’ve been struggling trying to figure out how to decorate/set up the room in a way that feels engaging and cozy without becoming overstimulating for babies.

I’ve searched Pinterest, TikTok, Google, etc. and most of what I find is either:
- very bare/minimalist
- or SUPER bright/rainbow/overstimulating

I feel stuck somewhere in the middle.

Right now I’ve started making simple educational decor like:
- ASL cards for basic words
- color cards
- multicultural visuals
- calming/simple designs

I originally thought about doing a themed classroom (books, crayons, music, nature, etc.) but I’m having trouble figuring out how to make a cohesive infant room theme that works year-round and still feels developmentally appropriate.

One issue is that eye-level decor is difficult in my classroom because:
- it’s a very small infant room
- cribs take up most of the wall space
- we can’t really separate sleeping infants from playing infants

So I’m struggling with layout ideas too.

For those of you who have worked in infant rooms:
- How did you decide on a theme or color palette?
- What kind of decor actually worked well for infants?
- What do babies realistically enjoy/look at?
- How do you make the room cozy and engaging without overstimulating them?
- Any must-have sensory/decor ideas?
- How do you use wall space effectively in small infant rooms?

I’d especially love advice from infant teachers who lean more toward calm/natural/cozy classroom setups rather than super bright cartoon-heavy classrooms.

Thank you!! :)