Personalization is the hottest trend in nursery and children's room design, according to local designers. Shop any baby boutique or Web site, and you'll see monogrammed items ranging from pacifiers that may be personalized with baby's name to monogrammed ceramic piggy banks.

"Of the last five rooms we did, four of them had either a monogram, the baby's name lettered on the wall or a mixture of both," said Lisa Pozdol, manager of WiggleWorm children's store.

When Heather Hatfield was planning her nursery, she visited WiggleWorm for suggestions.

"I went to them and gave them the style I was looking for: a classic, little-girl nursery. Bunnies are my favorite, so that was the one thing I definitely wanted in the room," Mrs. Hatfield said.

Caroline Marie Hatfield's nursery is now filled with whimsical charm as bunnies frolick in hand-painted murals around the walls. The baby's name is incorporated in the design painted by Lydia Reynolds.

The room is soft and feminine with cheerful shades of pink combined with celadon green. A combination of four fabrics includes a Brewster rose toile from which baby bumpers, crib skirt, table skirt, toss pillows and changing pad are made.

The focal point of the room is Caroline Marie's monogram centering the corniceboard across the window treatment. A matching monogram covers the nightlight's shade.

A unique personal touch Ms. Pozdol added is a photo growth chart. Twelve small frames are grouped on linen fabric within a larger frame. Each month, the Hatfields can add a photo of their little girl into a frame, making a photo record of her first year. Each frame contains a square of the Brewster toile so that it coordinates with the room's design until it is filled.

Ms. Pozdol adds that another popular form of personalization is custom linens made with a parent's choice of materials.

"About 85 to 90 percent of the bedding we do is custom," said Ms. Pozdol. "Everybody wants to make the room their own. They see things they like but want to tweak it to fit their style."

WAYS TO PERSONALIZE A NURSERY

* Monogram throw pillows, window treatment or crib bedding.

* Buy wooden letters to spell the child's name at a hobby store, paint them to match the room and hang on walls. For a girl's room, you might hang each letter from a length of ribbon that has been doubled and tied with a decorative bow.

* Paint either the child's name or a drawing of the child into a wall mural.

* Frame a preschooler's art and hang it on the wall.

* Paint the child's name on a piece of furniture, such as the bed's headboard.

* Paint a growth chart using a favorite motif of parent or child.

* Hang a photo growth chart to record the first year in pictures.

* Purchase self-adhesive lettering, such as Wallies, to spell out the child's name.

Staff Photos by Allison Kwesell Heather Hatfield chose soft greens and pinks for her daughter’s nursery. The infant’s monogram is stitched into the valance above the windows.