Oh, baby, baby, baby.

Forget the cutesy teddy bears, and ditch the washed-out pinks and barely blues. Nurseries are going chic.

Pervasive matchy-match newborn nursery themes are being replaced with more modern and sophisticated motifs, while traditional pastels have morphed into bold brights and geometric patterns.

And parents-to-be, once obsessed with making the space perfect for a baby, are now opting to create a longer-term decor, one that not only blends with the rest of the house but also will be suitable as their newborn grows into toddlerhood and beyond.

"Parents are finally growing up when it comes to decorating for baby," says Angelo Surmelis, host of HGTV's "24 Hour Design." "They are looking down the road."

"The parents today were the generation that grew up with pastel colors, baby murals and cutesy stuff," he says. "They are a generation that has spent time and money on the rest of the house, and when it comes to the nursery, they want it sophisticated and out of the box."

Sophisticated? Apparently so. Take a meander through virtually any dedicated baby store or the baby aisles at major retail outlets such as Target or Ikea. Peruse the newest crop of "how-to" books on nursery design. The look - it's come a long way, baby.

"It's about finding a sense of style that is practical and affordable and not traditional," says Tina Barkley, creator of a line of nursery products called Babylicious that is carried at a variety of baby boutiques, online and at Target. "Parents want to reflect their own sense of style through their babies. And nurseries have become part of that style."

While some necessities are must-haves for the nursery, such as a crib and a changing table, even those are being stepped up when it comes to style. Dual-purpose changing tables with removable tops grow with babies, thanks to features such as bookcases, drawers or cabinets that become bedroom staples once the changing top is no longer needed. Cribs that can be reconfigured into toddler-sized beds, and storage units and shelves that can hold baby powder and stuffed animals one year and building blocks and books the next, turn baby's room into one that changes along with the size, the interests and the needs of the child.

And then there is the color: Bold raspberry, orange and lime green are popular, as are modern earth tones with splashes of red, vermillion or turquoise. Plaids, stripes, polka dots and geometrics make yesterday's pastel teddy bear-covered patterns so yesterday.

"You can have a hip nursery, one that is a lot of fun," says Barkley, who created her own retro-inspired patterns that include Posie, Happy and Island, because she didn't find the pizazz she wanted for her own baby in more traditional lines in stores. "The choices are endless out there."

Decorating is a reflection of life, says Laura Forbes Carlin, who, with her sister, Alison Forbes, wrote "The Peaceful Nursery." The book promotes the use of feng shui, the Chinese art of placement, to create a nursery that is practical, peaceful and safe.

Beiges, dove whites and cream yellows provide a soothing palette that Carlin says will set the stage for a healthy and tranquil baby space.

Hints for parents-to-be preparing to create a baby space?

"Save your time and money by having a plan and a realistic budget, not your dream budget," Surmelis advises. "Figure out what you need and what is going to function. If you want whimsy, do it with accessories that can be changed out as the baby gets older, but look to furniture and color that can grow with the child."