A Big Change In a Tiny Space: Designing My Baby's Nursery
Even before I had a baby on the way, I used to love to brainstorm about how we’d eventually make space for another person in our small home someday. I’ve always wanted to be a mom, so preparing for this baby has been really exciting. This has been a dream project because I’ve gotten to combine my Space Camp skills with creating a new haven for my baby! If you have a baby on the way, I hope some of the solutions we’ve come up with will help you turn your ideal nursery into a reality (and have fun while you’re doing it).
To start, we had a big problem to solve. We live in a cozy 1,100 square foot two bedroom home and there isn’t a lot of extra space. Our primary bathroom and my husband’s closet and dresser are in the smaller bedroom. The room is too small for our bed to fit, so swapping rooms wasn’t an option. For the six years we’ve lived in this house, we’ve used the smaller room as a guest room and a place for David to store his clothes. Here are some photos of what the room looked like before.
When we found out we were pregnant, we looked into adding a wall to segment the space, creating a hallway to separate the nursery from the closet and bathroom. Unfortunately, the quotes we got for this were upwards of $6,000 (eek!) and a realtor friend advised us that adding this wall could hurt the resale value of our home someday. Time for a new plan.
One afternoon, I had the idea that maybe we didn’t need a full wall. Maybe we could solve two problems at once by building a closet into the space where we’d envisioned a wall could be. It would be a win-win, segmenting the space and creating extra storage for the baby! I hopped onto the Ikea site, designed a Pax unit and then sent these images to my handyman. He loved the idea and assured me we could secure the unit to the floor and the wall to make it safe and sturdy. Plus, we could add a backing material to make the piece look finished. Best of all, this unit would cost less than $1,000 and would provide ample storage space for the tiny nursery space. A perfect combo!
When we got the Pax unit in we realized that the doors would be too bulky for the tiny space, so we pivoted, returned the doors, and decided to add wallpaper to the inside of the unit to make it feel more intentional. I had also been on the hunt for baby furniture and found myself falling in love with Babyletto. Their recliners are consistently rated as the best on the market, and I loved the simple and streamlined cribs they offered. I measured to make sure that my essential pieces (a crib and a glider that also reclined) would fit in the space, and miraculously they did! Pro tip: use masking tape on the floor to help visualize how furniture will fit in your space. I think we would have installed the Pax doors if we’d skipped this step and then the space would have felt really cramped.
Next, I reached out to Babyletto to see if they’d want to collaborate on this project and was delighted when they happily agreed! It’s been a dream come true working with them, and I couldn’t be happier with how their furniture fit seamlessly into our space. Keep reading to see how we maximized efficiency and character in the nursery, and how we chose the key elements that have brought the room to life.
Before + After
A Creative + Functional Nursery
Even though our space is small, I really wanted it to feel special and unique but also extra-functional. Here are a few things we did to prioritize both practicality and creativity in the nursery.
Maximize storage space with file folding + drawer dividers.
I designed the closet with a few drawers for items we will need to access frequently. The top drawer holds changing supplies and burp cloths, and the other two drawers store newborn clothes, 0-3 month clothes, swaddles, hats, socks and mittens. We added felt drawer dividers with little clip on labels to make it easy to find what we need quickly. The key to this was file folding everything to keep the space tidy and to maximize our square inches.
Baskets are your best friend.
For items you don’t need to reach as often, baskets are a game-changer. We’ve organized the clothes we’re saving for the baby (3-6 months, 6-12 months and then 12+ months) in labeled baskets. We also have a basket for outgrown clothes, one for toys that aren’t age appropriate yet, one for mementos and even one that has manuals and extra gear we don’t need to use yet.
Additionally, we added some baskets that are easily accessible to use for laundry, extra swaddles, bedding and extra diaper changing supplies.
For an open closet like this, we love using a cute basket with a wooden label so they’re functional but also warm and inviting.
Integrate your changing table to save space.
With no room to spare, we knew we’d have to get creative with the changing table. By securing a shelf in the Pax and adding a changing pad on top, we made a convenient place to change diapers (without adding extra bulky furniture).
Add personal + DIY touches.
The design of the room started with this delightful Spoonflower wallpaper. I love that it’s colorful and whimsical. Plus, I adore the idea of fostering a love of reading. From there, I found this felt mobile on Etsy and added a beaded touch (which also helped extend it from our super high ceilings). Cross stitch is my craft of choice, and I’d been saving this Mr. Postman pattern for a special baby (mine!). We also incorporated handmade gifts from friends and this truly beautiful glass lamp from Two Enlighten. Last but not least, we unpacked some toys and clothes from my husband and my childhood memento boxes, and the room felt like it fully came together.
Babyletto Nursery Essentials
When I was researching nursery furniture a few things were important to me. I wanted to invest in pieces that were high quality and would last us into our baby’s toddler years and beyond. I also wanted to make sure that the furniture was as free from chemicals as possible, and of course for them to be design-forward and streamlined for our small space. Enter Babyletto! They have so many excellent options to choose from, and I love that it’s a family-run business that was founded locally in Los Angeles. Their furniture is also GREENGUARD Gold Certified, meaning it’s free of chemicals and healthier for the air (and for you and your baby).
For the recliner, I knew I wanted something streamlined but still exceptionally cozy and comfortable. I love that the Babyletto Sigi recliner (mine is in cream eco weave) is electronic and virtually silent. You can recline without bothering your baby (or in my case so far, my tiny dogs who love lounging with me). There’s also a USB charger built in to the arm rest for keeping my phone powered up during what I’m sure will be many a late-night feed.
When we were picking out a crib, I knew I wanted something classic and neutral. The Hudson crib (in the color natural) is perfect for our space. It will transition into a toddler bed when the time comes, and I love the natural wood vibe and how it ties into our colorful and DIY-centric space.
Lastly, bedding! When I saw this Women in History bedding on the Babyletto site I absolutely fell in love with it. Yes we’re having a boy, but all the more reason to teach him about some of my favorite real life heroines. Honestly, I just think the illustrations are super cute and look great with our wallpaper, so I’m thrilled I get to look at his bed every day. The quilt is also a great size and really soft, so I think it will come in very handy on a daily basis.
And that’s it! We’re so happy with how the space turned out, and now we get to relax until the baby comes, If you have any questions about how to maximize space in your small nursery, leave a comment below! We’d love to help you brainstorm!
