Little Spaces for Little Ones

Growing your family is such an exciting time in your life. There’s so many fun celebrations, baby showers and baby moons. And your to-do list feels about a mile long with researching baby gear, creating a registry, finishing up house projects, getting maternity plans arranged at work and setting up childcare. 

Designing your baby’s nursery should be fun, not one more thing to check off the list. Nurseries can be sweet and stylish, minimal and clean, or whimsical and fun. It’s up to you!

With a small space, you want to be sure you’re making great use of every inch. And let’s be honest, newborns really don’t need much more than a cozy crib, a soft changing pad and all of the diapers and wipes. 

Here’s the key tips to keep in mind as you maximize a small nursery space:

1. Make the closet multitask. The great thing about itty baby baby clothes is that they don’t take up too much room. If you have closet space in the nursery, set it up to do double duty. You can slide a dresser into the closet and use it as a changing station. Or you can store clothes on the hanging bar and keep toys and books in shelves on the bottom half. Closets can store more than just clothes.

2. Include space for a comfortable chair for feeding the baby. You'll want a quiet space away from the busyness of the household to feed your baby. Choose a comfortable, upholstered chair - you’re going to spend hours and hours rocking and feeding baby. These chairs don’t require a huge footprint, but you do want enough space for rocking. 

3. Go for a light color palette. With a small space, dark colors can make it feel cozy but also smaller. If you do want to add darker elements, use one piece or furniture or one moody wall. If you want the space to feel larger, stick with lighter colors and consider matching the ceiling paint to the wall color. 

4. Be thoughtful in your crib selection. Will your baby stay in this room as they get older? Or will they transition to a kid bedroom?  If this room will continue to be a nursery for future babies, you can consider a smaller crib rather than a regular convertible crib which turns into a full bed as they grow.  My favorite baby furniture brands are Crate & Kids, West Elm Kids, Babyletto and Room & Board.

5. Make the most of your walls. Make the walls bright and fun with a removable wall treatment. Or hang thin floating ledges to display books at eye level for little ones. 

Wall treatments can add fun interest at a reasonable cost.

6. Use the space under the crib. This doesn’t have to be a waste of space. Find neutral storage options to store diapers, wipes and clothes for baby to grow into. 

7. Look up. Extend bookshelves to the ceiling to raise your focal point and make the room feel taller. Use this to display heirloom items, books for your child to grow into, or photos of your family. 

Have specific questions or design challenge? We’d love to help. Send us a note at christa@markeydesignco.com.