7 Ultra-Smart Baby Nursery Ideas That Even Your Baby Will Coo About

Preparing to welcome a baby into the world is an incredibly exciting time. Part of the fun is designing and setting up the nursery.

You may have plenty of baby nursery ideas in mind, but flexibility is key if you only have a small space to work with. Luckily, there are plenty of ways you can adapt and modify your ideas to make sure everything fits. Click To Tweet

Don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by all the options. Rather, think clearly about what’s important. Such as creating a room that can grow with your baby or having everything you need within easy reach.

To help you along, I’ve created a list of 7 super clever baby nursery ideas that are specifically aimed at parents working with limited space. 

Relax. Enjoy the experience. And use this guide to help you create a comfortable baby room for you and your little one.

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Baby Nursery Ideas for Essential Items

Although it can be tempting to buy everything for your baby’s nursery, a minimalist approach works better. Avoid creating unnecessary clutter and completely overwhelming yourself by keeping things simple. Figure out exactly what the essential items are for your nursery and then stick to them. This will help you to better optimize the limited space you have as you’ll know each item in there is essential. Prioritize what goes in the nursery and store anything that isn’t needed regularly (e.g. toys meant for another stage, clothing that’s too big for now) somewhere else in your home. 

Select Smaller Multi-functional Furniture

The best baby nursery ideas are the ones that take into account both space and function. That’s why multi-functional furniture that can change as your baby grows is a smart investment. If space is really limited, you may opt for a mini crib that has scaled-down frames and flexible features. However, convertible cribs that can convert from a crib to a toddler bed and then finally to a full-size bed are the smartest most cost-effective option.

You can also save space by skipping the bulky changing table and using the top of the dresser with a changing pad instead. The same thing goes for the glider or rocking chair. These are bulky items that take up a lot of space. Look into purchasing a smaller nursing chair that leaves room for you to move around in your small nursery.

 Organize with Smart Storage Solutions

The way you organize and store items in your small nursery is important. The idea is to have storage that can hold a lot of items but without taking up too much space. However, the storage solutions you use need to be easily accessible. When you’re caring for a newborn, everything you need should be within arm’s length to make life easier as you change diapers, clothe your baby, or even while breastfeeding.

For example, you could pack a sturdy rolling cart full of baby essentials such as diapers, lotions, creams, wipes, and more to make diaper changing simpler. Make sure it’s safe because in no time at all, your little one will be crawling, pulling, and grabbing. For items that you need but not as regularly, you can make use of the space under the crib. Buy storage boxes that fit in this space (measure in advance) and put things such as extra crib sheets, blankets, and mattress pads in them.

Always Use Closet & Door Space

Make the most of any closet or door space in the room in order to save valuable floor space. Hanging things on the door is a great way to stay organized and save space. An over-the-door storage organizer is super useful for a variety of extra baby items you’ll need on hand. Use it to stow away rolled-up baby blankets, extra pacifiers, bibs, and whatever else you can think of. If your nursery has a closet, you can maximize space by adding a second pole to double the amount of clothing you can store. You can also use the top closet shelves and floor space to tuck away storage bins or baskets with extra items you need.

Fold Baby Clothes & Store According to Age

Before you’ve even brought your baby home, you’re likely to have piles of clothes gifted by well-meaning friends and family. You can ensure that all these piles don’t take up your much-needed space simply by organizing and storing them well.

First, you’ll want to separate all the clothes according to size/age. You’ll need the newborn clothes first but that size doesn’t last long. Store the larger clothes that you won’t be using immediately by folding or rolling them up into storage boxes. Then neatly fold or file fold Marie Kondo style and store the clothes you’ll need right away in dresser drawers or in the closet. If you think you’ll struggle to keep the drawers neat and tidy, separate the folded clothes using drawer dividers or divider boxes.

Make the Most of the Wall Space

There are tons of excellent baby nursery ideas, but one that I’d really recommend if you’re short on space is to maximize wall space. There are plenty of things that you can hang on an empty wall to create a more functional nursery. By making the most of the wall space, you can keep a tiny room organized.

For example, using a pegboard to hang baskets from is a handy way to store clean diapers, wipes, creams, and more within arm’s reach from your changing station. Plus, this tool can later be repurposed in your crafts room once your baby becomes a busy toddler. Another great option is to mount big colorful knobs to hang clothing or baskets filled with toys and extras and ledge shelves to any open wall space. These thin shelves don’t take up much space and are perfect for books, pictures, stuffed animals, or décor items. 

Decorate with Light or Bright Colors

Your nursery space won’t necessarily look small if you’re clever about the way you decorate it. Keep your decor in mind when considering baby nursery ideas. Color makes a huge difference and you can drastically change the perceived size of a room by using the right colors. Light or bright colors such as whites, grays, and pastels can make any room look larger.

You can opt for a light neutral palette for the walls and furniture such as the crib and rocking chair. Then add pops of bright colors for smaller accessories to complement the look. You can even get creative with accent pattern wallpaper. For example, vertical stripes can make narrow spaces seem taller while horizontal stripes can make a room seem wider. Try your best to ensure that the nursery gets as much natural light as possible which will also help it look bigger.

Summary

Setting up the nursery for your baby can be such fun. And there is no need to worry or to go without things you need simply because you only have a small room available.

There are plenty of baby nursery ideas that can be adapted to work in small spaces. Use this post as a guide to get creative with how you set up this special room in your home.

By designing it for its purpose, you’ll create a nursery that both you and your little one love to spend time in.

What are your best baby nursery ideas?

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