Any parent would love to have a big nursery for their baby but not every family has the luxury of large rooms or extra space. Quite often, the nursery is the smallest room in the house or even just a walk-in closet in the master bedroom. Surprisingly, baby stuff has a habit of taking over any space. It’s pretty amazing how much space a baby needs!
No matter the actual size of the nursery, you’ll soon find yourself wishing you had more storage space. If you’re looking for ways to maximize storage space or use the existing space more efficiently, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading for our top tips on making the most of a small space.
Go vertical
With a small nursery, floor space is at a premium. You can easily fill a small bedroom with just the crib, changing table, dresser, and a comfortable chair. The nursery ends up feeling cluttered and it stops being a cozy or relaxed place. So what can you do to get some breathing room?
Go vertical. Walls are great for more than hanging pictures or decorative items. You install shelving on the walls, all the way from chest height up to as high as you can reach. Another good idea is to use really tall bookcases or other shelving units. Make sure to anchor them to the wall though, they can tip over and become a hazard with children around.
Switch to wall mounted lights such as scones instead of wasting floor space with a standing lamp. You can also keep a smaller task light on top of the dresser if necessary. Install some hooks on the wall to hang toys, towels, or baby slings. As a bonus, you don’t need to fold and put them away in the closet!
Another way to use vertical space is to get some over the door hanging storage. These organizers usually have small hooks that go on the door (no screws or nails in your walls!). With discrete mesh bags or boxes, you can store smaller items like diapers, bottles, washcloths, and anything else your little one needs. The best part is that it’s usually invisible when the door is open, so no one has to know what’s behind it.
Another trick is to use the space above the door and windows. Few people think of using this vertical space but it’s a great idea for keeping things out of reach for crawling babies. Display pictures, artwork, or keep plants to free up floor space for bigger furniture pieces.
Convertible cribs
Convertible cribs are a blessing for smaller nurseries as you don’t have to add another piece of furniture to the room. They grow with your child as they move on from a crib to a toddler bed. All you need are the right attachments and voila, you have a beautiful bed for your little one. Some cribs can convert into 5 different types of beds so that you can keep using it until your child is ready for a regular bed.
Hidden storage
Another issue with small rooms is keeping it tidy and uncluttered. That means you need hidden storage that makes clean up a breeze. Consider furniture that pulls double duty like the headboard panels with a built-in nightstand/shelf in Tulip’s Urban or metro collection. Use the space under the bed or crib to store extra diapers, larger blankets, or pillows.
Instead of a simple bench or stool by the window, try using a bench with hidden storage space inside. Ottomans are also great options for hidden storage and extra seating space in the room. Use boxes with lids for toys, books, and other knick-knacks to quickly tidy the room as well.
Increase closet space
You may think you’re using the entire closet but there’s usually a ton of empty space above the hanging rod and below it. Clothes for babies and smaller kids are incredibly small so you can double your hanging space just by adding another rod. You can also add more shelves that reach up to the ceiling to store rarely used items (like sweaters if you live in a mostly warm climate) or unused stuff (like gifts from family or clothes/shoes in the next larger size for the baby).
Another way to visually open up space is to remove the closet doors altogether and use curtains instead. They don’t take up any space when open and make the room feel bigger by opening up the closet.
There are other visual tricks you can use as well such as choosing a limited color palette or opting for pastel shades in the nursery. Large windows let in plenty of natural light and convey a feeling of openness. Decluttering and getting rid of stuff you no longer use will also help maximize available space.