There’s a lot to be said for small spaces and small homes, and even if you’re a tiny house fan, you’re going to feel a little constrained when it comes to bringing a baby home into a small space.
Take setting up a nursery for example: babies require a lot of stuff, and if you’ve only got a small area to set up the crib, changing table, baby’s dresser, and a place to hold all of the diapers, wipes, and lotions you’ll require to get through the day, you’re going to wonder how you’ll fit it all in.
When I had my second baby, we lived in a tiny townhouse. Because I had two kids under the age of two, I didn’t want to set them up in the same room because I knew I’d never get a minute of sleep with them waking each other up.
Instead of room sharing, I improvised, took the doors off my closet, and set my son’s crib up right beside my bed. I used the shelf above him for storage and decorated the wall with all of the great baby gifts I had been given. It worked really well until we moved and he got a room of his own.
If you’re in the same boat, you’ll be happy to know there are a few tips and tricks you can use to maximize a small space or a small nursery. All you need to do is think outside the box, minimize your clutter, and be really choosey as to what you’ll bring home.
Here are a few nursery ideas if you only have a small space.
Decide what you need and what you don’t
If you’ve ever pinned nurseries on Pinterest and they were complete with chandeliers, high ceilings, couches, and a crib front and center, you’ve seen what a fully stocked, done-to-the-nines nursery can look like. That’s not the reality for most people, because our homes or our budgets don’t always allow for elaborate baby rooms.
The good news is that your baby will be content no matter how big or small your space, so when you’re decide on what you’re going to put in your small room, keep in mind what’s a necessity vs a want. For example, you absolutely need to have a crib, but you may also want a changing table and a glider.
Storage, storage, storage
In a small room you’ll have your crib front and center, but what else do you add to complete the room? Storage is the most important thing when it comes to a small space, and it’s even more important for the nursery.
If you’ve decided you need a change table, choose one that gives you the most amount of storage for the baby items you have. The South Shore Cotton Candy Collection 3-drawer wood changing table would be my choice in a small space. Because it doubles as a dresser you get both the changing table, a spot to store diapers, and a place to store clothes.
If you like a clean, modern look in the nursery, you might like the Zutano Tivoli Modern 2-drawer changing table. It’s great for a small space but has storage too.
Think vertical and horizontal
In a small nursery, you literally have to make use of every square inch. Any nook and cranny, including high up on the wall, is a spot where you can store extra baby items.
Cribs like the Aaden 3-in-1 convertible crib convert from a crib to a bed so you never have to upgrade, but they also give you a spot underneath to slide storage containers. Keep extra diapers, off-season clothes, and toys in plastic totes and it will be out of sight until you need it.
You also don’t have to stick to a ‘kid-themed’ grid when it comes to décor for your small nursery. An ottoman you’d normally put in front of your couch can also double as a great place to store extra blankets and toys, and a bookshelf can be mounted on the back of a door to store books, extra supplies, and even folded up clothes.
Hang a series of hooks along the top the wall and hang extra towels, sleep sacks, or blankets. If you arrange them in a pattern, they look like wall art.
You can also go beyond the nursery by adding extra baby storage outside of the room. Adding a bookshelf to the hallway and using baskets to hide away items will be handy, and you’ll never know its baby gear stored there until you pull out what you need.
Light vs dark
It’s tempting to immediately paint a nursery pink or blue, but if it’s a small space, there’s a lot to be said for leaving it white.
White color on the walls, bedding, and furniture can make even the smallest room feel open and airy. Even a nightlight can blend in when it’s white.
With a clean slate, you can accessorize with your baby’s name or add pops of color here and there by adding a mural.
There’s always room for a chair
Those late nights with baby might seem stressful 
now, but they make for some of the best memories when you look back on them. I always took my baby out on the couch for feeding, but I always wished I had a chair set up so we could stay in the cozy nursery.
Just because it’s a small space doesn’t mean you have to miss out on that experience. You can add a chair that rocks like the CorLiving Rocking Chair. It might not be a traditional glider, but it’s comfortable and space saving. You can also choose a traditional glider and put the ottoman in another room or just bring home a rocking chair.
Decorating any small space has its challenges, and it might feel a bit overwhelming when you’re decorating a small nursery, but if you take it step by step and focus on the essentials you’ll create a cozy space for your baby in no time at all.
For inspiration and ideas, take a look at everything Best Buy has for your nursery.
