How to Create a Beautiful & Functional Nursery
Create flow in your child's room.
For such small human beings, babies take up a lot of space. Planning a nursery when you have limited floor space or a smaller room can be a challenge. But with careful planning and prioritizing, you can squeeze a lot of style and function into a small nursery.
We've gathered some nursery ideas and considerations for your small-space baby room so it serves you and your little one for years to come.
Things to Consider When Designing a Small Nursery:
It can be easy to get distracted and overwhelmed by all the adorable nursery decor available these days, especially if you’re welcoming your first baby. But nursery spaces need to be functional above all else. Your baby needs a safe, warm, and dark place to sleep and nap; a clean and accessible changing area; and a spot for cuddles and play. Here are some questions you might want to ask yourself before designing your new baby’s room.
- How long do you plan for your baby to be using this nursery room?
- Are there gender-neutral elements you can use to anchor the space?
- What do you need for light and practical function – like diaper pails and changing table needs?
- Will this baby eventually share this space with another child?
Elements to Consider for Style and Function in a Small Nursery:
1. Use paint to elevate the ceiling and make the space feel larger.
One of the simplest and least expensive ways to create a sense of space in a small nursery is to trick the eye using paint. If your baby nursery isn’t very large, consider painting the walls in a two-thirds color-blocked pattern. Assuming your ceilings are a standard 8', bring the room color up to the 6' mark and then finish the top of the wall and ceiling in a crisp white. Not only does this modernize the space, but it creates more visual impact.
2. Choose a timeless chandelier or light fixture.
Light is a big consideration in a nursery. You want it to be bright enough for playtime and day-time changing but also have a variety of different options for dimming the room appropriately.
Picking a timeless ceiling light fixture is a smart move if you’re designing your nursery from scratch (or if you are updating an existing bedroom). In this case, the homeowners selected a beachy small chandelier that will grow with the room – and their little one – over time.
Beyond the light fixture, you might also want to consider investing in pulldown blackout shades and some light-blocking curtain panels. These work well to keep the baby room dim for daytime naps.
When you are considering baby nursery ideas, remember to factor in all the baby necessities. There are diapers, sheets, pillows, crib sets, change pads, as well as all the playthings and books. You want to make sure you are leaving adequate space and organization in the nursery to add in more books and toys as your baby grows.
Investing in a solid piece of furniture, like a dining hutch or cabinet, is a fun way to bring style into a nursery nook while also amping up storage and display. Here, this homeowner lined the back of the hutch with a fun, gender-neutral peel-and-stick wallpaper to give it a little whimsy.
The open shelving on top is for stuffed animals and keepsakes, and below there is storage for things like extra travel supplies, blankets, and so on.
If you have a small closet in your baby nursery, and if so, you may want to consider sliding a dresser in if you can. Baby clothes are tiny, and while some will hang on a clothes rod, most are best kept in drawers or in bins (especially for the first couple of years).
Having a clothing rod for the special clothes and a dresser tucked away in a closet can be a lifesaver when it comes to staying organized in a small space.
Finally, putting some thought into high-quality bins and baskets will go a long way in keeping your nursery functional and kid-friendly – especially into the toddler and preschool years. In the early days, bins under a changing table can be used for toiletries and creams.
As your baby grows, the contents of the bins can be swapped for shoes, socks, or bath toys. Having a variety of sizes of bins and baskets will keep clutter at bay and give you more options for changing up the nursery design over time.
Erin Trafford is an award winning journalist, lifestyle expert and blogger. She is passionate about helping people of all ages find joy and comfort in their homes and happily embraces the 'anything but perfect' approach to life. Erin is the principal owner and blogger at DIY Passion and lives on the East Coast of Canada with her husband, two little girls, a giant dog and a tiny cat.
