Small Nursery Tips to Maximize the Space You Have
Are you in a situation where you need to make a small nursery work? Do you feel anxious, wondering how you’re going to make room for baby? I’m here to tell you that it’s totally possible to make a small, apartment nursery functional!
I always dreamed of having a nursery in a house, having a whole room dedicated to baby.
I spent lots of time on Pinterest looking at nurseries and they all have one thing in common: an entire room specifically for baby.
My husband and I lived in a one bedroom apartment with our first baby. During this season of our life, we weren’t ready for a house just yet. But we knew we were ready to start a family.
I’ll be honest, I felt a little defeated knowing we had to use what would be a dining area in our on bedroom apartment as the nursery. I didn’t feel like we’d get the full experience
I’m SO happy I proved myself wrong!
We were able to create a cozy space just for our little boy and having a house wasn’t necessary.
In our case, moving into a two bedroom apartment wasn’t in the budget and since we’ve moved so many times in the past, we didn’t want to go through the hassle.
There were definitely pros and cons, but in the long run we decided to stay put and we are making it work!
Continue reading if you want small apartment nursery ideas, want to know how to decorate a nursery while renting, and overall how to get the most out of a small nursery.
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How Do I Build a Nursery With No Space?
One of the first questions you may be asking yourself is, “how do I build a nursery with no space?”
It may feel like an impossible task. I had no clue how we were going to make room for all of our baby items.
Here are some tips for making space in your small nursery:
Declutter
First things first: get rid of the clutter!
Wherever you want the nursery to be, clear out as much as you can in that space. This allows extra room for baby items.
Get rid of items, put things in storage, or find a different spot for any clutter.
Once the nursery space is cleared out, you can start fresh prepping for baby.
Use Functional Furniture
You gotta think smart when it comes to nursery furniture. Take advantage of anything that has built in storage.
In our living room, we had a cube storage organizer similar to this one. This is where the majority of our baby’s toys, books, and other miscellaneous items are kept.
Use Smaller Items
A small nursery will call for smaller items!
Depending on your space, you may want to look into purchasing a mini crib. The diaper pail we have is the perfect size for our little nursery.
Think of the items you need for your nursery and see if you can get any of those things in a smaller size.
How Do You Decorate a Nursery When Renting?
The clutter is gone, the furniture is ready. Now how can you make the space feel cozy with decor? If you are renting, you will be limited as far as what you can hang on the walls.
My number 1 suggestion: wall decals!
We purchased this Lambs & Ivy bedding set and it came with a matching set of decals!
This was great for keeping our theme and space cohesive. We loved the idea of decals so much, we ended up purchasing more decals to fill out the space!
How Do I Get The Most Out of a Small Nursery?
Now, let’s get into the heart of what this post is all about: how do you get the most out of a small nursery? If you’re like me, you probably wanted to have the “full experience.”
Let me tell you, once our little man arrived, I realized how trivial it was to be concerned about the nursery! To be honest, having a cute nursery was the least of my concerns.
What’s most important is that you have a safe home for your baby. That’s it. The rest is just a bonus.
First and foremost, express gratitude. Feel thankful that you are able to put a roof over your baby’s head and provide them with basic needs.
Instead of comparing your situation to others, work with what you’ve got and focus on the space in front of you. You will be in a much better place mentally if you choose to focus on yourself instead of what other people have.
Even though you may not have room for some bigger items, it doesn’t mean you can’t make the nursery cozy! You can still find cute bedding and hang fun stuff on the walls.
You’ll get the most out of a small nursery by accepting the space you have, avoiding unnecessary items, and using stuff that is practical.
Small Nursery Items We Love!
Book Shelf With Cube Organizers
Having a bookshelf with the cube organizers has been great for us! They make great storage for toys, books, and smaller items such as teethers and rattles.
Blanket Ladder
This blanket ladder is perfect for a small nursery. It is the perfect size, lightweight, and great for keeping all of your baby blankets in one place.
Rocker/Glider
A nursery isn’t complete without a rocker! We purchased this rocker/glider from Amazon and it fit perfectly into our small nursery.
Ubbi Diaper Pail
This Ubbi diaper pail feels like it was made for a small nursery! It doesn’t take up much space at all and it does a great job of locking in odor.
Bedding w/ Decals
As I mentioned earlier, you can still make a small nursery feel cozy with cute bedding and fun wall decals. Get both with this Lambs & Ivy set!
Final Thoughts on How to Get the Most Out of a Small Nursery
Remember your small space is most likely temporary. Your baby won’t remember if you had a “Pinterest worthy” nursery or not. Having a small nursery will remind you to focus on experiences over things.
Did you have to have a small nursery? How did you get the most out of it? Share in the comments!
