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15 Nursery Hacks For Anyone Living In A Small House

15 Nursery Hacks For Anyone Living In A Small House

 

Are you cramped for space in a small house or apartment?  If so, you don’t have to search for a new place to live before your baby’s due.

Although you don’t have much space to spare, it’s completely possible to create a loving and beautiful nursery for your baby to be!

When it comes to creating a nursery space, you need to rely on space spacing tricks and hacks. 

These space saving hacks will maximize what little space you have, while not skipping on nursery necessities.

If you’re ready to create a beautiful nursery in a small space, here’s 15 nursery hacks for small houses!

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Nursery Hacks For Small Spaces

1. Reduce Wall Décor

Old fashioned nursery décor consisted of porcelain figurines and wallpaper. 

Now, going minimalist for décor is all the rage!  And for good reason.

Many of the wall décor for nurseries doesn’t serve a double purpose.  It’s simple for a cuteness factor. 

While wall décor makes a space more attractive, it does need to be reduced for small spaces.

If you are already working with a small space nursery, reduce wall décor to make the space appear larger.

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2. Skip The Changing Table

Yes, a changing pad table is convenient.  But if you are working with a small space, a changing table takes up too much room!

So where do you change your baby?

Easy!  You have two options for a small space…

  1. Store a changing pad underneath the crib and pull it out when you need it.
  2. Use a dresser as a changing table.

I never bought a changing table simple because I don’t have the room.  Don’t get me wrong… I’d love to have one. 

But my house is a two bedroom, one bath home of 1,000 square feet.

I need to maximize the space I have to work with by leaving out items that take up too much floor space.

3. Think Small When It Comes To Crib Design

Crib designs are not what they use to be!  No more bulky cribs taking up half a room. 

If you’re struggling with a space issue, there’s many options available to make a cozy sleeping area for your baby.

When your baby is first born and you’re not ready to buy a crib, there is an option of a bassinet. 

However, research bassinets carefully because they contain a weight limit. 

For instance, many bassinet’s only go up to 35 pounds maximum. 

Depending on the weight of your baby, a bassinet may not last very long.  

I didn’t use a bassinet with my first child.  Instead I purchased a Pack n Play with a removable bassinet. 

These are great for saving space and I know many parents who use a Pack n Play instead of a crib.  

While I do have a convertible crib, I bought a Dream & Grow Bedside Bassinet for my second baby arriving in July. 

Although I didn’t think a bassinet was necessary for my firstborn, I feel differently about this specific bassinet!

The Dream & Grow Bedside Bassinet has…

  • Four wheels for easy movement around the house
  • Height adjustable
  • Adjusts to grow with the length and weight of baby up to 1 year old

The Pack n Play worked great for my firstborn, but I need somewhere for my second baby to sleep soundly where I can keep a close eye on him while still managing my toddler.

If a Pack n Play or an adjustable bassinet doesn’t fit your mommy style, there is always a small or mini crib.  Yes, mini cribs exist and they’re super cute!

Much of the small cribs on the market are portable and foldable.

Be advised: If you purchase a mini crib, always check the weight limit of the crib.  Mini cribs typically have a weight limit between 35 to 50 pounds.

4. Pick Light Colors

When picking a beautiful color to paint a nursery, think light colors!

Don’t get me wrong, I love rich dark colors for an accent wall. 

But even with one accent wall painted dark the room will feel enclosed.

It’s better to pick colors that are light and airy that reflect light for easy nursery hacks. 

To make a nursery appear larger consider the following colors:

  1. Yellow
  2. White
  3. Light grey
  4. “Cool” blue and greens

5. Hang A Laundry Basket

You do need a laundry basket for the ton of clothes baby’s go through, but it doesn’t need to take up floor space!  

Instead try a hanging laundry basket that can be hung inside a closet, back of a door or on a wall.

6. Install 2 Closet Rods

Baby clothes are small!  Yes, they do get bigger as you go…  But even with toddler size clothing, they’re still small.

To maximize space in the nursery closet, install a second rod!

7. Put Diaper Supplies On The Wall

With many nursery décor sets come a diaper stacker.  While I had a diaper stacker that came with my Finding Nemo nursery set, it was only convenient for holding disposable diapers.  

Diaper stackers are not great for holding cloth diapers or any other diaper supplies needed.

Instead, just skip a diaper stacker and opt for hanging baskets you can place on the wall over a dresser.

Or if you don’t want to utilize a dresser for a diaper changing area, you can always hang a diaper caddy from your mini crib!

8. Use A Shoe Organizer For Extra Storage

Yep, a shoe organizer.  Not the kind that is stored under the bed, but the kind that hangs on the door.  It’s perfect for adding extra storage to small closet spaces.

Items you can put in a shoe organizer:

  • Folded or rolled up onsies and pants
  • Socks
  • Shoes
  • Small toys

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9. Maximize Storage Under The Crib

Although there are some cribs that come with built-in pull-out drawers, some do not.  Especially if you’re opting for a mini crib!

But even with a mini crib you can find extra storage space in the nursery by adding storage containers for under the bed.

I utilized the use of plastic storage containers for my son’s crib. 

Since I purchased a changing pad mat and used it on the floor, I put all the extra diaper supplies under the bed.  

When you have a small space, you need to work with what you got!

10. Remove Baby Clothes That No Longer Fit

This is a big one!  Children grow out of clothes fast.  There’s no sense in leaving them hanging in the closet or folded in a dresser if they no longer fit.

For each stage of clothing your baby grows out of place them inside a space saving bag!  

These space saving bags are amazing because all the air can be sucks out and everything inside compressed. 

Once the non-fitted baby clothes are vacuum sealed, the bags can be storied anywhere including the garage.

I stored all my son’s baby clothes in these bags and stored them in the garage. 

Since I’m getting ready to have my second boy, I simply brought all the bags out and washed the clothes. 

Now they’re ready for baby number two!

11. Use Drawer Organizers

You the type of person that throws clothes into a dresser drawer?  I am!

I try and fold them the best I can, but if I’m behind on laundry clothes just get thrown in there after awhile. 

With a small nursery space, organization is key!

Although it doesn’t make your nursery any bigger or maximize space, drawer organizers keep things exactly where you want them.  

Drawer organizers fit snuggling inside each dresser draw to separate anything.  Pants from shirts.  Socks from shoes. 

Even diaper creams, powder and diapers.  The possibilities are endless!

You can find drawer organizers HERE.

I utilized drawer organizers in my son’s nursery.  But instead of buying organizers, I convinced my husband to cut leftover pieces of laminate flooring to use as dividers within the dresser drawers

12. Don’t Overdue It With Large Ceiling Lights

I’ve seen some AMAZING nurseries with chandelier lighting. 

However, to have a chandelier light, you need a high ceiling.  Since my own ceilings are low, this wasn’t an option.

If I were to put in the ceiling chandelier (I really wanted) in the nursery, I would have made the ceiling feel even lower. 

Therefore, choose a ceiling light that doesn’t hang too low.

A low hanging light will give the room an appearance of being smaller than what it is.  

Trust me… I wanted a gorgeous chandelier!  But our small nursery just wouldn’t allow it.

13. Use A Cubby Storage System

This is one of the best decisions I made to maximize extra space in the closet!  

Yes it takes floor space in the closet, but everything can be put into cloth storage bins

There are many different cubby storage systems to fit any size closet or nursery.

I personally suggest putting one in the closet.  It’s great for keeping toys and books hidden and organized. 

Plus, if you opt out of a dresser you can fit many clothes in the bins separated by type or size.

14. No Floor Lamps

Don’t get me wrong, I love floor lamps and I’d love to have one in the nursery. 

But to increase the amount of space you need for a small sized nursery.

If you love floor lamps, I’d suggest putting it in a corner and put it another piece of secured heavy furniture in front of it like a dresser.

Now that I have a toddler…  A floor lamp would just become something for him to swing or climb on.

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15. Use Decorative Art Pieces For Storage

I love nursery décor!  There’s a million options and when I went with a Finding Nemo décor and found adorable metal art of Nemo and Dory.

However, I should have thought better about maximizing space when it comes to the walls. 

You can easily find modern decorative pieces that are pleasing to the eye, yet function.

Floating shelves are a wonderful addition, especially for displaying children’s books.  

Another option is decorative cube floating shelves that give the room an elegant modern look.

 

Final Thoughts

With a two bedroom, one bath home of 1,000 square feet, I really had to think outside of the box when it came to the nursery hacks. 

I didn’t have the floor space to add items that I wanted.

But with the small space I have, I made it work!  

I painted the nursery a cool teal color; limited décor; used a cubby system for the closet and used the space under the crib for extra storage of diaper supplies.  So it can be done!

You can have a beautiful nursery that’s organized and minimal with everything you and baby need. 

Don’t think a small room will limit your imagination.  

Follow the nursery hacks above to create an elegant organized and maximized space for you and baby!

nursery hacks

 

Works Cited

How to make a small room look bigger with a paint job

25 hacks to make a room for a baby in your tiny home

Small space nursery hacks every mom needs to know about

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