It might sound a little challenging but bringing up a baby in a one-bedroom apartment is completely achievable. By planning ahead and being smart with the space available, you can share a bedroom with your new baby comfortably. Functional and adaptable furniture is key, and below we walk you through some steps to create a beautiful nursery space in your small home.
1. Prepare and Organise your Home
Preparation is key when it comes to creating a nursery in a one-bedroom apartment, the last thing any new parent needs is a last-minute flap or worry. The later stages of pregnancy is NOT the time to reorganise your life, so give yourself plenty of time! Plus, a purge of clutter is a rather satisfying task to complete, even when you don’t have a tiny human to make space for…
Babies do require a few supplies you’ll need to make space for. Rid yourself of items you rarely use or may not use once the little one has arrived. When you’ve said goodbye to those pieces of art you never hung, or the outfits you have in the wardrobe with the tags still attached, it’s time to start organising! Go through each room meticulously and reorganise everything in a way that utilises space in the most efficient way. Make a list of items you’ll need for your baby’s arrival (you can download our nursery checklist here) and make note of where you envisage each item being placed. Babies really don't need as much as we are led to beleive, so take comfort in that.
2. Choose Petite Space-Saving Furniture
Furniture with a small footprint is an obvious choice for your small apartment nursery. Our bedside cribs are designed with practicality in mind, focussing on slight frames and baby safety features. For something with more longevity, the Oasis Oval Cot’s unique rounded frame make it hugely adaptable to apartment living: with straight edges that can be pushed up to the wall, and rounded ends to add a more organic look and break up the corners of the room. To make even more use of space, consider a cot bed with room for a storage drawer underneath.
3. Define the Nursery Zone
To avoid overcrowding your bedroom, the creation of a nursery ‘zone’ you will give you a neat, defined space that is obviously separated from the rest of the room. Not only does this avoid disjointed style and baby clutter creeping into your space, but it also promotes a cosy little corner dedicated to your new arrival!
You can zone your nursery area with partitions (such as an open bookcase) or large rug, providing physical boundaries to section your baby’s ‘bedroom’. Our new Tidy Modular Storage will create a stylish low height wall, providing plenty of visibility to your baby when they are (hopefully) sleeping soundly. The storage becomes shelves, great for storing nappies, muslins and clothes. The simplicity of the design will blend seamlessly with your chosen bedroom style.
There are lots of clever ‘hacks’ for creating a nursery within a bedroom across Pinterest and Instagram such as changing screens and room dividers, but be mindful that some ideas like railing curtains or hanging objects may not be a safe option. Ensure that whatever you go for cannot topple over or come loose.
4. Furniture for Parents and Baby Alike
By choosing storage solutions with dual purpose, you can utilise your chosen piece for both parents and baby, saving on precious floorspace and minimising mess. The 3 Drawer Dresser with Changing Station includes plenty of space for adult clothing and baby changing essentials. It features a changing tray on top with sturdy edges for safety, and when not in use the addition of a lamp or house plant will keep your bedroom stylish and grown-up.
5. Soft Lighting and White Noise
You’ll want to do everything you can to avoid waking up a sleeping baby… Without an upstairs for sleeping, apartments can be noisier than larger houses, and so white noise can be a handy way of masking every day sounds! A night light is also a smart purchase, when you’re fumbling around preparing for the night time feed, a bright bedroom light can mimic day time and prevent your baby drifting off soundly. The warm glow of a nightlight is soothing, and provides just enough light for you to move around your bedroom undetected!
The SnuzCloud 3-in-1 Sleep Aid combines the two: emitting a soft glow, with 4 soothing sounds: heartbeat, pink noise, lullaby + waterfall. Did you know that studies show 80% of babies were able to fall asleep after just five minutes of white noise.
We understand the idea of a growing family inside a one bedroom apartment can feel daunting, but hope we’ve given you a helping hand to soothe those worries.
