Want to see a small nursery? Storytime! We have a close friend that recently had a baby and this friend had a special situation into which this baby came into their lives. You see, she is in the midst of planning a big move to another continent within a year or so. This and the fact that they didn’t have the luxury to dedicate 1 room to the baby, led to her desire to have a space within her bedroom with the bare essentials that were dedicated to the baby but at the same time beautiful and stylish.
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So she reached out to us to help her achieve a cute little “baby nook”, a much cuter name for a small nursery if we do say so ourselves! Having 6 kids between the 2 of us has to count for something right? The idea was to keep the furniture to a minimum, and only purchase stuff that she really needed. It had to accommodate all the baby stuff except for the clothes as she had made some space in their closet for it. She loved the color orange and wanted pops of it in the dรฉcor theme. She had bought a blanket that had safari animals in gray and white and wanted this theme to be used. The crib and a rocker had been gifted to her, so we had to work around the already existing furniture. Not to mention it had to look cohesive with the furniture already in the room.
This was the challenge and the inspiration behind the design. We thought it would be a great idea to share some tips and advice if you are in the situation that either you don’t have the space to have a dedicated nursery or you choose to have baby close to you for a while, but still want to make the space not only functional but beautiful as well.
The Idea!
So we sat down and started thinking. As we reminisced over all of the totally unnecessary items we wasted money on (because we thought the babies needed it) we came up with a no-bullshit list of things that would help her accomplish the goal of having a functional yet beautiful space for her little bundle of joy and that we as moms considered were must-haves. Want the list? Keep reading for the free printable! We proceeded to work with the theme and color pallet using all the elements and info she gave us. And this is what we created.
Theme and Colors
We took that little blanket that she loved and used it as inspiration. From this, the color pallet was born to include gray, green, and orange. As most of the furniture she already had was white, it was an easily made combination. The walls were already painted gray and they didn’t want to repaint. We used wood tones to soften and warm up the space a bit more. Green and orange were the cheery yet muted pops of colors needed to liven up the space. And since the animals in the prints were naturally ranging from orange to brown, it worked out great with the overall design!
Design Elements
We worked around those existing pieces, which again were the paint color, inherited baby furniture, gray and white animal print blanket, and beautiful wall plaque custom made with the baby’s name on it.
Sheets
The sheets and blanket would stand out from the crib via those pops of colors.
Tip: You don’t have to buy a complete bedding set for the crib. If you buy the sheets and different types of blankets (heavy for winter, lightweight for summer) you will have a more curated look that will be both functional and pretty, especially if you love a piece that is hard to find the other parts of the collection. Plus you don’t have to worry about the baby pooping, peeing, spitting up (news flash, they do this!), and ruining the textiles that were part of an expensive set.
Mobile
We found this beautiful mobile on Esty that consisted of the colors on a muted scale and offered the opportunity to use more green in the space. This is great as visual sensory stimulation for the baby.
Changing Station
A tiered changing table that added the functionality of adding vertical storage space. This was to be used as a changing and feeding station – 2 birds one stone!
Storage
Baskets
Baskets added some much-needed storage. It was a great space saver and she could use it for the diaper changing station, and essentials during nursing or feeding as well.
Elephant Bin
This cute elephant basket not only kept with the theme but takes on the task of being a very handy storage solution, be it for use as a hamper for dirty clothes now or later as a means to store toys. Also, It adds that interesting touch to the space.
Wall Art
We can’t neglect the walls, so these prints were a great opportunity to beautify the space.
The passed down, gray rocker gets refreshed with a cute pillow that can be also used in assisting for position while feeding. This is also an opportunity to find a nursing pillow with a cute print!
TIP: Because moms need to put their feet up from time to time, the addition of a poof does the job. Because you gotta be comfy while that cute little creature sucks the life out of you.
Greenery
A faux olive tree acts as a mediation between the adult space and baby “nook”, which is defined by the pop of orange in the area rug. Orange, brown, and green accessories in different shades and tints could easily be added throughout the grown-up portion of the room to make it all flow cohesively.
As promised here is our Free printable for the Minimalist Nursery Checklist.
For more nursery ideas, make sure to check out our Gender-Neutral Nursery post for some more inspiration!
And with that, this precious little human being has a little cozy spot. This small nursery, or nook, all his own, in this big wide world, safe at home with his loving family. Nurseries are such fun places to create that haven just for baby, no matter how small. What have you, dear mama, found to be an absolute necessity, or an utter waste of money, when it comes to creating a space for the baby? Tell us in the comments below.