Baby Nursery: 5 Steps

Creating Your Nursery

Setting up your nursery can feel like an overwhelming task. From your social media feeds, it can feel like everyone has a perfectly curated nursery done by a professional. This post is to help you break down your nursery set up step by step:

Step 1. Assess the Space

This is important because not all nurseries are some large, natural light filled room. So decide what area of your home will be the nursery. These spaces could include: 

• Spare Bedroom 

• Alcove (or part of) the Primary Bedroom 

• Den (Room with 3 walls or room without a closet) 

As you can see in the photo the “nursery” is at the end of the bed consisting of a comfy chair and a small scale rocking crib. (This image was from a room at my favorite place...Ikea.) 

Step 2. Determine Your MUST HAVES

Now if you search nursery must haves, you could find lists with 20+ items, but really there are TWO NEEDS in every nursery space: 

• Seating for Parent 

• Sleeping for Child 

Seating for the parent could also take on many shapes and sizes. It could be a rocking chair, a comfy lounger chair, or even a daybed for sleeping parents (see beautiful example from Arrows&Bow below). 

Sleeping for you child can also look different based on space, but also age. Maybe they are co-sleeping with you or in a bassinet near your bed at the start before moving to another space. 

Step 3.  Determine your ADJECTIVES

How do you want this space to feel? Do you want it to be relaxed and beachy? Or fun and like you’re at the zoo? Some people would say this is choosing your theme, but I prefer to lead with how I want the space to feel first before going down the nursery theme pinterest rabbit hole. 

Step 4.  Layer on Your NICE TO HAVES

Now that you have your two essentials, what are other items that would be functional and helpful for the space? The first that come to mind for me are:

• A changing station

• Layered lighting

Yes, there will be diapers and LOTS of them. So it might be nice to have a designated area to change your little. This could look like: 

• This can be a changing table (the traditional approach)

• A dresser with a changing box placed on top (my approach) 

• A mat on the floor in a corner with a cute basket filled with the necessities 

If you’re an interior design fan like me you know that the rule of them is at least two layers of lighting in a space (designers normally do three layers). In your nursery this could look like: 

• Overhead lighting and a lamp near the parent seating near for late night wake ups

• Overhead lighting a soft night light (think Hatch or product like that) 

I hope you feel ready to tackle that nursery with this keep it simple method!