We’ve all seen them–the perfect, Instagram-worthy nurseries. This one has the perfect balance of infant charm and sophistication. That one is full of lovely florals without being over the top somehow. Then there’s this one, that’s a gender-neutral, monochromatic-lover’s dream come true. Having recently brought home our fifth baby to our three bedroom house, I know that those spaces are not everyone’s reality. It can be hard when you’re a nesting pregnant woman surrounded by these little squares of perfection. This creating a place for baby post is in collaboration with Lorena Canals Rugs. Although I was gifted product, all opinions are completely my own.
how to create a place for baby
let go of expectations
Whether because of moving or space, I have only been able to decorate a nursery once. That was only after my second child arrived and we’d moved halfway across the country. I admit–I sometimes feel a little sorry for myself. Theodore Roosevelt said that, “comparison is the thief of joy”. Even with knowing that it can be hard not to compare your situation to someone else’s. I have had to accept that it’s just not my season of life right now to be able to have the picture-perfect nursery. And you know what? My children really don’t seem to mind. Nope, haven’t heard them complain once in fact.
create a cozy corner place for baby
Even if you can’t have a designated nursery, you can still set up a little corner for your newest addition. Let’s be honest, the baby will most likely be sleeping in your room for the first few months anyway. Instead of mourning the space that you don’t have, celebrate and decorate the space you do have. The bonus being that your master bedroom is going to get some design love.
| Read: How to Get Your Baby to Sleep Through the Night |
Our little “corner” for baby girl is in front of our large bedroom window, it’s a bright, cheery spot. It’s also right next to our bed for those late-night feedings. I love the Lorena Canals rug that I picked out to place in that area. Not only is it giving me a warm and comfy spot to pace with an unsettled newborn, but the neutral color will work in any space down the road. It’s also completely machine washable. So any little mess that your sweet newborn might leave behind can be easily taken care of. I can vouch that their rugs will come out of your machine looking brand new and feeling soft as ever. I also appreciate that they’re handmade and contain all natural dyes with no VOCs, unlike most other rugs on the market.
organize and simplify
You will feel so much better about sharing a space if you give it a good cleaning and organizing first. Once knickknacks are downsized and clutter is cleared you can start making room for all of baby’s needs. You’ll also be feeling much more at peace. Start the cleaning process early so you can enjoy the last weeks leading up to your baby’s arrival. That way you’re not feeling stressed and overwhelmed by all the mess and chaos. If you need some help taming your clutter or organizing all of your precious baby’s items you should check out the adorable storage bins that Lorena Canals offers. They also have curtains, wall décor, and blankets!
How do you like to prepare a place for baby? What did you find yourself doing in the final “nesting” stages?
22 Responses to a place for baby when you’re short on space
I’m getting so tired of Instagram’s curated “perfect life” thing. We had three siblings in a 2 bedroom house when I was growing up. Eventually my parents finished the basement so we had a bit more room, but it was still tight and we are all perfectly fine! And, we can actually deal with people and uncomfortable situations. Imagine that haha
Haha, right?? I will admit, we’re a little crammed and I would love more space… someday. But for now we’re making it work and not dwelling on what we don’t have!
I love this! Right now we live in a small apartment so space is like prime real estate lol.
Thank you so much Erika!
Great tips! Our little one is going to be in our room too and I love the tips to make their space a little special. Thank you!
Yep, there’s lots you can do to make even a little corner special!
This is such a great idea! We’ll be setting our pack n’ play up in our room for 3-4 months once baby gets here and we might as well have a little bit of fun with the space right? Also, your baby girl is too cute! I can’t wait for mine to make her appearance soon!
She’s going to be here so soon Shani!!
I love the idea of decorating the area in a master. I never did that and I would have my kids in there for about 6 months.
Our room is always the most neglected of the house, so it’s a nice chance to spruce it up a bit!
I’ve definitely caught myself wishing I could have created one of those picture perfect nurseries. But it’s been fun having her in our room and I love all these tips to make her little space more special.
Thank you so much! It can be hard when you’re nesting and you want to create this beautiful space, but I just tell myself that it will come someday!
I love this post. I never had the perfect nursery for my son, because we were renting and planning on moving in a year, but it was all I needed. My house is far from the perfectly decorated Instagram house, but it’s oky. Thank you for sharing reality!
Thank you so much! Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one without a house that looks like it belongs in a magazine, you know? Even us influencers who should know better can get trapped in the “false reality” of Instagram.
I have realized that no matter how much time and effort I have put into their rooms, they always end up in my bedroom and 10 years down the road, I am still trying to kick them out 🙂 Your baby is so precious. Congrats!
My first child had the cutest room, totally finished by the time she arrived. My second didn’t really have much of a space because we were moving, and then slept in our room for the first several months anyway. By the third, I didn’t really care about having the room completed by the time she arrived. Now they are 11, 9 and 2, and mutliple nights a week at least one of them ends up in our room anyway!
I ate that Instagram is out of control. No one really lives in all white rooms with nothing in them!
I’ve felt so tempted to try and create one of those perfect nurseries we see everywhere and I have even felt like I am letting my daughter down because she doesn’t have that. (Even though I know she won’t remember it at all! ;))
We live in a tiny 700 sq ft home, so space and funds were the issues. She ended up sleeping in our room for the first four months in a baby basket/bassinet and has been in her room since. I say her room, but really it’s the catch-all room. Music equipment, storage, etc. She sleeps on one end. 🙂
There is just something about decorating and organizing baby spaces though! What we did, is dedicate the one wall in the room to her things. We decorated it, and have a few shelves for books and toys. It looks pretty cute if I do say so!
We’re all staying in one room. We have a toddler and a baby.
We do need to clean our room. We still have a lot of unnecessary stuff there and I agree it would feel so much better if the room is actually organized.
I’m actually planning to have this renovation for the room to make it more “children-friendly”.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
[…] I feel badly saying this because there are so many people out there that have so much less than we do, but it’s hard y’all. We have about 1700 square feet and three bedrooms to fit our family in and we’ve had to get creative sometimes. Luckily, our children have learned early to adjust to noise, chaos, and an ever-changing sleeping situation. I have been loving out DockATot Deluxe+ because it keeps baby girl safe and cozy no matter where I have to move her to. Sometimes that’s on the family room floor while I work on a project nearby, sometimes it’s outside while we watch her siblings play, and other times it’s in our master bedroom while I’m folding laundry. It’s been the perfect addition to our household during this season of our lives when we’re trying to make do with the space we have. […]
[…] Creating a Place for Baby When You Don’t Have Space […]
[…] I’ve talked about them before but Lorena Canals actually makes washable rugs. That’s right–you can just throw your Lorena Canals rug in the washing machine when it gets dirty! I own two (one of which is off-white!) and I can personally vouch for how well they hold up! […]