A baby doesn’t take up that much space right?
True, but their stuff does. All the supplies needed to keep a baby happy and health, occupy a lot of real estate, and when you live in a small house or apartment space can suddenly feel extremely limited. Rather than trying to go minimalist on supplies (hello laundry twice a day), here are some tips to help you optimize your small space so that you can make room for a baby. Soon you and your baby can have room to breathe and play without tripping over yourselves.
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Swap end-tables or TV stands for dressers whenever you can
Anything that has a flat surface with empty space beneath it can become an attractive, practical space for storage. Think about what items you commonly need in the living room, like baby wipes and burping clothes, and store some of those underneath the television or in nightstand-style drawers. In a small space, creative storage ideas are the ticket.
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Bins and baskets are your friends
The space underneath baby’s crib, the random nooks and corners, and even open shelving can be made more efficient by using long, thin plastic bins or decorative baskets. Keeping things contained will help your small space to feel less cluttered, and utilizing the open space that already exists means you won’t need to add storage furniture to your already-small space.
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Take the doors off the closet and give your baby a cozy nook for his crib
This is a great idea for parents sharing a room with a baby. If you have a long, shallow closet in your baby’s room (or even in yours!), turn it into a cubby for your crib. You can add decorative curtains to frame the edges and still utilize the space under the crib for sliding tubs to store clothes, diapers, or other necessities.
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Hang baby’s clothes on the wall
They are awfully cute, so why not display them? Install wall racks for hanging clothes, and keep baby’s booties and shoes up on top. This will also help you avoid the inevitable pile-up of baby clothes that rarely get worn… because in a one bedroom apartment, excess clothing is not an option!
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Use a dresser as a changing table
If you’re going furniture shopping to create your baby’s space because you’re moving pregnant or with a newborn, look for a dresser that has a built-in changing space on top of the dresser. Working with what you already have to stick to a small budget? A changing table pad on top of your existing dresser works just fine. Look for a pad that has non-skid fabric on the bottom, or even consider having a craft day and adding some “bumpers” on your dresser to keep the pad in place.
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Store things vertically
In a studio apartment, things not only need to be space-efficient but they need to be attractive. Stackable baskets or totes, decorative shelves with room for cute bins, or even things that hang from the ceiling offer affordable and creative ways to make room for a baby in a small apartment.
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Use portable/foldable versions of common baby furniture
Still trying to figure out how to fit a baby and all of the accompanying furniture? High chairs that clamp onto table edges or can be strapped to a chair, collapsible strollers, and swings that can be hung from a rafter or door frame all keep your options and your space open.
Lastly? If it just isn’t going to fit, utilize the storage services by Unpakt. Tuck away some of your gear that you don’t use on a regular basis in well-organized bins, and you will have access to it without needing to figure out where to keep it all at home.
Bonus: Considering making a move to a larger space and avoiding the issue entirely? Here are our tips on whether it’s better to move before or after having a baby!