5 Elements to Consider When Designing a Nursery

If you’ve found yourself in the position of needing to design a nursery, then you’re in luck! It just so happens that I’ve gotten the opportunity to design not one, but TWO nurseries in our home in the past year! (That’s what happens when you find out you’re pregnant just weeks before you adopt a newborn!)

Our 5-month old daughter, Remi, is currently in the nursery I designed for her last spring while we were waiting to be matched with an expectant mother. It’s pretty gender-neutral since we didn’t know if we’d be adding a boy or girl to our family, but I love it so much! It feels a little bittersweet to be changing things up, but because of the layout of our home, we’re thinking we’ll be moving Remi to a new room.

But this means I get to design a second nursery! And what will probably end up happening is a little bit of redesigning of the first one as well… so you can bet I’ve been thinking about ALL things nursery design. So without further ado, here are five elements to consider when you’re designing a nursery, as well as tips and tricks, sources, and lots of pretty inspiration!

1. Sleeping

The first thing you’ll want to consider is a place for your baby to sleep! Select a crib that suits your style and the general colors and feel you want for the room. Go with a lighter color crib if you’re wanting a light and airy space, or if you’re wanting to add some contrast, a dark crib (or even a colored one!) might be the way to go.

You can really let the design shine when it comes to sheets. You should have at least a couple sets on hand, so select patterns and colors that make you happy and further reinforce the style you’re going for in the room.

Another thing you’ll want to consider is window treatment… that’s right! This one falls under sleep because you’ll want it to be nice and dark in baby’s room to help them sleep, so consider this when you’re purchasing your blinds and curtains. We recently got these paper room darkening shades to go behind our curtains, and since Remi naps multiple times a day, we just never open the windows anymore. Sad, but a necessary sacrifice.

2. Seating

The second thing to consider is a comfortable spot for you to sit while you feed and rock your baby. You’ll most likely be spending a lot of time in this chair, whether it’s reading book after book or singing one more lullaby, so make sure it’s comfy!

I personally love a swivel glider, but some people prefer rocking chairs, recliners, or just a big comfy chair. It can also be nice to have a small ottoman or pouf to put your feet up on!

3. Changing

Some people are completely fine without having a dedicated changing spot in their nursery, opting instead to do diaper changes on a bed or the floor, but we have loved having a changing table. Not only is it easier on our backs, but everything is in spot!

We have a shelving unit that we secured a plastic changing pad to, with all of our diapers, wipes, creams, etc. all organized right next to it, as well as our trusty diaper pail. Once our babies are potty-trained, we can simply take the changing pad off the top and the furniture will grow with our children.

Consider whether you want a wipeable changing pad or one with cloth covers (we personally love the wipeable one we have!). You’ll also want to decide between a changing table or other piece of furniture, such as a dresser or shelves.

4. Lighting

We quickly discovered that there is actually more to consider than we first imagined when it comes to lighting your nursery. There’s the obvious overhead lighting to select, but there are also table lamps, floor lamps, and dimmer lighting that can be used during middle of the night feedings.

Consider where you’ll need direct lighting (perhaps a floor lamp next to your chair for reading stories), and more dim light (try a salt lamp on the side table near where you do nighttime feedings). You might end up with 3–4 light sources in a small room, simply due to the different needs that a nursery has!

5. Storage

In case you didn’t know it, babies need a lot of stuff. Even if you decide to be pretty minimal with baby things, there are still tons of little socks, diapers, books, toys, and the like to organize and store.

This is where baskets come in! I love baskets for storage, and the nursery is the perfect place to implement them. Due to the vast range of sizes, materials, flexibility, colors, and more, baskets are an optimal way to store things for a growing little one.

You can also use furniture (dressers, shelves, built-in closet dividers, etc) to help store everything, as well as more creative solutions such as trays (perfect for the tops of dressers), bowls (for those really tiny things like hair clips and nail clippers), and other vessels.

I hope you feel inspired and equipped to design a nursery that is both beautiful and functional. Let me know in the comments below what other elements you believe are important to nursery design, or as always, feel free to drop me any questions you may have on the topic! Happy designing!