Baby Nursery Tips & Decor Ideas For The Perfect Space
Designing a baby nursery can feel incredibly overwhelming. Check out this article for tips and decor ideas to ease the overwhelm.
As a mom of two, some of these products have been favorites for both of our kids, and some have been new additions when we had our second baby.
Okay, before we get started…
DISCLOSURE: Note that this blog post may contain affiliate links. Meaning, should you click on the links, I may receive a commission at no cost to you. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. For more, please click here. Some products included in this post were gifted by the brand.
Best Baby Nursery Furniture
Dresser (That We Used As Changing Table)
I’m not sure if this is an unpopular opinion or not, but I think buying a piece of furniture that you can only really use as a changing table isn’t worth it.
When we had our first baby, we didn’t think a changing table was necessary. When had to change her, we would use the couch if we were in the living room or the end of our bed.
While this worked okay, I was excited to set up a changing table when we had our second baby. It was easier on my back to have a table higher up then our bed and his room was only a short walk from the living room and centrally located, so it made sense.
However, I still didn’t want a changing table, so we opted to buy a dresser that he can use into the future. We purchased the changing pad below, put it on top and we had our changing station.
If you do the same, make sure to anchor your changing pad and never leave your baby unattended, even if you’re using the seatbelt and you have the pad secured to the furniture!
The particular dresser that we picked out is white (perfect for any gender), has three large drawers and was both wide enough and long enough for our chosen changing pad.
Summer Contoured Changing Pad & TILLYOU Covers
While we opted not to buy a specific changing table, we did opt to buy this changing pad to place on top of a beautiful dresser that he’d be able to use for years to come. (We’ll get to the dresser in the furniture section below!)
In addition to the changing pad, I bought a few accessories for changing time!
First off, I purchased these changing pad covers to make the pad a little more cozy for our baby and cover up the entire waterproof covering of the changing pad.
We bought the teal and grey option, but as of publication, it isn’t available on Amazon. There are lots of different color options available, however, so you’ll likely be able to find covers that perfectly complement your nursery decor.
Then, to make it so that we were less likely to have to change the whole changing pad in case of a diaper blowout, I bought these waterproof liners that can be changed out quickly and will keep the covers I bought above from getting as stained. I love this pack of liners because it includes six for an affordable price.
Newton Baby Breathable Mattress
One of the coolest purchases that we made for baby number two was a breathable mattress by Newton Baby.
Since our son’s room was decorated in a sky theme with clouds, we picked the blue mattress from Newton Baby.
Highlights of the Newton Baby Crib Mattress:
- 100% breathable (the entire mattress is made so that your baby can breath through it)
- You can unzip the cover, wash it and then spray off the inner mattress in a shower
- Comes in three different models
- Mattress can be used from infancy through the toddler years (it fits a standard crib)
A Note About Our Crib & How To Choose Your Own
Your crib is likely to be the biggest piece of furniture in your baby nursery. Our crib that we are using for baby boy was the same crib that we had for my daughter, and it came from Babies ‘R Us back when Babies ‘R Us was still a thing.
That said, we haven’t loved our crib. I wish that we’d done a little more research before choosing this one.
Tips for how to choose the perfect crib:
- Choose a neutral color that will work for different genders and different themes (unless this is your last or only baby).
- Decide what features are important. Some cribs allow for a changing table to be attached or have extra storage.
- Consider if you want to use this crib as a toddler bed and as a headboard and footboard as your child grows. (If you plan to use it this way, definitely purchase the additional pieces you’ll need to convert the crib NOW. We didn’t buy our additional pieces and the store went out of business.)
- If buying secondhand, make sure that the crib meets or exceeds current safety standards.
Rocking Chairs
Having a comfy rocking chair is super essential when you’re taking care of a newborn who might want to be held often.
When we were preparing for Greggory’s arrival, Storkcraft was kind enough to send us one of their rocking chairs and we’ve enjoyed it so much.
Before shopping for your ideal rocking chair or lounge chair, I highly recommend going to a store and sitting in a few. After all, you’ll be spending a lot of time in this chair with your new baby and you’ll want it to be comfortable! (After you’e decided what you like, be sure to check online for great deals!)
Rakuten is a great way to save money online through rebates! Sign-up using my link to start getting cash back now!
Storage
Besides a dresser and hanging storage in a closet, you may find that you need a bit more storage for little baby items such as toys, swaddles, blankets, carriers, etc.
When we were preparing for Greggory’s arrival, we opted to use cube storage to hold blankets, burp rags, toys and more.
You can see the storage we picked in the photo above and I’ve linked to a few options available on Amazon below that are similar (if not the exact same) to what we used!
The great thing about cube storage is it is versatile and can be used for years in different ways!
Tips For Nursery Decor
Printable Wall Art
If you’re looking for a cheap way to decorate your newborn’s nursery, grab some cheap frames and hit up Etsy to find printable art that you like! In the photo up above, you can see our sleeping raccoon picture that we chose to go with our son’s cloud theme.
If you like the adorable sleeping raccoon print, you can download and print your own from this Etsy shop!
You can find countless printable art options on Etsy and all you’ll have to do is download the art and get it printed. Then use a cheap frame and bam! Almost instant artwork for cheap.
Wall Stickers For Instant Theme Change
We are currently renting our home, so painting our baby’s room wasn’t really an option. However, damage-free wall stickers were totally an option.
Since we were working on a cloud theme in our son’s room, I was able to find cloud wall stickers on Amazon!
However, there are a TON of different wall stickers that are available on Amazon for pretty much any theme you have in mind.
Pick Fun Lighting
One of my favorite things that we purchased was a cloud light for Greggory’s room. We purchased ours directly from an IKEA store, but you can also grab this light on Amazon.
Of course there are a ton of other options for fun nursery lighting available on Amazon, so be sure to click the button below!
Choose Handmade and/or Meaningful Touches
When we welcomed our son last November, he was our triple rainbow baby. Between having his older sister and finally getting to welcome him, we lost three pregnancies to miscarriage. (You can read more about our journey here or check out our Instagram for our story, too!)
A wonderful company called Mountain Peeps Crochet gifted us this beautiful rainbow blanket that has been an incredible addition to our nursery.
No matter what symbol or theme has meaning for you, it’s likely that you can find handmade touches on Etsy to complement your nursery.
Wrap-Up Time!
I’m so excited for you to welcome your baby and I hope that some of these recommendations and tips were helpful to you!
Just to summarize, here were the main products recommended and our top tips:
- Consider purchasing a dresser to use as a changing table (just make sure that it is safe to do so)
- Grab our favorite changing pad, along with these great covers and liners
- Be sure to check out the Newton Breathable Mattress for your little one
- Spend a bit of extra time considering what crib will be best for you
- Make sure to try out rocking chairs in the store before buying online
- If you need more storage, consider cube storage from Amazon
- Consider printable wall art from Etsy
- Look for wall stickers in your theme on Amazon
- Pick fun lighting for your room (Amazon has great options!)
- Choose a few handmade and/or meaningful pieces – we love Etsy for this!
Plus, don’t forget that Rakuten is a great way to save money online through rebates! Sign-up using my link to start getting cash back now!
Let me know which tip(s) were your favorites in the comments below!
