take a breath
Are you expecting a baby and living in a one-bedroom apartment? First, congratulations! Second, take a breath. As a parent in Manhattan with limited space, I understand the challenges, pressure, and anxiety of making it work. I'd love to share how we successfully built a complete nursery and a separate play area for our baby in our small space.
So hang tight and read on; you don't have to be forced out to the burbs, at least not yet.
I included links to items and companies I liked; I am NO WAY affiliated with any of these items or companies; I just wanted to share my research and what worked for us!
the great wall
To build or not to build? I was hesitant and unsure if building a room could work for us, so we taped off the space that was our dining area with painters tape on the floor. I then was able to tape and configure different measurements of a crib and furniture I was thinking about to see what could fit in the space.
After living with the taped-off area for a few days and deciding a room would work for us, I researched extensively and had quotes from numerous expensive contractors. Then I discovered One Day Wall. Yes they can build you a room in a few short hours. They were cost-effective, and the wall they built is of good quality, and in my opinion, it looks really nice. They left zero mess and were very professional. I did pay a member of their team to come back the next day for a second coat of paint that we provided to match our other walls.
We drew the plans ourselves and submitted to our board, photo of the drawn plans and before photo.
We opted for a large, pocket sliding door to easily move furniture in and out. Even though our baby's room is connected to the kitchen and living area, the sliding door is incredibly thick and quiet, allowing us to cook and watch TV without disturbing our son. Here are some photos showing the transformation of building the walls for our nursery.
making space
It was a sad day to say goodbye to my peloton but we were then able to create a separate play area outside of the nursery and behind our couch that is a bit hidden from the main living space. This semi-hidden area has helped us to not feel overwhelmed with clutter when his toys are spread about. I chose the House Of Noa play mat. Note there are numbers on the back to put this together; my husband and I did not discover this until after piecing our own puzzle together to line up the pattern, which took forever … Our gift to you, check the back! This has also remained my workout space, I love the mat, it's easy to clean and durable.
Before and after photos...
theme and decor
Something I found helpful was making collages on my phone before making purchases to see how things mixed and matched. As a photographer, it's just how my visual mind works, it's helpful for me to see and imagine the full picture.
high and low
When I'm decorating, it's all about mixing the high with the low, like spending a little extra for a quality crib to toddler mattress or a special piece of art but purchasing Target and Amazon shelves. A helpful tip if you're cost-conscious, what are the holidays or Amazon Prime days during your pregnancy? Consider making larger purchases during Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, President's Day, or the 4th of July sales.
When it came to choosing a crib, a friend recommended getting one with drawers underneath for more storage. GENIUS! I chose the Babyletto Bento 3 in 1. I believe this is also sold on babylist, if you want to put it on your registry. Size-wise, this crib fits perfectly against a small wall in the nursery. As a bonus, it also had the toddler rail option to purchase, so it can grow with our son.
I chose a Naturepedic mattress for the crib. Aside from it's great organic and sustainability qualities, It has a double-sided design for extended use, featuring a firmer side for babies and a softer side for transitioning to a toddler bed so even though it's a little pricer option, we won't need to purchase a second mattress for a long time. I also purchased the breathable, waterproof mattress pad for even more mattress protection.
I purchased our pom blackout curtains on sale at Pottery Barn Teen. They do a decent job of blacking out the room, obviously there is some light in the corners but it's up to you how serious you want to get about blacking out your babies room.
Linen Bunting Flags purchased on Etsy.
We found our dresser at Bambi Baby in Paramus; bonus we were able to purchase the floor model for a great discount, and they deliver to the city. The staff there were super helpful and knowledgeable. We needed a dresser that was of decent height and wide enough for the keekaroo changing pad as we planned to use it as our changing table. Additional great find, I purchased this this washable pad for the keekaroo a friend recommended to me from Etsy! It's so cozy and reversible for warmer or colder weather. If you plan to use the dresser as a diaper changing station trust me, height matters. Do a little research to find what's comfortable for you! I had a real Goldilocks moment at the store; some were too high, some were too low, and some were not wide enough for the changing pad. I wanted deep drawers too; many reasons to go see dressers in person. Side note: Baby Bambi also had an impressive selection of strollers if you want to test any out before making your decision.
Initially, I was having a hard time putting things together in a cohesive theme. Then I found these organic sheets, and my travel theme fell into place. Another tip: order at least two sets of sheets, your baby will have accidents, and you'll be doing some laundry!
I wanted a round rug to make the room appear bigger and friendlier. I chose a Lorena Canals Rug because it's high quality and washable, which is important since you’ll spend a lot of time on the floor. The one I chose is wool, and I'll admit at first, it was a little itchy and had some shedding, but since then, it has softened and stopped shedding after a few vacuums.
We needed to change the light in the room since our previous one was hung low over a dining table, I found this compass ceiling plate on Etsy and fell in love, then chose a star light from Wayfair to compliment it and bought on a holiday sale. I went to the hardware store for a more powerful bulb than the one that comes with the light fixture. Also, it's dimmable.
I knew I wanted some sort of closet or armoire to be able to hang clothing items and in order to fulfill all my wants I designed an Ikea Pax for optimal storage with two racks, a shelf, and a drawer. We hired a task rabbit to come put it together, a vow during our engagement my husband and I made to never assemble an Ikea piece on our own again!
The photos show how I designed it on the Ikea website. We put a soft basket underneath the drawer in the closet and this is where we put the babies dirty laundry.
It was a goal of mine to make sure every inch of our space was used smartly, providing maximum storage. Here is what I chose for shelving. Cloud shelves from Target and these Amazon book shelves. I won't lie; both were a challenge to hang. Don't forget, your baby will eventually be walking and crawling. Don't hang shelves too low; they can eventually pull down!
If you like the kite, I purchased it on Etsy. The black iron outline of the bridge above the door is of Lisbon, where my husband and I were married. I purchased this at one of my favorite Upper West Side stores, Runaway Poppy. They have great home decor, gifts, and even a sweet little baby section.
my splurge
Considering I purchased so many things on sale and received items as gifts from my registry, I splurged on this custom mobile. It makes me smile and brings back memories of my childhood around horses. We even named the horse on the mobile after my Mom's first beloved toy horse, a story I will pass on to my son.
Feel free to message me if you have any more questions! I'm confident you can make your space work for you!
