Apartment Life: The Secret Guide to Creating a Spacious Nursery

Apartment living definitely has its perks, but ample space is not one of them. In this day and age, the Brady Bunch household has become a blast from the past. Many of us prefer apartment style living for plenty of good reasons. Actually, a good 68% of us to be exact. When it comes to designing a nursery in an apartment space, the very first question we ask ourselves is, ?How do we fit all the baby furniture in such a small space?? Well not to worry Parents-to-be. You are not the first to run into this dilemma and you certainly won't be the last.

No, The Walls are NOT Closing In On Me

Let start from square one. The main pieces of nursery furniture you will need for your baby room are the baby crib, changing table, and a dresser. That's a no-brainer. The biggest challenge most apartment residents need to overcome is making best use of limited space. Sure, we want the best for our precious little bundle, but the fact of the matter is, your baby doesn't know or care how big the nursery is. It's mom and/or dad that will be spending lots of time in the nursery, so any attempts to avoid claustrophobia are necessary.

If There's a Will, There's a Way

What may seem impossible actually only requires creativity and a bit of brilliance. There are many neat tricks to making your nursery look bigger. Here are the fundamentals to get your started:

More Junk in the Trunk (clutter-wise): No, I'm not talking about having a sizable derriere. I?m talking about getting rid of all the clutter. Aside from the baby furniture, anything and everything must be off the ground. Throw or give away everything you don?t need and place the things you do need in some kind of storage space so it is out of sight. If you are a pack-rat like me, then this could be a daunting task, but it is absolutely necessary and most importantly...FREE!

Multifunctionality is King: Look for baby furniture that is practical, multifunctional, and stylish. For example, you can find Combo Cribs that have the changing table attached and also provide storage space. So instead of buying 3 separate pieces, you are purchasing only one nursery furniture piece of baby furniture with 3 functions. You will definitely save space and money.

Another popular baby furniture item is a portable baby crib. If you haven?t seen one before, mini/ portable baby cribs are slightly smaller than a full-size crib, and have several convenient features. The size itself will already create more space in the nursery, and you can find ones that have wheels with locking mechanisms that can easily be placed almost anywhere in the apartment. Some mini/portable cribs are also collapsible, making it convenient for travel, storage or to bring to grandma?s house.

On The Wall Again: Many people automatically start designing their nursery on a horizontal plane. But there is always vertical space that can be utilized and also add to the design aspect. Wall organizers such as shelving, cabinets, bookcases and more, are all wonderful ways to organize baby clothes and nursery items. Another advantage is that you can place items higher-up and out of reach of little hands.

The Feeling is Neutral: Neutral and light colors will lighten up the nursery and help reflect natural lighting and allow accent colors to boldly stand out and really add contrast. If you decided to use light, neutral or muted colors, I would recommend adding textured items, like linen curtains, wood or metal accents, anything that would add depth to a neutral palette. An accent wall with a different color or pattern is also a simple and wonderful way to add character to your nursery walls.

Au Natural Lighting: Let as much natural lighting in through the window as possible. Open up your curtains or blinds, and place a nice sized mirror to make the nursery look bigger. You will save energy costs and give your nursery a natural brightness.

Now that you have a better idea on how to create a spacious nursery with limited space, you can really start doing some creative planning. Get rid or clutter, lock down what color scheme you would like, purchase multifunctional baby furniture and wall organizers, and voila! Your spacious nursery will be ready for your little angel in no time. Remember, bigger doesn't necessarily mean better. For most of us that enjoy the perks of apartment life, we just need to change our perspective from bigger to "smarter."