Are you a one-bedroom apartment resident preparing for the arrival of your first child? It is quite a challenge, isn’t it? We understand the struggle of adapting a home for an extra family member, especially when you don’t have an extra room to dedicate to the little human. That is why we want to help you prepare your home for his/her arrival. Here are three apartment nursery ideas for you, plus one bonus idea!

1. Convert your walk-in closet into a nursery

You may need to take out some more room in your one-bedroom apartment in order to accommodate your new baby. One sure way of doing that is converting your walk-in closet into a nursery. It is paramount that you hire professionals, such as general contractors in Sacramento, to help you with this project. Your contractor will help you remodel the closet for optimal energy efficiency and safety. While at it, they will help you get enough light and ventilation into the closet-turn-nursery.

Repurposing a closet means repurposing the already-existing storage hardware. Your contractor will help you knock down a few shelves in order to fit the baby’s crib and play area. They will help you create alternative storage space to compensate for the lost space in the closet.

Another professional that you may need to hire is an interior designer. You want the oversized closet nursery to be chic, warm and inviting, even in its small state. An interior designer will help you pick a theme for the room, paint the walls and add cute little décor items for an enhanced stylish look.

2. Maximize the limited storage space you are working with

You need to squeeze out as much storage space as possible if you are to fit a nursery in a one-bedroom apartment. That can be extremely daunting, but these studio decor ideas to maximum your small space might help:

• Save on space by hanging storage baskets and ledge shelves on empty walls. You can use these to store baby supplies such as baby creams, diapers and wipes.
• Choose furniture that can multitask. You can buy a multipurpose dresser, for example, instead of a changing table and a dresser. You can also get a crib that comes with drawers attached to it for storing baby clothes, toys or extra diapers.
• Add shelves on the bedroom door for additional storage space. Another option would be to hang storage bins or baskets on the door.
• Utilize hanging closet storage crates for storing the baby’s sheets and blankets.
• Install another pole to the closest to double the storage space for baby clothes.
• Consider buying a bassinet instead of a crib. Babies can sleep in a bassinet for up to six months, sometimes longer.
• Get a crib bunk bed in order to maximize vertical space.

3. Spread out baby stations

It is a long shot to expect your bedroom to accommodate all your nursery necessities. That is why you should consider creating multiple baby-friendly stations around your one-bedroom apartment. You can have these small bedroom ideas to make your space feel larger:

4. A well-stocked breastfeeding station

This can be in one corner of your living room. The station should have:

• An adjustable or reclining chair with padded armrests for optimal ergonomic support when breastfeeding.
• An ottoman for the mom’s tired legs.
• Optimal lighting- both day and night.
• A breastfeeding caddy or basket where you keep the nursing supplies you might need during a breastfeeding session. These include nipple creams, washable nursing pads, hand sanitizers and burp cloths.

5. A pumping station

This is where you keep your basic pumping essentials. Ideally, it should be in the nursery or the master bedroom. In a one-bedroom apartment, in order to minimize congestion in the bedroom, you can set it up in the kitchen, for example. The station should have a cart or a basket where you store your breast pump, disinfectant wipes, nipple cream, sanitizer and extra tubing for the pump.

iii. A diapering station

If you have a spacious bathroom, you can carve out a small space for your diapering station. You can utilize one bathroom wall for storing the diapering essentials such as diapers, wipes, a grooming and first aid kit, creams and lotions, diaper pails and hand sanitizers. Also, get a narrow changing table that fits in one small bathroom corner and a changing pad for optimal baby comfort and security.

6. Bonus tip: Create a calming pre-sleep and sleep routine

You need your baby to have long and restful sleep durations both during the day and at night. Think of the best hacks for a good night’s sleep. That would in most cases mean keeping the atmosphere calm and quiet. But then with hampers of laundry to be put away and dishes to be washed, creating a quiet atmosphere isn’t always feasible in a one-bedroom apartment. That is why you need to create a calming sleep routine for your baby. Normalize playing lullabies and meditation music in the home or invest in a white-noise machine to create a calming pre-sleep routine for the baby.

Final word

You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to accommodate your new bundle of joy in your small one-bedroom apartment. Most times that means reimagining your comfort and convenience around your baby’s needs. Isn’t it awesome that you can combine your personal and living space with space for your baby and creatively work around your little one’s needs?