
Our current two-bedroom rental is big on living space but small on sleeping space so Smith, being child number three, has been allocated a corner of our bedroom until further notice. It's a bit compact but we co-sleep so all he needs for the next few months is somewhere to store his clothes and blankets.
The pine storage unit we had set aside for his gear wasn't proving to be as efficient as I'd hoped on it's own and Brett was having a hard time using our platform bed as a changing table so we went to IKEA and found a dresser that was deep enough to double as a changing table. It's so nice having the extra drawer space to hide the surplus diapers and wipes and clothes that don't fit yet. Also, our changing pad covers were in the mail when I took these photos. I wouldn't dare lay his unexposed southern end on top of sheepskin!



I wasn't going to let the lack of a nursery discourage me from making this space special so I did what I always do when restrictions are involved and took it as a personal challenge to make it work. Not only was I working on a small scale but we needed to keep it gender neutral and keep things feeling cohesive with our bedroom. I didn't want to invest too much money in this space since I knew we'd likely be switching things up in a few months so I shopped my closets for smaller frames and used craft supplies I had on hand to make a few things.
I was then sent some really special handmade pieces including the embroidery above from my dear friend, Ruthie, of My Trash and Treasure and the charming cloud wall hanging from the sweet Jahje of Baby Jives. Those girls helped bring this whole space together with their handiwork and I'm so thankful.



Since we wanted this baby's gender reveal to take place the old fashioned way, I decided to keep most of what I made or bought within a simple black and white color scheme with shades of minty blue and yellow-green. This felt really restrictive at first but now most things in Smith's wardrobe can easily be mixed and matched and even look good together sitting in clean piles on my couch/bed/dresser. Oh, the piles of clean laundry.

Since it's still chilly here in Colorado Springs I have a lot of blankets and swaddlers easily at hand in the pine shelf as well as the darling handmade booties gifted to us by Katrina of Calikatrina and the moccasins gifted to us by Susan of Freshly Picked. We got Ruby a pair when she was first walking and they were one of the only pairs of shoes that always stayed on her little feet so I'm so thankful Smith will have some as well. The bottom of that shelf has a basket that holds more blankets and nursing covers, etc.

Our dresser/changing table has three drawers that contain most of the rest. The top drawer has diapers, wipes, burp cloths, nursing pads, socks, pacifiers, grooming supplies, toys that he's too little to enjoy just yet, etc. The second drawer is full of clothes that fit or will fit in the next few weeks and the bottom drawer we use for stashing the diapers and wipes we ordered in bulk before he was born as well as the rest of his clothes that will fit this summer and beyond.








I must say diaper changes have become much less traumatic since I hung everything on Smith's wall. He's so attracted to the high contrast of the black and white (I'm assuming) that he will stop fussing when I lay him down to change him. What started out as a scream fest that had me racing through wipes and trying not to get peed on has become a much more pleasant experience for both of us.
Also, night time diaper changing has become much easier with the assistance of this little LED light from IKEA that is battery operated. I attached it to the pine shelf and it lights up all the necessary parts that need changed in the dark without waking up my sleepy husband!


Whether this sweet boy moves into his big brother's and sister's shared room in the fall or gets his own room in our next house I have a feeling all or most of the pieces we're using right now will transition with him.
Having limited resources shouldn't mean you have to miss out on the fun of nesting. I'd love to hear how you've made a small space work for your needs. How did you do it? Double-duty furniture? Hiding clutter with cute baskets? Do tell.
-Rachel
Tutorials: God's Eye, Mini Banner, Alphabet Sticker Art, Footprint Wall Art.
Details: Moccasins c/o Freshly Picked. Crocheted booties c/o Calikatrina. Baby pants and hats, handmade by me. Cream swaddle blankets with black serging, AGraffDesigns. Baby onesie c/o Hello, Apparel. Nightlight, dresser, sheepskin, black frames, ikea. Yellow shoes, gifted and from BabyGap. Afghans, thrifted. Crib quilts, handmade by me. Striped swaddle blanket c/o BusySpinningThread. Grey striped wrap c/o SollyBaby. Wooden and cloth teether c/o Baubles & Bits.