We live in a one bedroom apartment, so our baby girl’s “nursery” is set up along one wall of our bedroom. I thought it would be too small at first, but it turns out it is just the right size for all her things! Plus, we wanted to keep her close to us for the first year, not in her own room. Moving into a 2 bedroom would not have been cost efficient (especially living in San Diego) – so for the time being, this set up works for us. If you have a small space for your nursery, or if you can’t afford to expand into a larger place for now, or if you’re working with a budget – this post is for you 🙂 I’ll be talking about how we set up her space, where we got the best triple glazed windows uk, and how to create a personalized mini nursery on a budget!
First things first – babies are expensive! There are definitely big ticket items you will need to invest in at first, that are better off buying brand new. The benefits of buying new is a) the warranty/product registration and longer life span, b) peace of mind knowing that you’re the first to own it/break it in, c) knowing you can return it if you need to, and d) SAFETY!! These items include cribs, car seats, (usually) strollers, and (in my opinion) nursing chairs. After tons and tons of research, here are the three $$$ items that we invested in for our babe:
Bailey Glider/Swivel Nursing Chair: Living Spaces
Dream on Me “Aden” Mini Crib: Babies R Us (we got a mini crib due to space, and I honestly prefer it over a standard sized crib – they’re huge! Plus this mini converts 4 ways, too!)
Graco Modes Stroller+Carseat Travel System: Target (we have the Curio color – best for gender neutral. We also got the price matched which brought it down to $150 less than Target’s asking price! Make sure you always check other retailers when purchasing $$$ items like this – saves so much money!)
For her changing table/dresser area, we decided to repaint my childhood dresser and replace the knobs to give it a fresh, boho vintage look. It’s doubling up as a changing table too (we put the changing pad right on top of it)! I was originally thinking of getting an actual changing table, but for now we are utilizing her dresser top. Total cost for painting materials: $28 from home depot (this included primer, paint, and paint supplies).
Dresser Paint: Behr “sweet as honey” from Home Depot (sample the color here)
Serta “Perfect Balance” Changing Pad: Babies R Us
Koala Changing Pad Cover in Plush Grey (s/3): Babies R Us
Changing Table Runner: Land of Nod (I love this handy runner organizer! Fits all the little things so perfectly, just within reach – plus makes the changing pad super non-slide). We also got the wall hanger from the same collection, and I plan to use it hanging on our crib as shown in the inspiration photo on their website.
Bookshelf: Target
Dresser Knobs: various from Anthropologie
A lot of what we used for her space are things I’ve either collected over the last 3 years or things that I already owned and am re-purposing for her nursery. For the things we DID have to purchase, we kept costs low by using gift cards, coupons (hobby lobby and michaels both do 40%-50% off single item coupons all the time), Target’s Cartwheel app + my Target red card (saved SO much here! Target has sales on baby items all the time on Cartwheel), and by shopping sales/asking for price matches when applicable:
Rug: Rugs USA (similar styles here and here)
Floral Canvas Art: Hobby Lobby
Teal Blue Wire Basket: Hobby Lobby (similar style here)
Letter “E” Floral Monogram: Michaels
“Be Still” Artwork: Hobby Lobby – sold out
Watercolor Dresses Artwork: Ann Shen – purchased at Wonderground Gallery in Downtown Disney
Photo frames in bookshelf: Anthropologie and World Market
Bird Nightlamp: Target (has the most subtle soft glow, perfect for nighttime changes and feeding)
Cactus Vase: Similar styles here and here
Decorative Wall Hooks: Anthropologie (letter “E” embroidered – sold out, sleeping cat, red flower, red and white knob similar)
Proverbs 31:25 Wooden Sign:JellyBird Signs (I snagged this beauty at a makers market from Nicole a few months ago – she sells her signs online, but she only restocks her online shop on Thursdays at 5pm and Saturdays at 3pm through jellybirdsigns.com. Her signs sells out super quick – but they’re so worth the effort to get one!)
Floral Hoops: DIY with materials from Michael’s, I actually made these to use as decor in our wedding 🙂
Orange and grey wall mounted flowers: Snagged these from work! They were used in our Anthro spring window display.
I also did a ton of research on the best rated take-along products for moms (and dads) to use with baby (portable changing pads, diaper bags, sensory toys, car accessories, etc.). Stay tuned for my next blog post about which of these items are the best fit for those who want style, but also want to stay on a budget!
Very nice…excited for you.