Nursery Organization 101
We’re rounding up the final nursery post this week with everyone’s favorite topic in the new year…organization! I don’t know about you, but every January I go on a cleaning spree and want to deep clean, purge and reorganize everything to kick off the new year. While designing the nursery, I scoured the internet for organization and closet ideas. Our nursery isn’t the smallest space, but it also isn’t the largest. I knew I wanted to create clearly defined spaces for clothing, supplies, toys, etc. We focused on two main areas: the closet and the drawers. Read below to see how we maximized our space and how we plan to stay organized in the upcoming years (yes, even with children).
Originally, we wanted to do a custom closet with built-in storage. However, since we live in an old home and the closet has slanted walls with tight areas, it just wasn’t in the cards. So we decided to get creative with storage and try to recreate the look of a built-in unit. We started by removing the old wire shelving and adding a few fresh coats of white paint. We purchased some wood rods from Lowes to make our own new clothing rods. I chose to keep them natural to compliment the finish on the crib. I searched high and low for these brass brackets to go on either end of the rod. We also have two shorter rods stacked on top of each other in the back corner of the closet to add a little extra storage for clothing.
Next, I purchased some drawer units from Target to place on the floor under the hanging clothes for even more storage. Tip: I did not care for the cheap hardware the came with the units so I found some black matte pulls from Rejuvenation and switched them out. They turned out really well and look more expensive than they actually are! Finally, I added bins and baskets on top of the drawers and shelves inside the closet to organize items such as books, stuffed animals, shoes, toys, bathing supplies, etc. Another tip is to purchase a few sets of matching hangers to create a cohesive look when hanging clothes (like in the image above).
Confession: I am a shoe person and I know my love for shoes is going to spill out onto my children. I wanted a few of my favorite/most-worn pairs to display nicely on top of the drawers. I also use a bin to store other shoes that are off-season or I don’t use as often. And yes, I do think buying shoes for your baby is worth it even if they grow out of them quickly. I mean, is there anything cuter than baby shoes? I didn’t think so.
I first got the idea for drawer organizers from Jillian Harris’ nursery. I LOVE this idea and I don’t know how I didn’t think of it before. Especially with all of the baby items such as diapers, wipes, creams, burp cloths…you name it! Using organizers is the perfect way to keep everything tidy and right where it belongs. We all know drawers can quickly become messy and full of junk we don’t need in them. I wanted to keep items in these drawers that I knew I would use often. The top drawer contains all the diapers, wipes, changing pad liners, diaper pail bags, ointments/creams, and first aid (seen above). It somehow worked out just right for me to fit two organizers perfectly in this drawer. It’s like they were made for this dresser!
The middle drawers houses all Luca’s onesies (short and long sleeve) and burp cloths. Plus there is some extra space for adding additional items when needed.
Although the third and final drawer does not have organizers, it’s where I keep many of his baby blankets. I say many because we have A TON of baby blankets that people have given us as gifts. I wish I could fit them all in one place, but to be honest, we could fill another drawer if we had one. I will probably rotate them as the seasons change. Sidetone: that knitted blanket on the left was one of Dan’s baby blankets. So fun that Luca gets to use it now!
These are just two simple ways we added organization to our nursery. I would love to hear your tips for areas I did not mention…share below! You can never have too much organization as a new mom! And in case you missed it…see Luca’s full nursery reveal here. If you’re interested in my closet / dressing room, check that out here.
*Photography by RKM Photography for Room for Tuesday.