Ten Must Have Nursery Items For Your New Baby

Buying and arranging furniture in a nursery takes a certain amount of creativity. Not to mention it’s costly as heck. Babies grow quickly. So, splurging on things that will be useless in a year or two is pointless. 

Therefore, you will need to arrange things in a way that grows with them. A cozy, brightly lit reading nook, a place to sit near the window, gazing at the lawn, a play corner, fairy lights – there are tons of ways to create the perfect nursery space for a baby. 

In this article, I have grouped together 10 decoration ideas that will give you a good reference point. 

Let’s get started- 

1. Crib or Bassinet

The newest member of your family is going to spend a good 15-16 hours a day sleeping. That’s like 67% of the entire day. So a sturdy, cozy crib is by far the most important piece of furniture in a nursery. 

A bassinet is a tad smaller than a crib and is more geared toward newborns. If you don’t have a lot of room in the nursery, a bassinet will be a better option. 

For standard size nurseries, some expert parents suggest you opt for a crib, preferably a convertible one if you have the budget for it. Buying a convertible crib that turns into a toddler bed makes a lot of financial sense. 

Finally, irrespective of whether it’s a bassinet or crib, make sure it complies with the US consumer product safety standards. And while you are at it, also don’t forget to get a flat mattress, a couple of waterproof mattress toppers, and crib sheets with it. 

2. Nursery Glider

Nursery gliders serve a multitude of purposes in a baby nursery. You can use them for nursing (obviously), soothing, reading stories, or just chilling with your junior. 

And when the little one is finally asleep after a lengthy nagging session, the glider will become a cozy recliner where you can take a quick nap or read a book. I understand how fitting a standard size glider can be a challenge in a small space. 

Thankfully, there are lots of narrow-width base nursery gliders available today. For a small nursery, 26-30″ wide gliders would be good options to look into. 

3. Dresser or Drawer 

With a new baby comes the need for a lot of storage space for their clothing, diaper, socks, bibs, crib sheets, and whatnots! You will need a functional and pretty dresser that looks visually compatible with the decor of your nursery. 

In general, a 5-drawer dresser offers enough storage space for all the essentials. But you can always for a bigger or smaller model depending on your needs. 

A low-level dresser is an ideal choice for a nursery as it allows you to use the top surface as a changing table. The short height setup also allows you to keep toiletries and other small baby essentials on top for easy access. 

4. Extra Set of Peg Rails

Hang extra sets of peg rails on a wall you won’t be needing for anything else. You see, with babies, you can never have too much storage space. 

Babies grow too fast and you will need to keep buying new clothes for them every few months. With peg rails, you can utilize vertical space to hang the onesies and jackets they’ll be going to wear in the morning. 

That way, you won’t have to turn the closet upside down to find that one special Harry Potter-themed onesie that seems to always lurk in an invisible corner.

5. Laundry Hamper

A laundry hamper is an amazing multi-purpose storage system to include in a nursery. Apart from freshly laundered baby clothing, you can also use them for safekeeping toys. Keep the hamper close to the crib or your glider chair for easy access.

6. Changing Table

If you have enough space and budget for a separate changing table, go ahead and get one by all means. 

More often than not, the top of a dresser is packed with other items, and moving them away every time your baby needs a diaper change can be a big hassle. 

Place the changing table right beside the dresser for quick access to diapers, wipes, fresh clothes, and diaper pail. 

7. Nightstand 

A compact and gorgeous nightstand strategically located right beside the nursery glider would be a great way to create a soothing sleeping environment for your baby. 

Put a soft glow nightlight on it to complete the look. The top surface will double up as a convenient holding spot for empty feeding bottles, breast pump kit, and storybooks. 

For a nursery, in particular, choose a nightstand with a drawer where you can stash an emergency set of burp cloths, medicines, and other small essentials. 

8. Nursery Bookshelf

With a proper place to organize the story and picture books, you will find them scattered all over the place in the nursery. Kids do be like that sometimes. 

Bookshelves should be ideally installed at a low height so that children can easily reach them. If you lack space, consider installing bookshelves in an empty corner of the room. 

But ideally, it should sit close to the glider or armchair so that you can easily grab a book from the shelf without having to get up. 

Low-height bookcases with a flat top surface is another brilliant space-efficient solution. The top part can serve as a nightstand and storage unit for picture frames and knick-knacks. 

9. Set up a Reading Corner

Children who love losing themselves in fairy tales and comic books will end up spending most of their time in the reading corner. Create a cozy reading corner in the nursery by adding a small bean bag chair or an adorable kid’s upholstered chair. 

If possible, set up the reading area near the window for easy viewing. Alternatively, you can also conjure up a dreamy reading nook by setting up a teepee tent in the nursery. Deck it up with LED fairy lights and decorate inside with a plush mattress. 

10. Pack ‘n Plays

Playards or pack ‘n plays provide a safe enclosed space for babies to play in. They are a great space-saving solution for small spaces and daycare. 

These are easily portable, so you can take them outdoors or to the grandparents’ home during the holidays as well. Playards are also perfectly suitable for daytime naps, making them another great multifunctional piece of furniture for the baby nursery. 

In Conclusion

Decorating a nursery is one of the sweetest challenges first-time-expecting parents can face. There is no rule of thumb as you how you can create a happy space for your new baby. 

Go with the flow, deck up the room with practical furniture, paint the room with bright colors, and let in a lot of natural light into the nursery. 

For me, a happy nursery is one that’s well-organized, has everything a baby will need easily accessible, quiet, and well-illuminated. Follow this mantra and the rest will fall into place

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About The Author

Sujana Wilson is a dynamic mother, always on the lookout for fun activities with her precious daughter and fun-loving techie husband. She spends half of her time taking care of