Before and After: This Couple Fit a Nursery—With an IKEA Hack Changing Table—Into a Corner of Their Bedroom for Only $500
You often have to get creative with the way you lay out and allocate your square footage in a smaller home. Every nook and cranny counts, and for Ella Hall, founder of Stitchroom, the cluttered problem corner in her bedroom actually became the solution to her home’s lack of space for a dedicated nursery. “When I found out I was pregnant, I knew I needed a spot for the baby, and we have limited space in our Brooklyn apartment,” says Hall. “We wanted to create a cozy nursery in our room, and this corner was the perfect area.”
What the loft she shares with her husband, Brandon, lacks in clearly divided zones, it more than makes up for it in architectural charm. Rustic wood columns soar through the couple’s sleep space, capped by exposed beams. Together these features created a nice, T-shaped framework for their would-be nursery’s main furnishings—crib, glider, and storage.
The nursery nook came together over the course of two weeks with one end goal in mind: Creating a comfy, functional spot for the baby that would blend seamlessly into the rest of their bedroom decor. To that end, the couple decided on a neutral color palette of mainly creams, whites, and grays that echoed the rest of their furnishings. Hall strategically scooped up secondhand finds, including a vintage glider (reupholstered by Stitchroom) and a free Babyletto mini crib on Facebook Marketplace. Together, these pieces—as well as a discounted area rug remnant used as a wall hanging over the crib—reinforced the minimalist scheme and added hints of texture and character to the space.
Babies certainly come with a lot of stuff. For small scale storage, Hall thought outside of the box, using a white office filing cabinet as a dresser for baby clothes. She installed simple open shelving for things like toiletries, toys, and teethers. “The hardest part was fitting everything into a small space without it looking cluttered,” says Hall. Simple wire baskets and small white bins helped in that endeavor. These types of solutions corral everything neatly, and, to a certain extent, hide contents for less visual noise. Printed labels spell out exactly what’s in each container for easy retrieval.
Hall hacked a pair of $70 IKEA IVAR cabinets with vintage legs, steel handles, and a removable changing pad. “I highly recommend using a functional dresser or cabinet as your changing table instead of purchasing a traditional changing table,” she says. “Using cool pieces you love can make the entire design look elevated, especially if you’re trying to keep the nursery in your room as an extension of your original design.” She placed this larger unit opposite the crib wall for flow and completed the setup with artwork, a mirror, and potted plants.
As a finishing touch, Hall managed to squeeze in a few book ledges on a tiny stretch of wall right behind her glider. Baby books add a fun pop of color to this little hidden corner, while a nearby mirror throws light around the space.
When all was said and done, the nursery nook cost the Halls about $500, since they were able to shop for deals and repurpose pieces they already had on hand in their apartment. Now the space is ready for baby Hall’s arrival, furnished with many transitional items that don’t necessarily need to be used for a baby’s nursery in the future. “I love the neutral textures and colors that were used and the flow of the nook within the larger space,” says Hall. The only thing she would do differently is hire a pro for some help on installing the shelves!