How to Design a Functional Green Baby Nursery

Introduction

Preparing the nursery for baby's highly anticipated arrival is one of the most important and rewarding experiences of your pre-parenthood life. Making the nursery a comfortable environment for baby is important. Making the nursery functional and "user friendly" can be a parental life saver. Below are a few tips for designing a nursery set up to please both baby and parent.

By: eHow Home & Garden Editor

Length: 4:28

Comments: 1

View more articles by this author

Flag | RSS

(30)

Add to Favorites

URL:
Embed:

Instructions

Text Size: – +

Print Article

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Tips & Warnings:

A new twist on an old cliché: "measure twice, purchase once."
Linen storage bins are a great addition to any nursery. They help eliminate clutter and come in a wide array or colors and sizes to suit your needs. You can coordinate the bins with your nursery if they will be visible, or you can put them on closet floors or shelves to hide mismatched bins.
Always design your nursery with baby's safety as the most important element. If you are not able to keep one hand on baby at all times while changing, you need to re-evaluate your design and rearrange it accordingly.
Avoid putting the crib near a window unless there is absolutely no other alternative. If near a window is the only option your room allows, be sure to trim all strings/cords from window treatments, as they pose choking and strangulation hazards. Frequently check the window for leaks and ensure there are no cracks in the glass.
Avoid putting the crib near heating and cooling devices. Cold air directly on baby's face can cause a chill. Dry heat from a furnace or electric heater can cause baby's super sensitive skin to dry out.

Step1

Measure the space. Be sure to pay close attention to those easy-to-forget details such as baseboards and door swings. You will want to take your measurements with you when you go furniture shopping.

Step2

Assemble any furniture in the nursery. This will help avoid the dreaded realization that the pieces won't fit through the door, which leads to double the work and triple the headaches.

Step3

Place the crib in a spot where you can get to it in a hurry. There is nothing more frustrating after being awakened at 2 in the morning, than to bump into and trip over what seems like a million things to get to your frantically screaming baby.\

Step4

Put the changing table near the crib if the room design allows you to do so. When transporting a soaking wet baby from a soaking wet sheet in a soaking wet outfit, you will definitely want to take the shortest route possible.

Step5

Stock your changing table (if it has built in drawers), or a nearby dresser, with a plethora of diapers, wipes, ointment, burp cloths and plenty of backup outfits for those unexpected diaper blowouts and random spit-up episodes. You may also want to have a toy nearby to keep baby occupied during diaper changes. If your changing table does not have drawers you may want to invest in one of the many changing table organizers that you simply hang on the side of the table for easy accessibility.

Step6

Setting a diaper disposal system right next to your changing area allows you to quickly get rid of the stinky or wet culprit that caused your "sleeping beauty" to awaken in the first place. This also allows you to keep one hand on baby at all times. Disposal systems that eliminate odors by locking them into the device are available. These are fairly inexpensive and keep your nursery smelling like your baby and not your baby's diaper.

Step7

Consider placing a glider or rocker in the nursery as well. The ideal spot for this is near a window, so both you and baby can enjoy a bit of the outdoors during daytime hours. Nighttime gliding or rocking will provide your baby with a comfortable, relaxing place to feed or drift off to sleep. It can also create a great atmosphere for the all-important parent/child bonding.

Step8

Lighting your nursery is an important element in functionality, but is often overlooked. Consider a night light near baby's crib. This will make it easier for you to comfort your baby without fully waking him or her up. If there is a window in the nursery, be sure to invest in drapes or blinds for afternoon naps. A table lamp or floor lamp also can come in handy for bedtime stories or nighttime feedings.

Step9

Leave some space for miscellaneous items such as toy boxes or storage bins. Your baby is going to accumulate more "must haves" than you ever thought possible. The need for storage is going to grow. Unfortunately, the room is not. Plan accordingly and leave room for baby's constantly expanding collection of belongings.

Comments

GreenMomma said

Flag This Comment

on 2/24/2008 I love this, I just wish that some name brands were mentioned and where to buy this stuff. Also, I would love to post this video on my video blog but for some reason it won't let me...oh well...