Gender Neutral Nursery
We finally did it! Putting together a gender neutral nursery was, in my mind, going to be a breeze. With no obligatory pinks or pale blues to incorporate and no princess or car themes to work around. I thought we would essentially throw some neutral pieces into the nursery and be done! But, I soon found out, that was not quite the case…
There were two things I learned over the few months I spent planning out the nursery decor.
First, MOST pieces need to be functional and then fashionable (not the other way around). I know it sounds silly, but there I was choosing a gorgeous dresser to use as a changing table, only to realize (just before I clicked ‘purchase’) that it was barely waist height. Meaning, I couldn’t possibly change a diaper using that low of a dresser top. And so back to the drawing board I went.
Second, just as the pieces need to be functional, the layout of the room needs to be efficient for all of the baby-related tasks that will take place there. For instance, in my original layout I had the only lamp in the room positioned right next to the crib, I had the diaper pail situated across the room from the changing table, and the swaddles were folded up neatly in the closet. After some more thought (and a little advice from my mom) I re-positioned the lamp next to the nursing chair (so I can easily turn it on and off without disrupting the sleeping baby). The diaper pail found a spot next to the changing table/dresser. And the swaddles came out of the closet and are now in a little basket between the rocker and the crib (so I can grab them as needed).
Of course, it all makes perfect sense now, but I had NO CLUE what I was getting into when I first sat down to lay out our nursery space.
My advice? Read. Talk to friends. Ask for help. There are a ton of articles out there from fellow moms who have already learned the tricks to the perfect nursery layout - you don’t have to reinvent the wheel! I talked to all of my mom friends about what worked for them. What pieces did they love, which pieces could they do without. You learn that some things change depending on the preferences of baby, but you’ll at least have a starting point. Lastly, I enlisted the help of my own mom a few weekends ago and it was the best thing! Moms really do know best - she knew what to put where, what made sense, and already had an idea of my own personal style. Plus, it was a super fun project for us to do together.
Now we can say, the nursery is done!
I’ve linked the items below. Most are available on Amazon and a few things I am linking look-a-likes.
Happy decorating!
Also check out What I Packed In The Hospital Bag and Pregnancy Must-Haves.