A Baby on the Way: How to Make Space for the Nursery!

A baby on the way, congratulations! An exciting time lies ahead, with plenty of things to arrange, especially when it comes to the nursery. But how do you create enough space for a nursery? With the three steps in this blog post, you can make it happen in no time.

Step 1: Where will the nursery be?

Every year, between 160,000 and 210,000 babies are born in the Netherlands. That is an average of 13,000 to 17,500 babies per month! This also means that more than 10,000 nurseries need to be prepared in the Netherlands every month.

The first step is deciding which room in your home will become the nursery and where you will need to create space. A nursery should have a minimum floor area of around 6 m². However, if you want your child to continue using the room until the age of eighteen, a room of approximately 12 m² is more suitable.

Step 2: Make space for the nursery

You have chosen the room—great! Now it needs to be completely cleared so that there is enough space for all the baby essentials. Think of a crib, followed later by a cot, a changing table, a nursing chair and a wardrobe for the baby’s clothes.

Other items, such as a nappy bin, baby care products and a large supply of nappies, also take up a considerable amount of space. During the first year, a baby uses an average of eight nappies a day. That adds up to 2,920 nappies per year!

It is therefore clear that you will need to find another place for the belongings currently stored in the room that will become the nursery. Check whether any everyday items can be moved to another room. You may also discover that you rarely use many of these belongings, perhaps only once a year.

Examples include tools, old hobby equipment and seasonal items, such as clothes you do not wear for half the year, garden cushions and Christmas decorations. If you do not have enough space at home, you could consider storing these items in an affordable storage unit at ALLSAFE. Whenever you need something, you can collect it again that same day.

You can make things even easier for yourself with mrBOX. mrBOX delivers empty storage boxes to your home, which you can fill with the belongings mentioned above. The boxes are then collected and returned whenever you need them again. This means you do not even have to leave your home to create extra space!

Step 3: Start decorating in good time

Did you know that it is best to finish painting the nursery walls at least four months before the baby is born? Paint can contain substances that may be harmful to the baby. You can therefore never start preparing the nursery too early.

There are also several ways to use the available space efficiently:

• Choose a baby bed with drawers underneath, such as those available from IKEA. These are ideal for creating additional storage space.
• Use a foldable playpen so that it does not take up space when it is not being used.
• Choose a custom-made wardrobe. Children grow quickly, so a wardrobe with adjustable rails and shelves can last for many years.
• Install a foldable changing table. This can be attached to the wall and takes up hardly any space.
• Alternatively, choose a changing table with drawers for nappies, muslin cloths, washcloths and other baby essentials.

Once you have added these essential items, you can decorate the nursery entirely according to your own taste, using soft toys, lights and toys.

With these steps, your nursery will be ready to use. We wish you the best of luck and, most importantly, lots of enjoyment!

Visit our Pinterest page for more inspiration on how to decorate your nursery.