small space for small faces: how to fit the needs of a baby into a cramped condo
5 minute read
for melissa barling, a vancouver designer and mother of three, a comfortable chair for feeding baby was non-negotiable.
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before vann de marco and savannah holt bought their 860-square-foot coquitlam condo last fall, they stood in the doorway of the second bedroom, visualizing. “the room was being used as storage and there was stuff piled everywhere, so it was hard to gauge its actual size,” says de marco, a realtor. “but it looked like it would have been perfect for an office.” holt, a financial analyst who sometimes worked from home, enthusiastically agreed.
ultimately, however, the 70-square-foot room would have to accommodate a crib instead of a desk, as the couple discovered they were expecting their first child, leo.
holt and de marco’s main challenge, like many others living in a cramped condo, was figuring out how to shoehorn everything their newborn would need into such a small space. must-haves included, of course, a crib, a dresser, and some shelving to hold leo’s books and toys. and if some of that furniture could do double-duty, all the better.
a comfy chair and changing table, as seen in this home design by interior designer jamie banfield, are handy items to consider when setting up a space for baby.
jody beck
bare necessities
“it was important to find a crib that, first, converts into a toddler bed, and then a double bed, so you can use it their whole life,” says holt, who opted for the margot 4-in-1 crib by davinci. “they’re more expensive and you have to buy the kits to convert them, but it’s still cheaper than buying a different bed for each [life] stage.”
she also wanted a dresser to double as a change table, but finding one required more research than she expected. “because the room was so small, i was more concerned with the width and depth of the dresser,” says holt. “[but] regular dressers, which are cheaper than nursery dressers, are too short and narrow for a changing pad on top.” the couple ended up springing for a frem nursery dresser, also by davinci, which did the trick.
melissa barling, vancouver designer, decorator and creator of lifestyle blog winter daisy, says, “i never suggest a change table anymore; i always say use the dresser top. you use a change table for a fairly short time and then your baby is wiggly. you can also just put a mat on the floor. people have done it for centuries and it’s worked.”
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after the crib, dresser and ikea shelving unit were wedged into the room, there was no space left for a chair, much to both new parents’ chagrin. “a chair would be nice because it’s challenging to sit leo up on the couch or on the bed,” says de marco, but neither the baby’s room nor the living room could accommodate it.
but for barling, a mother of three, a comfortable chair for feeding was non-negotiable. “sitting on a couch is the worst for your posture. you can put a proper, good chair anywhere — in the living room, the kitchen, corner of a small studio.”
nursery design by melissa barling, vancouver designer, decorator and creator of lifestyle blog winter daisy.
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storage wars
the next big challenge was where to put all of leo’s excess stuff, and luckily the condo came with fairly large storage units. “anything for [ages] three to six months is in storage and everything smaller is in his bedroom,” says holt. “some of his clothes — undershirts, shirts, etc. — are in his dresser and some, like sleepers, are hanging in the closet. i bought drawer organizers, so everything has its spot. we also have a lot of baskets for stuffed animals and bath stuff.”
barling is a big proponent of baskets as well. “a big basket with a lid works great to hide dirty laundry or toys. if the floor is full of stuff, it’s so nice to just throw everything into something practical.”
jamie banfield, principal designer of port moody’s jamie banfield design inc., advocates for vertical organizers to maximize small spaces. “use wall-mounted shelves to store books and baby essentials, and storage units to keep essentials within reach without cluttering the room and taking up floor space. over-the-door organizers are great for diapers, wipes and clothes. hanging baskets or nets keep toys and blankets off the floor. foldaway changing stations can be mounted on the wall and closed when not in use, and ottomans can do double duty as a seat as well as storage for toys and blankets.”
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he also suggests creating a space that adapts to your growing child and designating a compact play area with foldable storage solutions.
holt says items that fold flat are a life (and space) saver. “things that collapse down and store under the crib or the dresser are good.”
barling also advises utilizing the nursery’s closet for more than just hanging clothes. “pop a dresser into the closet and use shelves above to store diapers, books, and clothes that are too big or too small. you can open up a space by taking the doors off, but if you have the space to leave the doors on, you can close messes away.”
space stationing
de marco says their living room is an obstacle course of leo’s play mat, bouncer chair, and utility cart. “it’s hard to walk around, and finding spaces to tuck stuff away is a challenge.”
barling says keeping clear walkways — a minimum 32 inches between things — will help “feel like there’s space so you can walk through without banging into furniture. reduce the clutter and furniture and there will instantly be a feeling of space.”
to make a small room look larger, barling says, “create something higher up that the eye can be drawn to, like a book wall, mobile or wallpapered ceiling. also, a mirror can add more light, and lighter pink colours will give the illusion of a larger room.”
banfield agrees. “light, neutral colors help make the space feel bigger and more calming, while layered lighting, including dimmable lamps, ensures the right ambiance for sleep and late-night feeds. soft textiles like rugs and curtains can help with acoustics, creating a quieter, more restful space.”
ultimately, barling says, you can get by with very little. “people think they need more than they do; they fuss over minute details. but all your baby really needs is you.”
asked to comment, little leo simply pursed his tiny lips, gurgled and blew a bubble. which can be interpreted as either agreement, or gas.
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