I can’t believe Noah is already three and I’m about to upgrade his nursery. For me, it seems like it was only yesterday when I was planning the arrangements for his nursery for the first time and was trying to put together just the right blend of practical and cool. Since Noah is my second child, I already knew what I could reuse from Ethan (my first son), what was a complete waste of space and money and what are the items I really must buy anew. Here is how I did it.

The Crib

I believe this is the first baby nursery furniture on everyone’s list. For me, a simple white model like the one in the picture is just right. Convertible versions that change from a crib to a toddler bed are great as well, but they are often more expensive than the basic models and can look awkward in their non-crib forms. And to be honest, by the time your child is ready for a bigger bed, you will probably be over the original style you chose and you won’t miss out on the rather amusing part of buying your child their ‘big boy/girl bed’.

Changing Station

The second essential baby nursery furniture on the list. However, you don’t really need an actual changing table that serves only that purpose – placing a baby changing top on a kids chest of drawers works just fine and helps you save some room space. This way, when your baby grows, like my little Noah, you can remove the baby changing top and still have a great piece you can use for storage and display. For Noah’s new room décor I decided to make use of the wall above the dresser so I mounted display shelves where I put photographs, decorative toys, books, etc.

Tip: Choose a dresser that is deep enough for a changing pad and wide enough to accommodate a basket with diapers, wipes, and anything else you may need there.

Nursing Chair

This should be the third item on your list. You will be spending a lot of time nursing and rocking your little one to sleep and a comfortable chair set up close to the crib will make this task much easier. Make sure you also get a comfortable foot rest and some pillows to use as back support.

Extra Storage

Storage is very important if you want to keep your nursery room neat and organized. Whether it is a wardrobe, a free stand armoire, or shelves of boxes, you will need a lot of storage for all your little one’s clothes, diapers, toys, bedding and baby gear.

If this is your firstborn, you might be tempted to create a room with Disney princesses theme if it’s a girl or sports theme if it’s a boy. However, you need to keep in mind that kids grow up faster than we think and develop their own preferences so instead of creating the need to redecorating his/her room in near future, choose a neutral wall color and place removable wall decals with your theme of choice.

And don’t forget to get a dark window shade or blackout curtains for your nursery as it is a very important element for nap time. It will help you get your baby down for naps much quicker and enjoy some ‘me’ time.