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Make Room for Baby When there’s no space for a nursery, there’s nothing a little DIY ingenuity can’t fix  Stick to it: After 2 years in storage the glue on the oak tree wall cling turned bad. Later, one branch was removed and framed to salvage the look. Image courtesy Matthew M. F. Miller As a result of the modern, unrelenting onslaught of work, social and home demands, modern parenting calls for even more multitasking than ever before. And, for many space-cramped homeowners, the nursery room demands the same: Especially for the parent-to-be who is already living in a space that barely accommodates pre-children needs. Like most expectant couples, my wife, Constance, and I didn’t have the option of moving to accommodate the newest member of our family. We purchased a modest, two-bedroom condo in Chicago one year before we conceived, a conception that followed more than two years of pricey infertility treatments. Our new home was a bit on the small side, but it had a price tag that wouldn’t force us to live solely on store-brand Cheerios just to pay the mortgage. Uncertain that children would ever be in our future, the second bedroom became both a dumping ground for all things pet-related (litter box, dog crate, kibble bins, etc.) and a home office, utilizing a pinewood dining room table and hutch passed down from Constance’s parents as work and storage spaces. When our hard-won positive pregnancy test finally arrived, 27 months after we first set out to expand our clan, I cried in relief, wept in disbelief and, before the tears had the opportunity to dry, began worrying about what would become of the detritus that no longer had a place in what was destined to become our nursery. Storing a litter box in the closet of my baby’s room would certainly be my first egregious parenting decision. Thus the work of combining our office/pet den with a nursery began. 1. Compact, Multipurpose and Nothing Nauseatingly Pink  Corner Office: Two leaning bookshelves from Crate and Barrel, one with a built-in desk, provide a place to work and study without sacrificing limited space. Image courtesy Matthew M. F. Miller Before renovations could begin, we first had to weed out all unnecessary and bulky items. Obviously, the dining room table we used as a desk and the accompanying hutch had to go. Constance was reticent to sell her childhood relics, so we offered a long-term loan to two friends who were moving that very weekend. A smaller, 7-pound dog food bin replaced the 15-pound model. Next we had to find new homes for the mounds of books covering our floor as well as craft a new workspace. Two Sloane Leaning Bookcases from Crate and Barrel, one with a built-in desk, were placed at the end of the entry wall, which created the illusion of space without eating up a lot of room. The slim, open bookcases pull the eye up the 9-foot wall while still exhibiting large amounts of storage for books, pictures and minimal tchotchkes. Paint color always sparks a heated discussion (code for argument) in our home. Since the sex of our baby couldn’t be determined during the 20-week ultrasound – and because we both despise gendered tones – we opted for Cucumber Salad, a rich, warm green from Benjamin Moore. The walls were already painted a light gray and since the room was going to be an office as well, we opted to paint only an accent wall, the wall opposite the bookcases and the wall that would house the crib, to help delineate spaces. It also opened up the room as the contrast between the two colors added depth to the small area. Cribs seem to come in two sizes – huge and mammoth. The Hensvik Crib from IKEA, less than 32” wide, fit snugly against the wall and, thanks to the open white slats and under-crib space, didn’t overwhelm the room. Three canvas baskets beneath the crib provided extra storage for blankets, bibs and diapers. A slim dresser with a removable changing table, which allows for a lifetime of use, was added next to the crib. Two 3-foot wall shelves were hung above the changing table to keep baby’s books separate from the adult fare. To complete the separation between baby and work, we installed a Rubbermaid closet system to make room for more stuff in the same amount of space. Half of the closet, the half closer to the work area, went to store board games, files, office supplies and our dog’s crate. The other half was filled with baskets and bins containing all of baby’s worldly possessions. 2. Out of Sight, Out of Mind, Out of Choking Range What to do with the litter box – it’s a challenge for any cat lover, especially if you’re not open to having it on full-display in the bathroom. Furniture pieces with built-in cat boxes range from atrocious to $2,000, neither of which was an option for us. Channeling my childhood dream of growing up to be MacGyver, I grabbed my box cutter and our hamper and proceeded to remove the bottom of the hamper and carve a doorway in the side just large enough for kitty entry. I placed the hamper over the litter box and the transformation was complete: A hidden place for Cleo to do her business for zero dollars. Bonus? I’ve also cut down the chances I’ll find my kid sifting through the litter box someday. 3. When All Else Fails, Frame It or Sell It Back when we first started trying to conceive we purchased a Pottery Barn set – the Farmyard Friends bumper, quilt, crib skirt, valance and wall decal – and removing the box containing the aged baby goods was the final step to prepare our room. We jumped the gun when we bought the set that sat unused for years and we paid the price. At the time of purchase, the place we lived had a room we anointed as the future nursery and said room had one window. Baby’s new room has three in a row, rendering the valance useless. Likewise, the crib we purchased does not allow for the use of a crib skirt. And, to make matters worse, the oak tree wall decal repeatedly crumpled to the floor as we tried in vain for 45 minutes to make the one thing that symbolized our initial parental hopes remain a part of our nursery reality. Over the course of the 27 months it took us to get to this point, however, the glue had dried up and rendered it useless. I tore off one of the picturesque branches, replete with leaves and two adorable blue jays, and threw the rest into the trash. Later that week I purchased a large piece of white paper, painted it the color of the accent wall and glued the branch and the birds to the paper. I placed my creation into a large gold frame we had in storage and hung it above the crib. The crib skirt and valance were later sold on EBay. If nothing else, the misadventures helped keep the professional aspect of the office intact. And thus, our nursery/office combo was complete – save for the baby that is still two months down the road. Our nursery, like everything leading up to it, wasn’t exactly what we expected when we first envisioned it so long ago. In fact, it was better because we had time to plan and execute a smart, dual-purpose space that meets all of our needs and doesn’t turn our small home into a 360º playroom. Plus, we finally solved the lifelong litter box dilemma. Although I think I’ve exhausted my space-saving capabilities. If there’s ever a second child, I’ll have to let go of my inner MacGyver and grab a hold of my realtor.
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