OH BOY, I have a design update, and it’s a big and juicy one! Here’s the deal: two people I love very much are having a baby! The catch: they live in an apartment and needed their nursery space to do double-duty as a WFH office. I wrote about the initial plan back in January, and, well, the parents of the EHD world really did NOT love this joint-space idea. The comments all read, “Caitlin, no!!!” so naturally, I said “Caitlin, yes!!!”
Look, I read all your feedback and took it to heart – you influenced everything from the color palette to the layout to the furniture pieces – but after a lot of back and forth between my friends and I, we did go full steam ahead with the multifunctional space plan (with a little twist!). And y’all, all the major pieces have been ordered, shipped, and installed – my friends are living with this space RIGHT NOW.
The room still needs a little styling and sprucing – we’re waiting to get to know both the baby and the parents’ care-taking preferences a little more before we grab the finishing touches like organizational tools, blankets, or custom signs – but today, I wanted to walk you through the whole layout and furniture selection process from start to finish.
Sometimes I read reveal posts and I’m like “YEAH, but HOW did you figure out how to do that?” so the over-thinker in me wanted to pop in this morning with a real look into a regular person’s process. Maybe you’ll read and be like, “Hey, that’s exactly how I, another regular person, also design my rooms,” and we can just gab about our processes in the comments. Or maybe you’ll be like, “You fool!!! Why did you put the office in there after 100 people told you not to,” and I’ll say, “but did you see how I prepared for a scenario where it doesn’t work out?” and we’ll gab about that. In any case, let’s get to reading so we can get to gabbing!!!
A Quick Catch Up
It’s been two months, so let me refresh your memory (unless you have an elephant memory, in which case you can skip down to the “tips” section): 10 years ago, I tweeted at two of my college roommates and told them that they should date. Instead of being weird or off-putting or presumptuous or awkward, it was very effective: they did, in fact, start dating. And then they fell in love, got married, and now they’re expecting their first child. The moral of the story here is that you should always play matchmaker in a very public (and potentially embarrassing) way, because (a.) the matchmake-ees (not a word, but should be) will end up super happy together and (b.) you’ll have a good story to tell at dinner parties. (Or, like, a good story to write about on a blog for millions of people to read. Either way – a win!!!)
But more than that, these are just really great, kind, salt of the earth people who deserve a room makeover. Marissa is an awesome, super-smart librarian (she even worked in our college library, so she’s serious business!) and Jess is finishing up his Ph.D. in saving the world. They are both warm and hilarious and SUCH bright lights in my life, and since I have a very vested interest in this baby, I wanted to gift them a special nursery (for baby) and functional office (for Jess).
So this is what we started with: their original primary bedroom. It was pretty much a blank canvas with neutral walls, carpeting, and classic apartment vertical blinds. Jess and Marissa chose to relocate into the smaller, draftier guest bedroom so that this room would have space for the baby to crawl, learn, and play while Jess would have room to, like, teach the next generation of climate leaders while working on his own research and projects. NBD.
The room is pretty cozy – only 11′ wide by 12′ long – but it is blessed with an awesome layout already. Multifunctional spaces can be tricky when you’re working around a ton of doors or windows (where do things go??? How can you make zones out of such fragmented areas???), so having two straight, blank walls paired with a one-windowed wall and a wall with all of the doors made this a real treat and allowed for a ton of layout possibilities.
What They Wanted
“We were hoping for a nature/plants/forest animals?/cats theme… mostly nature-ish with cats and other animals sprinkled in. Idk it all works together in our heads.”
That was the initial design direction given to me by Jess, which I loved. But when I prodded further, asking how they wanted the room to feel, Marissa responded, “green.” That may have been the funniest answer I’ve ever heard to that question, and I do love a gal who knows what she wants, so we rolled onwards. They also had received a few pieces from their baby shower that they wanted to be incorporated into the room…
1. Leaves Fitted Sheet | 2. Monstera Leaf Rug | 3. Cat Woven Bin | 4. Rectangular Storage Bin | 5. Hedgehog Fitted Sheet | 6. Collapsible Laundry Basket
These were helpful to see as they really dictated the exact shade of green we’d be shooting to encapsulate – it’s a really bright, saturated, happy tone (no olives or sages here! These two were ALL in). But beyond the color scheme and nature direction, these were the other primary requests:
- Walnut or gray wood, with chrome accents (this was a fun challenge for me, as my instincts always go straight towards whites, oak, and brass – this project did turn me into a chrome believer, though!)
- A crib that is safe
- A rocker that is not an “ugly granny chair”
- A desk with storage options that makes Jess look like “a semi-professional podcaster when he’s running his classes and meetings on Zoom University”
- Whimsy, bright, fun art
So with all these things in mind, I started to source furniture, sent a ton of temporary wallpaper options to Marissa and Jess to make sure I was jumping off in the right direction, and started to pull together an initial design plan and layout.
The Tips from You, My Heroes
That’s around where we were when I posted the original intro post, and you all provided some INVALUABLE feedback. I know that Em can testify to this, too (she’s changing her home layout in response to your comments!), but y’all are a smart and thoughtful bunch. I’m really lucky to have you as a sounding board! Here are the big 3 that really stuck with me that I hadn’t really considered:
- From Virginia: “There is SO MUCH PATTERN all the time. So it can be really nice to have some neutral pieces in the mix.” This one definitely informed the furniture decisions – I wanted neutral, clean backdrops for the baby paraphernalia, but it was especially valuable when I picked out the wallpaper.
- From Rachael: “Some advice from someone who did a PhD while having babies—you cannot use the same room for an office as you can for a nursery.” Boy, this one weighed heavily on me…and I thiiink I figured out a great little solution in case things go south with a shared space. Read on 🙂
- From Erica: “I agree with the others who are confused about an office/nursery combo. Even if the baby is sleeping elsewhere, wouldn’t the background on said Zoom calls be a crib?” And yes, this was the comment that influenced my final, official layout. Without further ado…
Where We Ended Up
OH BOY. Let’s break this down a little bit and show how we got here. (It’s like showing your work in math class, except this is actually fun and I’m not crying.)
Starting counter-clockwise, from the top: I got Marissa an awesome, not-fugly glider (hooray!) with a matching storage ottoman and a great little end table, so she could be comfy while hanging out with the baby. I also decided to put the crib right next to it for easy lines of sight from the hall door. On the next wall, I diiiid install a desk (just wait, it’s flexible!) flanked by two wall-mounted shelves, which will be awesome for joint toy/diaper/other things babies need AND Ph.D. storage (the anchoring also makes them great for not falling on baby, which I was VERY concerned about at every stage of this process).
On the other long wall, I grabbed them a stunning long and tall dresser to do double-duty as a changing table (it’s gorgeous, you guys – just wait!!!) and finished the room off with two kid-sized storage bins in the tiny area between the entry door and the closet doors. It’s a really practical and fair layout for a room that’ll be working overtime.
OKAY, ENOUGH TALK. NOW THAT YOU KNOW WHERE IT’S GOING, LET’S LOOK AT THE ACTUAL STUFF I BOUGHT!!! You know, the things that are actually living in Marissa and Jess’ apartment RIGHT NOW!
The Crib Wall
Wallpaper | Side Table | Glider & Ottoman| Floor Lamp | Monstera Leaf Rug | Crib | Cat Woven Bins
First off: I cannot tell y’all HOW MANY WALLPAPERS I looked at. I must have sent Marissa and Jess at least 30 options – there were a few that they loved (and even more that they did not love, if I’m being honest), but once I found this one, I was done. It echoed a pattern I knew they liked (they had herringbone bins from their registry!), and it felt like a nice mix between “green” (see, I can take direction!) while still being “youthful for baby,” and “not embarrassing if your coworkers catch glimpses in the background of a Zoom.”
I really liked that it was a simple, saturated pattern, so Marissa and Jess can shift decor as baby grows – it looks like leaves but it’s not super literal, so while it works for this “nature/plant/animal” theme, it can complement any other style they lean into down the road. Color-wise, it also worked with the tone of their rug, which was ::chef’s kiss::. 10/10 BIG FAN OF THE WALLPAPER.
Next up: that crib! The other bonus of picking such a light yet saturated, bold wallpaper was that it made an awesome backdrop for a sturdy, timeless walnut crib. This one was from Target and it’s a 3-in-1, so it’ll last a few years as the baby grows! Plus, it looks like a million bucks (despite being under $300 – what?!) and it’s SO SWEET when flanked by their really cute, textured happy cat bins.
Jumping over to the left, you’ll find the beautiful, comfortable glider! She’s sleek, modern, definitively NOT granny, and she came with a great matching storage ottoman, which is obviously key in a multipurpose space. Most importantly, though, this glider was very highly rated by actual parents, which was why I wanted to grab it for my pals. (Bonus: Marissa and Jess’ cats LOVE taking naps on it, which feels like the ultimate comfort endorsement.)
And you know I’d be remiss if I didn’t include some Article in an EHD room – I love this sturdy, four-legged green table for an extra pop against the glider – it brings the green a little further into the room – and this simple, graphic globe lamp for a little hit of black some contrast against all of the straight angles in the space.
The Office Wall
Shelving Units | Desk | Filing Cabinet | Office Chair
THE CONTROVERSIAL OFFICE. Here’s the deal: I decided to flank the windows with 2 wall-mounted bookshelves from CB2, because (a). I thought it would look nice and bring some symmetry to the space, (b.) I wanted shelves that were anchored to the wall, and (c.) Marissa and Jess have floor heating, so I wanted to make access to that hot vent a little more difficult for curious babies. I went with the awesome walnut and black finish, which speak to the crib and the Article lamp from the other wall. These units are a blank slate with a TON of storage (I have 4 in my own home and they hold SO much!) – I can’t wait to see them all styled out with bright toys, textured bins with daily baby essentials like wipes or diapers, and sweet books (and also some serious books, for adult Ph.D. learning).
Conversely, I decided to go with a white desk – overruling the couple’s preferences!!! – to make sure the room didn’t feel too heavy. Plus, the white will reflect the light from the window and Jess will look like a VERY professional podcast host, instead of his earlier goal of just looking like a semi-professional podcast host.
But beyond that, I decided to put the office area on this wall (instead of on the wall across the crib) because it will provide a cleaner background for Zooms – you were right, we don’t need a crib in every shot! Jess will be able to angle his computer towards the dresser and entry and totally mask the fact that he’s, you know, working from a nursery. In the daytime, he’ll also be able to work on his angled computer without having any computer light shining straight into the crib, which is a nice win.
But let’s talk about the real coup here: I heeded your warnings!!! I ended up going for a rolling desk and a locked rolling filing cabinet in case the combined spaces do get a little bit untenable. Jess will be able to unlock the casters and move everything quickly, without hassle, and by himself (I mean, Marissa will have given birth – she’s done enough without having to rearrange furniture). This desk is about 48″ wide, so if the office doesn’t work out, they’ll be able to pull in a tiny loveseat and make a sweet reading nook surrounded by the shelves. Plus, Jess found and fixed a classic Herman Miller chair for like, 20 bucks, so…that’s awesome, and I wasn’t going to fix what ain’t broken, you know?
The Dresser Wall
Bear Nightlight | Dresser | Monstera Leaf Rug | Collapsible Laundry Basket | Rectangular Storage Bin | Art (clockwise from top left) 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5| 6
Fun fact: so many of you had said that the Ikea Hemnes was the perfect height for those looking for a double-duty dresser/changing table, so I went on the prowl for something with the same height…and BOY, DID MY JAW DROP when I found this walnut one from Article. Nothing else could compete!! It’s gorgeous and mid-century inspired with tons of storage AND it’s a great height for easy diaper changes. Plus, it’s a keep-forever piece that Marissa or Jess will be able to work into a ton of different rooms in the future – is there a room where this classic shape WOULDN’T look good? (Answer: no! It would be stunning in any space.)
I flanked it with their existing storage bins to bring in some of the pattern from the opposite wall, but I also had to grab this adorable bear nightlight. HE’S SO CUTE AND HAPPY and he looks like a nice gentleman who would be friends with the cat bins. He was also surprisingly affordable, so uh….add to cart. I love a smiling animal and I’m not afraid to say it.
And last but not least, that art!!! This was actually straight from the requests of Marissa and Jess – they had found the artist on Etsy and said they loved her work. Her name is Amber Davenport and has SO many amazing pieces, but I ended up choosing these six (you can actually get the cats in a set of three; I bought the other three a la carte) to hang in a grid pattern above the dresser. I wanted to bring some more color and life to this side of the room (so the crib wall wouldn’t feel too overpowering), and these pieces were the perfect balance of vibrant and cheerful without being too busy – if Marissa and Jess bring in print through changing table pad covers, toys, onesies, etc., the art will still have enough “oomph” and color variety to stand on its own without clashing. Per your feedback, these will be VERY anchored to the wall. (Thank you, wise parents!)
The Storage Wall
Round Mirror | Stacking Bins | Monstera Leaf Rug | Side Table | Glider & Ottoman| Floor Lamp
And last but not least, the entry and storage wall! For this one, I only had about 3′ of wall space to work with, so I kept it really simple with 2 stacking storage bins – also in white, to balance out the white desk across the room – with a classic Target chrome mirror (to speak to their love of chrome), which will bounce light from the window around the room.
At the end of the day, my thought process for the room was to install two bold, colorful (albeit mostly-green!), pretty-finished wall areas while leaving two totally blank-slate storage walls for Marissa, Jess, and baby to fill with bins, baskets, toys, books, or whatever they need. More than anything, though, I wanted to give them long-lasting pieces that could work beyond the nursery phase – they’ll be able to re-use their new desk, bookshelves, dresser, storage bins, and lamps in a bunch of places moving forward.
Once the baby is born and the two have a better idea of what final accessories or organizational materials will suit them and their day-to-day life the best, we’ll go on a little bit of a shopping spree to grab all of their final touches…but for now, the wallpaper’s up, the furniture’s in, and we’re expecting a new human any day now. But now that you’ve seen the final design plan, is anything missing? Do you have any favorite blankets or pillows that made your early baby days a little more comfortable? How’d I, a not-designer, do on her first e-design from 2,250 miles away? (I can take it, I swear!!!) Let’s chat all things multifunctional spaces and also leave some love for the almost-parents below, yeah? Xx
Opening Image Credits: Design by Brady Tolbert for EHD | Photo by Tessa Neustadt | From: A Girl’s Bedroom Makeover With Stokke
The art is beautiful and so is the wallpaper and the midcentury dresser! If I were Marissa I’d be freaked out at the thought of sitting in that chair breastfeeding while Zoom calls went on with the camera pointing just a fraction away from me, though…
Seems to bizarre to assume they wouldn’t have a solution to that!
I found I only nursed in the baby’s room at bedtime, so I am sure they will develop rhythms that suit their family, and create a flexible baby. I think the only thing that is missing from the room is an angled nursing stool. While ottomans are great, the nursing stool really gets you into the right position, and it is small and portable so any couch or chair can become a comfy spot for nursing. Also, if nursing doesn’t work out that is also great, formula fed babies turn into amazing kids too!
Very good point about feeding in nursery in sleeping hours.
HAHA. they do still have a living room and bedroom, so if there IS a call happening, she does have some other comfy options. 🙂
That’s the great part of breastfeeding, boobs are super portable. I have breast fed almost everywhere.
“books are super portable” is probably the best thing I have read all day!! 😂
You know, the energies… the energies and vibes that office work produce are definitely NOT the ones a newborn needs… I can understand the very down-to-earth attitude your clients have and that’s ok. But the baby would be happier in vibes that support her/him.
Sounds like this baby will be surrounded by two loving parents and sleeping in a room that was created as a collaboration between them and loving friends. There is already a lot of love and thought put into this sweet room. Hopefully the baby will be so enveloped in all that positive energy that the office vibes bounce right off. An irie bubble of protection as my rasta friend used to say.
i love this concept 🙂
Actually newborns are pretty immune to “vibes” in my experience. They like being close to their caregivers, eating, and sleeping. I have not known vibes to interfere with any of those things.
On the other hand newborns do often produce some pretty serious vibes (like sonic vibrations) that are not necessarily conducive to research or teaching, but I’m sure they’ll figure it out
Kate, I am getting some not great energies and vibes from your comment.
I did not intend to hurt you at all, so if I did so, please forgive me! I just wanted to draw the attention to the energies that are unconsciously generate via WFH – I mean work can create anxiety, urge, subtle not-so-good-feelings etc., if you know what I mean… that we are not necessarily aware of. And babies, as such sensitive little creatures, can feel it. That is all I wanted to say. If you feel anything bad, it is on your side.
that ,too is a judgement Caitlin
Eh. Not everyone hates their job or hates working from home. My husband gives off great vibes because he really likes what he does and is very successful at it. It sounds like Jess’s work aligns closely with his passion, that’s good vibes. And if he also has built up a good collection of stress management and healthy communication tools, even the challenging days will be full of perseverance, optimism, giving others the benefit of the doubt, being collaborative while maintaining one’s own perspective…I could go on. Those are all good vibes as well.
I had great success with a regular human dresser being the home of the diaper changing zone. No need for changing tables. It’s bad enough kids outgrow bassinets and cribs so fast, lets reduce temporary furniture where it can be done. Nice work! Furniture and colors all look great.
For those upset about babies and offices together, who cares? Not your house, not your baby. If it doesn’t work for them, they can regroup. I think we’ve seen Emily change her mind on a space once or twice. I bet they find a groove and it works just fine 🙂
I agree. Kudos to these new parents for wanting to do this. The vibes their new baby gets will be all about love and being close and working together.
Not a bad way to start off!
Agreed. Also there is a difference from the last post when advice was asked for..now the decision has been made why do so many people feel the need to comment in a negative way about it. Different things work for different people, and if it doesn’t work they will change it!
thanks, karen 🙂
Dresser as changing table is the best. We used the iconic Hemnes dresser as changing table for both our boys and now use it in our main bedroom, 12 years later! It’s got a lot of life left.
Hi Caitlin, great job, it all looks awesome! I really like the renderings for each wall – it’s like a mini reveal 🙂
As one of the people who was very anti – office/nursery mix, I am happy with this design because it’s flexible and each piece is great!
Every baby and family is different so this may work just fine as is and if not, lots of options! If it were my home (based on how it’s gone with my babies) I’d make this the combined office and parent room, and the wallpaper wall would be a nice focal point behind the bed. Then I’d bring all the sweet baby things to the smaller room which would work great!
this is a fun idea for them to noodle on in the future (and another reason why i wanted to go a little more adult with the wallpaper 🙂 haha). we’ll see what happens!!!
I’m still not thinking the home office and nursery combo is gonna work but love that its going to be easy to change if I’m right (and hope for their sake I’m wrong!). Just a FYI, IKEA has a literal clone of that green side table for 25 dollars (Canadian price), if anyone is liking it and wants the look. I just bought it last week for my second nursery (due in a month). The other elements of the nursery look fantastic: great toy storage, a look that can grow with baby, change table and dresser combo with lots of storage. Love the green! For inside the closet, it’s worth putting some thought into the design as babies come with lots of tiny little things lol and it can get messy real quick. Soft clothing storage boxes have been a lifesaver for us for clothes our daughter didn’t quite fit into yet. We went mostly IKEA in the closet and kitted it out with a STUK compartment that is perfect for the tiny items. We house socks, bibs, burp clothes, hats in there and it saves room in the dresser for clothes, blankets, bedding, sleep sacks etc. Tiny hangers are… Read more »
this is a great idea – will flag for them for closet storage!
I have that IKEA green side table and think it’s great!
But I am wondering about 6-9 mos from now, when the baby is crawling and pulling up on those bookshelves and having toys all over the floor, etc.
I mean… angling the desk away from the crib will still have a changing table and obviously kid art behind the desk, so he’s not going to hide from anyone that he’s in a baby’s bedroom.
You’ve picked some cool stuff out, but it still doesn’t look like it’s going to work for either intended purpose. I’d be so stressed trying to make this space work, but at least it’ll look good?
I would consider swapping the desk and dresser, and then placing the desk far away enough from the wall that the chair could go on the other side of it (meaning, Jess’s back would be to the wall when sitting at the desk, and he’d be facing into the room). That way you get a nice wall background (with whatever art you hang) for Zoom, baby doesn’t get any glare from monitor, and Jess gets to keep eyes on the baby napping or whatever. The simple act of pushing my desk out a foot from the wall and putting my chair on the other side completely transformed my home office setup!
this was my original plan!!! but i couldn’t make the dimensions work in a comfortable way. since it’s only ~11ish feet wide, the desk was too far out into the room and it really cramped the rest of the pieces and would have made navigating a little too difficult. plus, it would have left a bunch of cords on the ground that trail back to the outlet and my number one fear is like, something falling on the baby, haha. if the room had been a little bigger, though, 10000000% would have done this.
I love it! All the high-fives! The only thing to add is perhaps curtains and a diaper pail.
ah yes, forgot to mention that they had their own window treatments 🙂
Love the green, crib, art, shelves, etc. They’ll need blackout window treatments — maybe somewhat transparent roller shades behind blackout curtains?
I couldn’t sit facing a window to work because bright light would give me a headache. Roller shades could help if that’s an issue.
Great job!
The room design is very cute! Cheery and the new parents and baby will love it (especially the mirror – the baby will like being held and getting to stare in a mirror 🙂). While a nursery / office combo may be challenging, I think your friends can make it work – every family and every baby is different! We spend a lot of time in the living room during the day so it makes sense to me to utilize the nursery for other things during the day. And your friends’ baby may be sleeping in their parents’ room anyways during the first few months.
One tip – when accessorizing, I’d recommend getting a few cute, affordable blankets for putting baby on, on the floor. Our floors seem to be covered in blankets but they’re soft for baby to lay on and prevent spit up from getting on our rugs 🙃
Wishing your friend a safe delivery and amazing family time for the three of them!
great tip on the blankets, adding to my list! and yes, i think their plan is to really utilize the other spaces a ton during the daytime 🙂
We got about 800 blankets as gifts. Wait to see before buying too many…
You may already have these, but install some blackout curtains and grab a white noise machine. Those will help with baby’s sleep both night and day.
I hope this works for them!
A white noise machine is a great idea! It might also help cover the sound of typing during napping, if necessary.
Agreed! I was super dubious on the white noise machines and I didn’t use it for bub #1 but it was a complete game changer for bub #2.
Everything looks beautiful Caitlin, the artwork, dresser, and crib are my favorite! I love that you picked a non-themed wallpaper that’ll grow with the family – so thoughtful and practical!
You’ve probably heard this suggestion and there are likely solid reasons why the parents-to-be aren’t choosing to go this route. But, if I found myself in this situation, I would’ve kept this as the primary bedroom and extended it to also be the nursery. That way Marissa could have the space for herself to care for the baby and most importantly, nap when baby naps! And the separate smaller office (that gets drafty) would work great for Jess. Like Kate says in her comment, there’s a natural separation of function and vibes of a nursery and home office – I would give into it (sigh!)
On a separate note, while the desk and chair can be rolled if needed, also consider all the devices, wires and connections Jess might need to move. I struggled with that last year till I finally gave in and setup another workspace for myself in the guest room (that wasn’t getting much use anyway).
As someone who actually completed their PhD with twins, I agree that the office nursery combo will not work. I can say that with some degree of certainty but I’d be happy to be proved wrong if Caitlin cares to come back and report six months later. I’d have moved the baby with the parents, moved a twin bed/futon into the office so that one parent can work during the day and sleep one night and switch the next night. My husband and I did that and it saved our sanity. We had two shifts – 10-2 and 2-6. We switched shifts each night so that one person could sleep at least one shift. The other person had the babies right next to them and could have bottles ready before the crying woke up the other person. Having a dedicated office is imperative for any kind of cerebral work.. Research isn’t like a lot of other kinds of work.. you really do need to have uninterrupted concentration. There’s a fair bit of immersion required where you focus on one thought for hours at a time. I am sorry to be such a downer but I am keen to see whether… Read more »
Agree that you need uninterrupted concentration for cerebral work, but people can get that in a variety of ways. I like having activity going on around me and deeply miss coffee shops! I would personally be fine with a baby near me along with crying / caregiving activity as long as I am not in charge of the said baby! What is worse than a baby is toddlers who want to know why “work is more important than me” and find you no matter where you hide out for WFH.
we will be back in a few months with the official update!! i ALSO can’t wait to see if it works 🙂 on the bright side, with vaccines rolling out, hopefully jess will be able to return to the classroom before this gets to be too difficult!!
I think every parent is different! I could never understand how parents switched shifts at night because I would have to get up and pump anyway, or somehow get some relief and keep my supply up. But obviously it worked for your family so people do manage different things! As others have said, when I had a newborn we almost never used their nursery during the day, even naps happened in other locations so I would think this would work fine. I bet if there is any unpredicted difference it could perhaps be that the baby is actually in the parents room more than anticipated like in a bassinet or similar.
There are people all over the country taking zoom calls from kitchens, back porches, beds, and yes — probably nurseries between naptimes. If this year has taught us anything it is that your coworkers have lives and work should fit around that life. They clearly understand that this space will be shared — just like many people are sharing their kitchen/offices, living room/offices and bedrooms with their children for online school and partners scheduling WFH zooms around each other. They’ll figure out what works well for them!
Good on these guys for being flexible and love that you got them a desk that would easily relocate as needed!
this is such a good point about sharing spaces. thank you!!
I was also going to come here to say this. While an office/nursery combo wouldn’t work for my family (our babe is a not-so-great sleeper), I can’t tell you how many zoom meetings I took on the nursery glider, sometimes with a sleeping baby on my lap, because that was the space that worked best for us all in the moment. I wish I had a rolling desk to help though, I just use whatever amazon box is nearby!
It looks great Caitlin! I’m curious if most of the posters who don’t think this combo would work live in homes or areas with a lot of space. Living in any metropolitan area with small apartments means you need to be flexible and spaces need to have more than one function. Honestly we didn’t really start using our nursery until our baby was 7 or 8 months old (baby in bassinet in our room for first 6 months) and then it was just for sleeping at night and naps. The rest of the time the baby was playing and crawling around in the living room where we were (cooking, working) alongside him. If schedules for the PHD activities are conflicting with naps that could be a problem for sure but I am also sure that your friends can determine what is best for them and their baby and their schedules as adults with their own understanding of their own comfort levels. The space is cute and functional and as any parent knows, once the baby is born they will forever be changing and reordering their schedules and lifestyles as the baby grows and their family changes. Looks like you and… Read more »
I thought the same thing Meghan. We for sure did not have a lot of space when we were starting our family and it definitely takes some creative solutions. Also, I’m sure the WFH situation is not a forever thing, but babies kind of are. Caitlin, I think you made some good decisions and if perhaps it doesn’t work to have Zoom University in the nursery, they will figure it out and be flexible just like every other parent on the planet has had to do! Sheesh people!
Kudos to Caitlin and her friends for figuring out a solution in the presence of so many variables (and ahem opinions!😉). Everything looks amazing, I love the mock ups and good luck to your friends with their sweet little wiggly thing!
Meghan, this is a great point that I agree with as a person raising two young kids in a small space with a third on the way. The only input I could add to this idea of flexibility in a small space, which they’ve already handled with the office furniture, is to apply that to the baby’s sleep space. The issue of baby’s naps coinciding with meetings/office work could also be solved by having a travel crib (pack n play or something else) set up in the parents’ bedroom (with noise machine and blackout curtains). The added benefit of this is that the baby can get used to napping in multiple places, which has great benefits for future out-of-home childcare and travel!
this is an added bonus that i hadn’t even thought of! both of their families live in another state that’s a long drive away, so…three cheers for raising a happy baby who is well-prepped for travel 🙂
Seconding the pack n play! I commented below as well about friends who successfully did the combined office/nursery thing for a year, and they LOVED using the pack n play for daily sleep as well as travel.
Yes to the pack n play, but if I might suggest an easier to maneuver upgrade that maybe your pals can register for: the baby bjorn travel crib. We finally got it after we had our third baby and it is a game changer in our travel life and perpetual small space living. It’s light, portable, cushiony and so easy to set up as take down.
And the *real* game changer is this thing I found called the Snooze Shade. https://snoozeshadeusa.com/ It’s mesh and you put it over the porta crib (fits the baby bjorn too) and voila room darkening no matter where the babe needs to sleep. It makes any hotel room, bedroom or new sleeping space totally doable without needing to black out the whole room. Truly a miracle worker for those of us trying to get babies to sleep in multifunctional small spaces.
OMG that Snoozes Shade is BRILLIANT. Sharing this with all my parent friends and bookmarking for my own future use!!!!! (Also, glad to hear about the Baby Bjorn travel crib… also book marking that one <3)
I don’t think that’s quite fair. It’s not the combining of spaces that’s throwing people off—we’re a year into a pandemic; everyone has shifted spaces to some degree.
The issue is combining two completely opposite functions in one room. Why not combine the two sleeping spaces in the large bedroom and leave the small room for the work space? The work done in this room will suffer when the baby is there and the baby’s sleep/routine will suffer or have to happen in another room.
I can’t tell the future for this family I’ve never met, of course, and I’d like to be shown wrong. I just don’t see the point in spending all this time and energy on a set up that would take a miracle to work out well.
Yeah, my partner and I have both worked in my kids’ rooms at times when they aren’t sleeping in them (which is much of the day after year one). I’d rather use my kid’s bedroom as an office than share my bedroom with a kid. No shade to anyone who chooses co-sleeping, but it is definitely not for everyone.
i’m sure they’ll love to see this comment – gonna forward it on to the couple 🙂
This would 1000% not have worked for us. We had our first baby in a 1 bedroom + loft that was about 650sf. Baby got the bedroom; everything else happened everywhere else.
Everyone is different, so I hope this setup is perfectly functional for the parents-to-be, but, thinking about my experience, I don’t think that’s very likely. I think that’s where most commenters are coming from.
I read all this and didn’t get to see even a sneak peek of the finished space? Bummed.
Love, LOVE the art! We have two large Amber Davenport prints in my daughter’s room and they are fantastic. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a way to bring in color and keep the art for longer than a few years–my daughter is 9 and it fits her style well. Agree with another user that you can buy a copycat of the round side table at Ikea for cheap 🙂 One thing that I wish I had mentioned in your original post–a large wall ruler to measure their baby’s growth! I love using those as décor because they are easy to fit into narrow spaces and can incorporate warm wood or any paint color. Great job Caitlin; I’ve loved this post series.
I’ve been following this design process eagerly, as we’re raising a nine-month-old in a one-bedroom apartment where both parents are working from home. Multifunctional layouts for the whole family: god, yes, please! I’m moved to share our experience as first-time parents in a small space in case it’s relevant to Marissa & Jess down the road and, more pressingly, to other readers/commenters in similar situations now. We also set up our bedroom as a joint sleeping/working space – in our case, the room has our bed, the baby’s bassinet/crib, and a desk – and this week we finally phased out the bedroom work space entirely. We were just never able to make it work well. When the baby naps, the room is pitch-black, so even a computer monitor light is disruptive (it leaks through the blackout curtain room divider we have around his crib). We definitely don’t feel able to do calls or Zooms in there during nap times, which end up being a substantial portion (2-4 hours) of the workday. I do think this would be a non-issue if we had him in outside childcare full-time – in that case, the room would be available 8a-6p on weekdays, and… Read more »
I can totally imagine the office moving out to the living room once the baby has a nap schedule that you don’t want to disrupt and DEFINITELY once they start walking;).
i do think there is a plan for childcare as the baby grows a little bit, and hopefully jess will be able to return to the classroom soon 🙂 just excited to have the opportunity to get them some nice things while they still have the need! and oh my gosh, this is such a good idea – if they had a dining room i totally would have coopted it!!!
In our case, I say “dining table” but it’s in our living room, hahah – it’s in a corner of the only space that’s not our kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom. Hooray for multifunctional design! Hooray for wonderful friends who get them nice things in this moment of transition!! And HOORAY for childcare!!!
Has anyone involved in this project taken care of many babies? I truly am not being critical, but concerned that a lot of money and energy is going into something that isn’t going to work. We had our three kids while in grad school and every penny (seriously) had to be spent so carefully. Just hoping that the office part of the nursery can be used elsewhere when this doesn’t work out…..
Totally totally completely agree… I hate to be one of those people but these are the plans borne out of naivete and complete inexperience.
on the bright side, none of their money went into this 🙂 all a gift from me!
It’s a beautiful design, Caitlin! And so kind of you to gift. Very sorry if I sounded harsh above. Your sweet friends are very lucky to have you.
Now THAT is a beautiful, generous friend, right there!
That is the most generous gift ever!
Well, I do have a child, so in your scheme of things I have experience raising babies (at least one) and feel that your comments are totally out of place. In case the working from a nursery doesn´t work they can move the desk and have a plain typical nursery… I do not see the problem, or the money wasting situation anywhere. All the furniture is usable in every other room if they need to adjust. I think the only absolute truth when talking about raising babies is that all you need is love and flexibility, because you never know how everything will unfold. So, if they, as first time parents, want a beautiful nursery for their child and they have thought it through with a friend who happens to be a contributor in this blog… where is the problem??? I did put together the nursery for my son way before he was born, and loved doing it. We did use that space though only to change him and dress him, but he didnt slept in there, nor even naps until he was like 9 months… So I would have been able to use the room for working, if I… Read more »
Kelly and Professor- I have seen plenty of commenters respectfully share their thoughts that disagree with the room set up. Your comments are just rude and uncalled for. Why are you so invested in…proving them wrong? Honestly your comments say more about you than Caitlin as a designer or ANYTHING having to do with the post. Can you come back tomorrow with a bit more civility? We really need that in these times.
Hi Caitlin, I am someone who keeps upvoting people who say “good for you! I hope it works!” and upvoting those posters who say “good luck, I can’t imagine this working.” I especially feel that Kelly was not rude. She was practical. Those of us with kids remember the before kid time as thinking you know what you are getting into and then still being shocked how unprepared you were. Just trying to say that if you read Kelly’s comment differently it is not meant with any mean spirit at all!
The comments were not rude.
They were honestly voicing their views, which Caitlin actually asked for.
This is civilly being truthful about their experience and/or point of view.
Overtly no need for you to criticize them or defend Caitlin.
It’s all okay.
This is a lovely design – it truly is beautiful. Having had two babies of my own, I just don’t think this is wise. It would be much better to have the parents bedroom do the bedroom/office spilt and allow the baby to have a nursery private and tucked away. Between changing the baby, baby accidents, and nursing – none of which are on a schedule – I just don’t see this being conducive to a working environment.
While I agree that ultimately the smartest solution would’ve been to have the nursery be the smaller bedroom on its own, because they’ve already moved forward with this option, I’d like to point out that nursing and diaper changing don’t have to happen in the nursery only. My second child technically shared a room with my oldest when he was born, so that’s where the supplies and rocker lived, but we changed his diaper all over our house and I nursed him everywhere, too. Advice for executing this for Caitlin’s friends: choose a changing pad that’s easily moveable (or have an additional mat you can use elsewhere–we used a small Gathre mat but also loved and sometimes moved our Keekaroo Peanut changing pad) with a small basket of supplies kept outside of the bedroom. It ends up being very similar to an at-home diaper bag. The benefit of nursing everywhere is my second was way less dependent on rocking for soothing than my first!
Love the direction, can’t wait to see how it turns out!
Caitlin, you’re clearly putting a lot of critical thought into the design, so keep it up! Honestly, babies’ needs change so quickly there is no ONE PERFECT solution to it all. This setup will be totally fine for a newborn – the baby will probably sleep in a bassinet in the parents’ room and won’t need lots of toys or space to play. A newborn is mostly just a stagnant blob that has no idea what’s going on around it (I lovingly say as a parent!). All you can do is prepare to make adjustments as needs change, which you three have done. A newborn has different needs than a 6-month-old, who will be totally different from a 1-year-old, and so on. You can’t prepare for every eventuality now. Who knows what the future brings! My only note is the glider – if Marissa plans to nurse (and nurse there), you might want to consider setting up a “nursing station” elsewhere in the house. Nursing is SO hard, and one of the common recommendations is to eliminate every earthly distraction to the baby doesn’t lose focus. They also tend to fall asleep right there on the breast (or bottle) or… Read more »
this is a GREAT idea, thank you!!
it looks great and you were so thoughtful – lucky parents to be!
One additional – virtual background. For Zoom calls, it’s the click of a button to have the virtual background of your choice (the moon, tropical beach, a library) displayed behind you so that no one ever sees your room. Very simple solution and if it’s not used, I think the view of the changing table, doorway is totally fine.
Hi. I agree with a lot of readers here. Why don’t have the office space in the main bedroom and get the baby the smaller and quieter room? I really really think an office in a nursery is not going to work and this is all just a waste of time. The first 6 months will probably not a biggie because the baby will sleep in a basinet with the parents but after that you need to have acces to a quiet, dark space anytime for the baby to sleep. You can’t really plan your zoom calls around that. Just my opinion.
Because having the office and nursery space separately preserves the sanctity of sleep for whoever isn’t waking up with the baby. Having a workspace in the bedroom means the PhD-getter never has a place to clear their mind and the parents have no place to retreat and feel like free adults:).
basically, what lisa said – but also, hopefully jess will be back at the university and TA-ing in person by september, when the baby hits that six month mark 🙂
Ok I have seriously been thinking about this post all morning and my conclusion is that those of us commenters who are anxious on behalf of the new parents about this setup should think about this more as: office by day, nursery by night/weekends. Here’s my logic: They may be planning on roomsharing with the baby early on, so it can be primarily be an office during that time, with visits during working hours for diaper changing. Then if the baby ends up going to a daycare or other childcare situation outside the room, then certainly it makes sense to have there be a home office usage when the baby is out and it’s not a big deal to work from other rooms as necessary if needed when the baby is home. I think the scenario we’re all most worried about is if there’s an idea that working with a baby around frequently is going to allow for enough focus time. But, that seems like something that the new parents will learn for themselves very quickly if it’s going to work for them or not and then adjust as needed, much like all the advice everyone ever wants to foist… Read more »
This is an excellent point! While daycare is a privilege in these times, why do we assume that the parents are caring for the baby all day, especially as the US is opening up more? Office by day, nursery by night. I also read several comments that state this setup won’t work and I think Caitlin did a good job in the post explaining how the desk is moveable in case it doesn’t work. Kudos, Caitlin, for design the room the clients want with the items they may need 🙂
Also I do want to say for encouragement because I enjoy Caitlin’s posts: these mockups are great for being very accessible (no pro Sketchup skills needed) but also still useful to picture how it will look (as opposed to chosen items artfully placed on a mood board but not actually against the architecture of the room). The wallpaper is a GREAT choice! It feels green to me!
i think this is their thought process, too! 🙂
We have the same crib (love it!) working wonders next to a my hubby’s old mid century bar now used as a changing table/baby wardrobe (added a teeny tiny tension rod for itty bitty hangers- I can’t even. So stinkin cute!).
We are all aboard the walnut train.
Chop chooooooooooo
That was supposed to be “choo choooooo” but ya know, spell check 🤷🏻♀️
HAHA. i’ll hop on that train any day 🙂
I like your choices. Can’t wait to see photos of the entire thing, all put together. What a great friend you are, Caitlin.
All of your beautiful design work is still a hard sell because the PhD office/nursery is just such an odd idea. My husband worked on his PhD part time while I had one baby and then another. So I’m VERY familiar with the balancing act. It really seems like the parents-to-be don’t totally understand how baby sleeps work (ie they sleep multiple times during the day) and that during the sleep time is pretty much when you try and get everything else done. To bring a baby into the office to change their nappy, feed them and ease them off to sleep, while there is a second bedroom sitting empty all day, well… basically the feeding chair and the chair are 100% going to end up in the primary bedroom and the baby will get changed on the bed. Which is fine because for SIDs reasons, the baby shouldn’t be sleeping alone for at least the first 6 months anyway. I’d probably be designing the nursery with the idea of putting a daybed in there so one parent can try and get some sleep through the night (because as I said above, for sure the baby crib will be moved… Read more »
I love this because it’s the direction I’d like society to take, where jobs acknowledge and allow for babies, and babies grow up with a direct line of sight into their parents’ work. I think that as long as there’s a feeding station in the living room, the work computer is a laptop, and they have a Moses basket or a wheeled bassinet for the newborn/unsettled nap schedule early months, there is absolutely no reason that this can’t work with a little flexibility and reliance on wheels. (BTW, am 64, raised two children, so not a recent childcare guru, just an old lady smiling at the new generation.)
Congratulations on the upcoming birth of your first child!
aw, thanks, lisa – i’ll pass this on to them, too 🙂
such a beautiful design! I LOVE that animal art!! I hope you prove us all wrong. And that you have a magic baby and an easy time and the combo works flawlessly. (I realize sincerity is hard to pick up on online, and I just want to be clear that I’m truly being sincere) If not though, it’s okay! If parenthood doesn’t live up to your expectations and it tuns out to be pretty hard, that’s okay! You’re clearly surrounding this baby with love, and in the end, that’s all that really matters 🙂
Please give us an update 12-18mo from now! When you’re on the other side of the newborn phase 🙂
So cute, happy and fun! And love seeing gender neutral nursery designs. Good job, Caitlin! I’m one of the moms who still believes the nursery/office combo will not work long term, but seems like you’ve got a decent plan B there.
The only thing I would change is to swap the dresser and crib, if space allows! My daughter’s crib is just to the right when I open the bedroom door and it’s really nice to be able to crack the door to peek in on her where she is sleeping just a couple feet away. Even though she is 10 months old now, I’m still DEF peeking in on her naps to make sure I can still see her little belly rising and falling with her breath….. just a thought with what works for me, and seems like with that layout you still wouldn’t see the crib on Zoom calls! XO
Total sidenote, but after my last toddler moved to a big girl bed I repurposed my crib-turned-toddler as a little day bed in their play room.
Errr crib-turned-toddler-BED!
I was actually thinking about moving my desk into my baby’s room. I totally get this. She’s at daycare all day and then i don’t have to work and sleep in the same room. I have complete confidence in this plan 🙂 good luck with the little one.
We have this glider and I can vouch for it 100%. It is comfy, but more importantly, easy to clean. Babies are the messiest things on the planet. They are also the cutest, so it balances out. But don’t under-estimate the importance of stain-resistant fabric! One thing I would suggest is more storage. Babies accumulate so.much.stuff and not all of it is design-friendly. We outfitted our nursery with the most adorable muted color wooden toys, but the baby prefers garish bright toys that light up and make noise. It’s nice to be able to hide all those away. I still can’t imagine working in the same space as a baby ( especially now that mine is crawling and babbling non-stop) so it’s smart to leave Jess an exit strategy.
My dear friends had a combination baby’s room and home office for the first year of their kid’s life and it went shockingly well! (One mom worked from home in the “office” full time though of course sometimes she worked at the kitchen island depending on nap time.) They used an IKEA expedite with bins to semi-divide the room into sections.
Young families in apartments just don’t always have the luxury of ideal spaces, and humans have probably been making it work in small spaces ever since we lived in caves. They also traveled a lot with an infant and a pack n play, which I’m sure wouldn’t work for all families but, it’s all about finding the right balance for your family. I think their kids have really benefited from the combination of chill flexibility, satisfaction in imperfect situations, and of course constant love/support.
I *love* that you’re trying this! You picked great furniture/wallpaper, and it’s so nice to preserve the parents’ bedroom as a place for sleep and not work. I agree with others – a moses basket for the beginning and babies can be changed anywhere with a pad. If it doesn’t work as the baby gets older you can make adjustments – but if there were a perfect solution you’d have already come up with it and this is what the parents want. Some newborns can sleep through anything. Hoping for one of the sound sleepers for you.
Caitlin, I love all your choices. But there are two things to keep in mind when the baby is mobile. The darling Moon floor lamp might come crashing to the ground (and its shade is glass). And although I love the shape and price of the sweet little Article table…the top is glass. Just a warning that glass and babies do not mix! I’m a mother of four, so I know. But really, it’s a very lovely and welcoming room. Good job!
Well, I was a combo sceptic, but you’ve convinced me. This looks great! I think you’ve given them the best possible chance of making this work. And I think the flexibility in case it doesn’t is really smart. Loving the green, too.
I am super impressed! I’d be a happy kid in there. Also, I know this will be controversial, but I found the babyhood year to be really easy to work around. Toddlerhood, on the other hand, is why there is daycare… 💩
Caitlin, I think you absolutely hit it out of the park! The room is gorgeous! With all of the cute accessories it’s very baby friendly, but the beautiful dresser and wallpaper are sophisticated enough for adults. So if ever they change up their room plans, this room will be great for a nursery, primary bedroom, office or any combo of those three. I can’t believe all the negativity about this nursery/office plan!!! The clients asked for this and stuck with their vision even after hundreds of internet strangers begged them to reconsider. Was Caitlin supposed to REFUSE to decorate the room for them? It is clear to me that these parents are intelligent, capable people who have thought a lot about how to best use their space and who also know a lot more about their own schedules and needs than we do! Maybe the office/nursery plan won’t work at all, and maybe it will be great. I hope that it works well – for their sakes now but also so they don’t have to hear a bunch of “I told you so” comments later! We have all had to make adjustments as we’ve best learned how to wfh over… Read more »
Looks great! Just chiming in with some support for the new parents.
The first year of a parenthood is so unknown anyways, I think having a beautiful space goes a long way toward feeling prepared for something you can’t really be prepared for.
My husband had his office in the room our three boys shared last year and it was fine. The baby napped on our bed and the big kids didn’t use the room after getting dressed.
We never actually used the baby’s room for my first so I think it’s great to plan for it to have multiple uses. If it turns out that the baby actually sleeps in that crib for many many hours every day then I am 100% sure Jess will be grateful even if he’s ousted from his office :).
Quick addition suggestions:
1) Make sure that side table next to the glider can get power, with cables you can reach one-handed. You’re going to want it for 1) a phone/e-reader/handheld video game charger (for keeping occupied during nursing/trapped-under-sleeping-baby times) and 2) a pumping machine.
2) If nursing-while-Zoom is a thing that might happen, a partition between the chair and the head of the crib (ideally folding, perhaps bamboo to go with the green?) would be both functional and beautiful. Or a curtain could do the same (and is easy to take down when it’s no longer needed).
3) Make sure you got blackout curtains for that window. The crib’s got a lot of window exposure and you want the baby to sleep there as much as possible. 😛
4) Is the lamp next to the glider dimmable? If not installing a smart-bulb that is would be a good idea. You don’t want bright light during feedings in the middle of the night and finding things in complete darkness is a pain.
Excellent point about romance lamps! Another option to make a lamp dimmable – Home Depot sells little dimmer switches that you plug into the wall and then the lamp plugs into. My husband researched it and bought it – now the little switch is secured to the table next to our glider. It’s not perfect at dimming but a good solution for new parents like us frantically trying to figure out lighting in the middle of the night. 🔦
You designed such a charming happy room for your friends! Every detail is so well thought out – plenty of storage, great furniture that can be used for years, super easy to switch out the desk for a love seat if needed, the colors and art and fun accessories! They will love spending time with their little one in there:)
I think the rolling desk and file cabinet are the perfect solution to the will this work? OR won’t it? conundrum. If it works, great! All set! If not, just roll it into a different configuration. (And very good thought on that cabinet being locked!) It’s all beautiful – nice work. This is one of my favorite shades of green, too.
That window and desk combo is everything. I feel strongly that just having a view to look out on will help Jess concentrate and stay in the “work zone” when needed. And my secret hope is that he doesn’t go back to TA work in person in September, so this new family can soak up every minute together for as long as possible. Every baby is different, it’s hard to know ahead of time what will work and what won’t; they’ll figure it out together. I’m really cheering for them during this special time, and wish everyone the absolute best.
Looking back to long ago when we were anticipating the birth of our baby, planning and assembling the nursery was delightful. I have sweet memories of that nesting time. We had little money but like these two had generous friends who gifted us pretty things. What I’m glad we didn’t have – people who thought of all the reasons we were doing it wrong and couldn’t resist saying so! Parents have been figuring out how to do this since Adam and Eve Zoomed from the Garden of Eden which was lovely and green like this sweet nursery.
Haha! That last sentence was gold!
To everyone who is upset at the comments: This is a blog – they want reader engagement! This project was genius because:
1) It allowed Caitlin to help her friends with both nursery AND office furniture
2) It showcases great products (win-win: we get to know about them and the blog gets to use affiliate links)
3) It’s generating tons of engagement!
If Caitlin was simply designing an uncontroversial nursery it would have been sweet but forgettable and her academic friends would have missed out on amazing office furniture.
This project could be a case study in the ultimate blogger project and I mean that as a sincere compliment to EHD – This is one of many examples why EHD is in a league of its own! 🙂
As someone with a fresh newborn who is nowhere near ready to sleep in her multifunctional nursery/office space, kudos to this post!!! My god people, not everyone has space for separate rooms for everything, especially during covid when suddenly two parents are trying to invent home office spaces out of thin air. “Not trying to be critical, just speaking from experience…” yes because we all know that what brand new parents need to hear is that they’re doing things wrong and their setup is destined to fail! Sometimes there’s just no better space for a desk, and no better place for a crib, and no better background for a zoom call. They will make it work and they’ll do it in style! Love the direction of this room and I can’t wait to see the final result!
I’d love to see the stats on Caitlin’s posts as she is my fav writer on the team. I think she sees risk and just runs toward it. I love it! We did the whole office/nursery thing for about 9 months and it worked and didn’t work if that makes sense. I was surprised by how much anxiety it gave me to have to work in the babies room as I never felt settled even with my own set up. I’m definitely one that needs my own space for the work/home life balance but that doesn’t mean other ppl can’t make it work. I’m looking forward to the update!
Beautiful, Caitlin! That monstera rug is sooooo cool! Congratulations on the beautiful work and to M and J, the soon to be beautiful babe! You’ll figure it all out just as you need to.
Maybe turn off the feature that enables readers to comment. We can just enjoy the posts and the talent behind them.
Yay! I love how this is coming along. I personally can’t imagine working in the same room as my kids, as even little noises and bits of light wake them, and like the very smell/essence of a parent nearby wakes them and make the breastfeeding one demand milk. But as you said, this can be flexible. One interesting thing about tall bookshelves is at a certain age kids will attempt to climb them, so while the wall anchoring is great, that may be a thing. But that’s enough distance into the future that eh, your anti-topple stuff should be plenty. Who knows. I am not an expert but I do have two young kids. And I’m glad the pattern advice was helpful! I STILL think it might be too much pattern once you start to see, like, all the clothes and sleep sacks and whatever, but like, if they get solid bedding and they get solid sleep sacks/jammies up on that registry, it’ll work. Let me see if I can link to the picture that’s making me say this though haha. Here. I honestly don’t know how public my FB is set to and I’m too lazy to blog it,… Read more »
ooops haha forgot this is technically something my husband posted, so I guess let’s not have a weird EH blog reader dogpile on his facebook please hahaha. He will be confused!
I need to second that bookcase design will be a climbing problem. My toddler started trying to climb his at only a year and 4 months! As a result, I had to remove the bookshelf from my nursery even though it was safely anchored to the wall. Switching to either wall shelves or a bookshelf style with closed shelving and babyproof latches at the lower half avoids the ladder issue.
I was a bookshelf climber as a kid… and a cabinet/refrigerator climber. I don’t remember my parents being that worried about it LOL. Has baby/toddler proofing become more serious in the past few years, or were my parents just clueless? 😂