Practical Nursery Design – Woodland Theme
You know I love decorating, but when it comes to a baby’s room there needs to a practical design in place. A smart layout will help you keep the peace because extra stress is not needed in your life when that baby comes. That’s why I wrote practical nursery design – woodland theme.
I’ve broken down the practical baby’s room into five areas: Changing station, feeding/sitting, sleep zone, bookshelf and extra decor. I’d also like to point out that baby’s room are typically pretty small, so I’m dealing with a small square footage here. No extra tee-pees and giant rocking horses here folks.
I’ll also try to add links, where possible, of the products I have in the room. You know me though, a lot of the items were thrifted finds and/or DIY projects!
Note: This post contains affiliate links. You can read my disclosure by clicking here.
Changing Station
Your baby poops, A LOT. So get your diaper change area right. The last thing you want to do is fiddle around when there is a massive blowout. Take a look at my list below and we’ll discuss.
- Dresser with a changing pad on top
- Basket next to changing pad with:
- Spasilk washclothes & spray bottle with water
- OXO Wipe dispenser
- Boudreaux’s butt cream, green bottle
- Tissues
- Diapers
- Burp rag
- A dim lamp or hanging light
- Mobile above diaper area
- Diaper genie
- A large trash can
- VTech Baby monitor
Personally, we have a dresser with a changing pad on top. It saves space and serves as an excellent multi-tasker. For the changing pad I opt for softer, fuzzier fabrics, like a fleece cover because it keeps the baby warm when they are getting changed. At first I thought it was a little extra to get this cute, fuzzy thing, but it’s actually extremely functional and keeps baby happy.
My favorite part about the diaper changing area is the basket hiding away all the extra stuff and things you need to clean your child’s arse. Let’s explain the rags & spray bottle with water. In the first, let’s say three months of their life, baby’s skin is crazy sensitive. And if either of the parents have skin sensitivities your kid might have some too. So I opt to clean my newborn’s butt with a simple spray of water and a little rag. It’s insanely gentle and super cheap. Plus my pediatrician said a lot of people in Europe clean their baby’s bums this way. I mean who knows, but I do trust my pediatrician. Just keep a small bucket for the dirty rags, launder them and keep reusing.
A dimming lamp, or some kind of low light, is essential to change diapers in the middle of the night without waking the baby too much. You will need to see what you’re doing for the first few months when changing a diaper. You’ll also need an emergency light for when the baby won’t stop fussing and you need to search for any issues.
We don’t have a mobile above the crib, but we do have one above the diaper changing area. It helps to keep the baby focused on something and happy while you’re change the diaper. It’s just a good idea, that I didn’t come up with. I saw it in an IKEA restroom.
Trash cans. I love my diaper genie, and I know people have mixed feelings about them. Poop smells and the diaper genie saves my nose. I also have a trash can right next to it because there are a lot of diapers and I typically put the pee ones in the trash. Do not underestimate how many diapers you’ll be going through.
Feeding/Sitting Area
Both of my children are exclusively breastfed for a multitude of reasons, one being that I’m lazy. I can’t be bothered to pump or deal with bottles, so I made the choice to be strapped to my kid for a year. Then they’re cut off because Mama wants her life back. So this particular feeding area is for that purpose. I comfortable place to breastfed and occasionally fall asleep because I’m so tired.
Conversely, if you are on team formula, that’s awesome too! This can serve as a great place to feed and/or read to your child and relax before bedtime.
- Rocking chair with ottoman
- Small pillow
- Blanket
- Boppy Nursing Pillow
- Side table with:
- Levoit salt lamp/night light
- Lamp
- Tissues
- Burp rag
Having a rocking chair in the nursery is another hotly contested piece of furniture. I am 100% here for a huge, comfortable chair, with an ottoman. Even if that means sacrificing space. Again, because it’s just me feeding the child 24/7 and sometimes, or maybe every night, I fall asleep while doing it. On my rocking chair I have a small, cute back pillow because it looks cute and helps your lower back for all those late nights and feedings. I also have a blanket draped over the back because, should you have to sleep in the chair, you’ll need a blanket to keep warm.
Boppys are crazy popular for a reason. They work and they are versatile. Great for breast feeding, naps and and helping the baby to sit up. Plus, if I’m being really honest here, it acts as a little cocoon for the baby in the middle of the night so he won’t fall off of my lap – should I fall asleep. OK fine, when I fall asleep. I recommend an organic cover for the boppy. Not because it’s organic but because the material is so much softer for you and the baby.
Breastfeeding tip. Let me tell you about my boppy burp rag method to remembering what boob you’re on. Not only do I have an app to tell me what boob I’m on, I like to use my burp rag to indicate what boob is up next. So when I’m done feeding on the left boob, I’ll put the rag on the right side of the boppy so I know that boob is up next. It’s extremely helpful at night.
Next to my chair I also have a side table, handy for all the things. I personally love my dimming salt lamp for it’s, hopefully, therapeutic vibes but also because it makes an amazing, soft glowing night light that I keep on all night. Enough light to see what I’m doing without waking the baby. I also like to team that up with a lamp for bedtime reading. And obviously the tissues and a burp rag help you catch the slobber and spit ups.
Sleep Zone
Let’s pretend like my children sleep well and all of the items I buy for them, have helped.
- Marpac white noise machine
- Crib rail cover
- Baby blanket
- Cute sheets
- Fleece or plush sheets
- Dock-a-tot
Both of my kids have a white noise machine. It’s a must for me because of our small house, there is a preschooler running around, and everything in between. Plus they both suck at sleeping so I’ll try anything.
You obviously need a crib, and sheets. I recommend fleece sheets for the winter if you live somewhere cold, or your house is cold during the winter. My mom made me a crib rail cover for when he’s bigger and wants to gnaw on the crib. My daughter never used hers, but whatever, I have one so I’ll put it on. I also have his baby blanket hanging over the crib for my use if I get extra cold. Notice it’s next to the chair. No, the blanket does not go in the crib until he’s older and once he starts reaching up for things, it will no longer hang on the crib. Don’t worry guys.
We absolutely love our dock-a-tot. The dock-a-tot started out in our bed, till our son was around five months – until we just couldn’t stand it any more. Then we moved it, and him, into his crib and we’ll probably buy the next size soon because we love it so much. The dock-a-tot allows me to get way more sleep with a newborn by just reaching out to comfort him. Plus it’s awesome for travel. He was safe in the bed next to me and slept well because we basically just took his bed on vacation.
Bookshelf
I love bookshelves. They organize all of your child’s needs and the cute decor woodland nursery decor you bought. Please make sure to secure the bookcase to the wall! Your child will for sure step up on the bottom shelf at one time to grab something on another shelf.
- Bookshelf for:
- decor
- toys
- books
Extra Decor
Just thought I’d throw in a couple of extra decor items that I find helpful to round out the practical nursery design.
- lock
- Laundry basket
- Rug
- Favorite places are baby decor
- Wall Art
- Etsy
- Minted.com
- Instagram shops
- Big box stores
Remember nursery design can be practical and functional. I hope you enjoyed my practical nursery design – woodland theme. Have fun decorating and congrats on your bundle of joy!
