Space is tight in modern homes, and new parents are having to make clever use of space when kitting out a nursery. An organised room will make your life much easier as an exhausted new parent, so you can focus your energies on enjoying your beautiful baby.

Choose nursery furniture with built-in storage

If it has a drawer underneath, it’s going to be useful in the nursery for storage. But go for furniture specifically designed for nursery use, as it will have safety features that you will be grateful for once your baby starts to move around.

Silver Cross has some great tips on caring for a baby when space is tight, which could be helpful if you’re furnishing a box nursery.

Moveable storage makes life easier for new parents

A basket or caddy that you can lift with one hand can go with you and your baby from room to room. It’s helpful to have access to muslin squares, a dummy, wipes, a nappy or two and even a clean onesie wherever you are in the house with a baby.

Just for looks

Keep utility surfaces like changing tables clear so that you can focus on your baby, rather than worrying about things getting knocked or grabbed. Floating shelves are a good way to display ornamental items in your nursery. Although some small children find it comforting to have familiar objects to look at and talk about at bedtime, you may want to minimise decorative bits to save the bother of cleaning and tidying them.

Keeping things out of reach

Living with a baby who is learning to stand and toddle can be like managing a flood. You’ll find that over time, you need to keep things that you don’t want your baby to play with higher and higher up off the floor to ensure they stay out of reach.

A high cupboard or a box on a high shelf is useful for keeping things like medicines out of sight and out of reach – but really do not underestimate the ingenuity of a determined and curious toddler, and ensure that it really is secure.

Storage that your baby can reach

As your child becomes more mobile, they will enjoy choosing toys and books to play with. A self-serve approach may discourage climbing and encourage a tidy approach.

Use low, lightweight baskets or boxes for storage, and don’t be surprised if your child empties them out to repurpose them as a boat or flips them over to make a den. Open storage containers are a breeze at tidy-up time – you can quickly shovel everything on the floor into them, and it’s easy to teach a small child to copy you.

Matching baskets in neutral shades will give a restful, cohesive look to your nursery, and could still be useful once your nursery years are over.

Use storage to make toys new again

If you (or your child) feel overwhelmed by the quantity of toys you now own, it’s worth boxing some of them up and putting them into storage for a few months. You can then swap them out and they will be new and interesting again.

Our article, Make room for your growing family has some advice on this approach.

Declutter your nursery

New parents end up acquiring a lot of new stuff – whether it’s gifts or hand-me-downs or the latest must-have baby technology – and there is a tendency for nurseries to become a dumping ground for clothes and toys that are outgrown, or for use in future. But babies (and frazzled parents) are susceptible to stress from visual clutter, so it’s worth keeping your nursery tidy if you can.

Your storage unit is the perfect clean, dry place to keep ‘future’ items for your children. Move clothes and toys that are for future use out of the nursery. Sort items by age and season and keep them in bags or lidded crates so they are ready when your baby is.

Likewise, equipment that you only use for a few months but that you’re saving for siblings – for example, a baby bath, moses basket or a newborn car seat – is better off in storage, rather than collecting dust in your home.

Domestic goods in your storage unit – including toys and baby equipment – will be covered by Store and Insure. Remember to update your policy if you put more items into store, or move your stuff into a larger space. And if you’re not insured with us, get a quote to check that you’re not overpaying.

Maximising space in your home is a challenge when you’re a sleep-deprived new parent – but anything you can do to reduce clutter will make life more pleasant for your growing family.