top row are snaps of the rooms now, second row is simple layouts, third row are floorplans
I'm waiting to find out the sex to even start thinking of decor but deciding which room we are going to use is going to have a big impact on the final space.
Mr. Limestone is strongly voting we use the little room and I'm leaning toward the guest room. Let's talk pros and cons, shall we?
In the little's room favor is that it's right next to our bedroom. Also due to its diminitive size (7 feet by 10), it has a cute quality about it that feels right for a nursery. I would eventually move to the guest room anyway in a year or two so I could make this room very 'baby' without worrying about it being suitable for a toddler. On the negative side, it doesn't have a closet. Its so small that putting anything aside from a crib, small chair and small dresser is impossible. Lastly I'd have to deconstruct my favorite room in the house. Boo.
Moving to the guest room, it is a tiny bit farther away from our room but only by about a 5 second walk. We hardly ever use this room (turns out we almost never have overnight guests). It has a spacious closet, sunny windows and bit more room for playspace (14x10). On the con side I'd have to find a new spot for my craft supplies since I use the closet for that purpose now.
Now you have the low down. What do you think? Which room is the winner?
We have a small sized closet in the nursery, but barely use it. She has two large dressers and all of her every day clothing are in the drawers. Her closet is used as storage (extra diapers, boppy, etc) and her dresses and tank tops are on hangers.. So I wouldn't let lack of a closet away your decision. I'm honestly surprised at how little we use hers.
ReplyDeleteDo you think you could get away with just 1 small dresser that has to do double duty as a changing table as well? I definitely don't have enough room for even 1 large dresser in the small room.
ReplyDeleteI vote guest room , you WILL need closet space for your baby , they are babies for a very SMALL amount of time , plan ahead I say
ReplyDeleteBabies really don't need all that much stuff, your small room is definitely workable. You just have to really be mindful of what supplies you stock up on and edit (which is good in it's own way). When they become toddlers and grow a vast toy collection is when you need the space.
ReplyDeleteWe have a very small room for our nursery but it DOES have a closet that we use ALL the time. I stashed our changing table IN the closet which has been wonderful. I also have a tall dresser.
But bottom line is, go with your gut. I like having our son very near to our room but we also don't have any other options. Consider where their main play area will be in a year also. If it will be their room, go for the bigger space. If it will be more of a communal living space where you will all hang and play together, definitely opt for the smaller room so you can stash toys in your larger areas.
Hope that helps, I'm always working on our own small home and trying to get the most out of it!
Here's our nursery if you'd like to peek!
http://youngnesters.blogspot.com/2011/11/darwins-nursery.html
Great room. Your room is MUCH larger than my small room. I could never fit a full bed in there unless I wanted it to take up the whole room.
DeleteMy vote is for the guest room. The key to keeping my sanity is being able to put the vast majority of my daughter's "stuff" in her room; almost all of her toys are there. It helps the rest of the house keep some order and not feel overrun with baby/toddler things. The small room wouldn't give you that possibility.
ReplyDeleteI vote for the guest, you have not idea how much stuff a new baby comes with. If you don't move into that room now, you will about a year from now so that your child will have play space in their room. Laura
ReplyDeleteGuest room!!! We spend a ton of time in our small nursery and wished we had a bigger room. Also you're going to need the guest room for the child in the future anyway. Why not adjust your spaces while you have time. The only reason I wouldn't use the guest room is if you plan to have a lot of guests after the baby is born and there is no where else they could sleep. Especially if your guests are going to be helping you!
ReplyDeleteI am not a mom but design and space wise I am good at..... So with that said, I would say use the small room for the crib and changing table with a small ward robe you won't use the closet (Imy sister doesn't use the closet for her kids, cloths are too small) and I would suggest changing the guest room now to a play room. To house all the toys and gifts you will be getting. (trust me on this, you will get a lot. Question for you are the rooms right next to each other? If yes, could you place an opening in the wall to have the rooms work together? Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteXx
Callie
No the rooms aren't next to each other. But I don't really want to give the baby 2 whole rooms at this point. One room is enough to deal with :)
Deleteuse the bigger room do it once do it right. Baby is small now but man it doe snot take long for them to grow up and despite their size they tend to have more stuff inside and outside of that room then you can imagine. Kids take over the house for at least 10 years with all of their stuff.
ReplyDeletePs can't wait to see the end result, which ever way you go
ReplyDeleteXx
Callie
I like the idea of the cute little jewel box of a nursery, but when it comes to practicality, the room with a closet and more space is a good choice. You’ll be able to keep the baby’s belongings in one room vs. having to utilize another space for storage. Also, the extra footage will come in handy when she’s learning to crawl.
ReplyDelete100% guestroom...I have a now 2 year old little girl and had a similar debate. The small room would work with an infant in a pinch, but agree with other comments that you will end up moving over to the larger room within a year, so just do it now. You will have more baby/toddler stuff than you can imagine and having a place to house it all help keep your house organized and provide a place for the child to play. Good luck! You'll be very thankful to have a closet were you can "hide" things and have great storage.
ReplyDeleteGuest room! I have two kids and have done three moves, so they have been in all kinds of rooms. We even had the baby in a closet for nine months! The guest room might feel too big at first, but you will quickly grow into it. Additionally, having the baby further from your bedroom might be a blessing in disguise. You will be less likely to wake up at every little peep. Trust me on this. And finally, two more things - you won't want the crib right next to the windows, especially if you have any cords or fabric near there (ps - blackout shades!) and you will also want a glider with an ottoman. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds to me like the small room is important to you - keep it. So much of your identity will change with having a baby anyway that keeping the little room as your own personal haven will get more important. And it seems silly to rip apart your favourite room for one year's use! (Of course, if you plan to have more than one baby that changes things a little).
ReplyDeleteI think the guest room - if you don't use it, then it's not worth keeping it. It was not really an option for us to give up our guest room because all of the grandparents live out of town so we have LOTS of overnight guests :)
ReplyDeleteI'd go with the small room. It's so easy to overwhelm yourself with SO MUCH baby shit. Having a small space (speaking from experience, we now have two sharing a small room without a closet) keeps you very intentional about choices.
ReplyDeleteSince your guest room houses all of your craft 'stuff' why not make the guest room a dual function with your craft room? You might find that having a guest room is a great thing with a newborn... not for guests but for you and Mr L.
Just curious - what do you use your guest room for exactly? Obviously we have a master bedroom so I don't think we would use the guest room more than we do now post baby. Am I missing some secret to new parenting? :)
Deletei would have to say that having a baby in my family would mean out of town guests visting, or staying over to help out...so maybe you'd want to keep the guest room? however, if your family all live locally, then maybe you don't need to?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunetely for us, we don't really have a big family. The family we do have are local and aren't the type to drop everything to stay with us to help with baby. So we are covered on that end. The guest room is more for the random friend who might stay over (not baby related) but we can always send someone to the man room couch if we are in a pinch. Definitely not as nice as a proper guest room but its so infrequent that I'm not too bothered by it.
DeleteI would go with the room with the closet for more storage...on the other hand, having a baby means more guests so you may want to keep the guest room. or put a pull out couch in the tiny room? it's a conundrum! good luck, whatever you pick will be beautiful!
ReplyDeleteSmall room! I don't have anything in my son's closet and we never play in there because it's on a different floor from the kitchen/living room. All he does in there is sleep (which I think helps him sleep better too - aren't we always told not to work in our bedrooms - and play is a toddler's work!). And I agree with Michelle above - it could be a good way to limit the amount of stuff you have for the baby. Definitely a good thing!
ReplyDeleteI definitely want to be selective about what baby stuff I bring in general so maybe a smaller room is a good thing from that end but without any storage space Im afraid the house will be full of baby stuff everywhere (without a place to store it when I want it out of sight). What do you do when you want babys stuff tucked away?
DeleteGuest room. You will still have hobbies once the little one arrives.
ReplyDeleteI still have a whole seperate room as an office that I dont plan on changing so I can still get to my hobbies regardless of which room I take for the baby.
DeleteThey both sound sweet but if you're going to be moving to the bigger room eventually, start with that. When I had my first we were told that we needed tons of stuff so we had everything but it wasn't true. Half of the stuff we didn't need and gave away. Since then I've had 4 more and never even carried a diaper bag. My last baby shared a small room with his older brother and they are still there with ample space.
ReplyDeleteHave fun with the room!
You have to tell me how you get away without a diaper bag. Im a less is more kind of person when it comes to traveling (I dont usually carry a purse at all) so Im dreading having to lug around so much crap with me all the time. But I dont see a way around it. Would love to know your secret.
Deletewe don't have kids so i have no words of advice, but i do think it's interesting how divided these comments are!
ReplyDeleteis there any benefit to having the baby in the nursery while you work on putting together the toddler room? could you use the smaller room for the first couple of years, and then slowly transition over to the larger room once they have more toys and things? of course, then you'll be taking apart both rooms :-)
Guest room, totally. Start with the room where s/he will end up, and decorate for a little person rather than a baby (with items that are easily convertible from infant to toddler). Saves you from making over the room too soon as Baby Limestone grows (and they grow crazy quickly).
ReplyDeletePS - Love the new look of the blog!!
ReplyDeleteGuest room!!! The first 3 months they usually stay in your bedroom in the bassinet ( so that you don't have to run so far every 2-3hours) .....before you know he/she will be 1 and need a larger bedroom. I have a small nursery and wish I had a bigger room for him. Our living room has become his playroom. As far as the closet goes.....you will most absolutely need it...maybe not the first six months but you will eventually need it. The first year goes by so fast .....so plan ahead.
ReplyDeleteI woudl think about which room you want to keep long term and leave that as is. I think eventually the little one will need to be in the room with a closet. My sons room is only 8 by 10 but he has a double door closet to hold a ton of stuff. So I think the Guest room is better unless you want to do the little first and then move later and have to redo both rooms. But you like a project so maybe you would want to do that.
ReplyDeleteI think guest room - If you barely use it now, as opposed to the other room, altering its use won't be as jarring. Plus, even with the best of intentions, in a couple of years with a little one underfoot it will probably be easier to just update the same room than make more significant changes. Also, closet space....Closet space is key :)
ReplyDeleteGuest room! That way you won't have to tear two rooms up. For visitors, buy a good quality inflatable bed. Good luck with everything!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely the guest room, especially if you rarely use it. Baby won't be a baby for long and you're going to need more space. You can't imagine how much stuff baby/child will have.
ReplyDeleteGuest room! Babies don't NEED much but they sure end up using a lot. A well configured and organized closet is a must for storing extra linens, diapers, bigger clothes, books, toys, boppy covers, laundry, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe guest room - definitely. Why give yp your favorite room? It looks like you might be able to fit a couple billy book cases from IKEA on the right hand wall to handle the craft supplies from the closet in the guest room. You will love spending feeding times in a gentle rocking chair in the calm of the baby's room. It doesn't need to be right next door. Once upon a time someone invented a baby monitor.......
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited for you. Waiting to see what you do with the nursery.
I say Guest Room especially if you don't have overnight guests often. Babies come with a lot of stuff wheter you want it or not and if you use your small room, the guest room will wind up having overflow in it anyway. Whatever you decide, I'm sure it will be an uber stylish room. Can't wait to see it?
ReplyDeleteSmall room! The coziness is unbeatable. (love the new blog design!)
ReplyDeleteThanks Allison!
DeleteSince I have a tendency to fill whatever room I'm working on I would go for the small room. Then I would be forced to edit it down. Plus I bet you'll be getting more guests with a baby in the house.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely the larger room. You accumulate lots of stuff with babies and the more room, the better. And you will definitely want a closet to store diapers, clothes, toys, etc. We had a very small nursery with Walker (who is now 7) and it worked ok but I always wished I had more room for him to crawl around in his room - I didn't think about that until we were at the crawling stage. He loved being in his room and crawling around in other areas of the house were more dangerous and dirty! Plus, with baby comes stroller (if you don't keep it in the trunk of a car), lots of laundry, diaper genie or major trash can, toys and toys, lots of great fun baby books and you'll definitely want a great place to rock him/her. Plus, the bigger room means more creative space to work with! If you can fit a twin or a small sleeper sofa in the room too, you'll still have a place for a guest to stay - and a place to sleep with baby if you need to! My sister has a guest bed in her son's room and she loved having it when she had to get up in the middle of the night with him. Kept her from disturbing her husband and their bedroom.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely go with the guest room. You'd be surprised how much stuff accumulates once you have a baby and there is a tendency for all of that to overflow to other rooms if the nursery is small. Our current nursery is small - it does have a closet though but because of its small size we hang out with our son in the living room most of the time, since its easier to spread things out on the floor etc.
ReplyDeleteMy vote goes to the guest room. Babies have a lot of stuff! You'll need somewhere to house all of it and not having to move again in a couple of years will be nice.
ReplyDeleteI like the layout you did in the guest room, people think babies need a million things and honestly they don't a smaller room would force you to edit. Plus you should keep your craft room, just because your becoming a mommy you should still have a place of your own for a bit longer!! (So loving the new blog design, looks great!!)
ReplyDeleteI suggest the small room.
ReplyDeleteI've been a nanny most of my life and none of the babies I have ever tended to required a closet. As they grew up and needed a larger room, yes. But as a baby, a simple set of drawers worked just fine.
Secondly, when you have a baby, you will find that your overnight guestage increases exponentially!
Eventually, your child will grow up and will want to move into a bigger room anyway...at which point you will have your Little Room back, perhaps. :-)
OMG! Congrats! I missed the big announcement. I would have to say that I think you need to use the guest room because of the closet. You will get so many things that would will need to keep and having a closet gives you a great space to organize diapers and other essentials. Children accumulate a lot of things and particularly if you have a girl, you will have so many clothes you will need to hang. The more space you have to organize the better. Congrats!
ReplyDeleteGuest room! You want to still have a space for your hobbies and kids grow fast. Congrats!!
ReplyDeleteI'd vote in favor of the guest room. The larger size sounds like the winning factor and the fact that it has a closet is another clincher. Perhaps you could store some craft supplies in the little room or in the man cave?
ReplyDeleteLove the new blog design! But I also have to admit I do miss that beautiful blue-green you had on the old one.
Hands down, the guest room. No contest.
ReplyDeleteI know that there are plenty of people who are all about doing up the small nursery, but I have to say--our nursery is about the size of your guest room and I can't imagine it's being much smaller (but I'd love for it to be bigger!) Baby L won't need so much space as an infant, but you'll be shocked at how quickly they'll start crawling and then WALKING! It doesn't make sense to me that you'd decorate one small nursery knowing that you'll have to move to the larger room in just a few months. And that closet will be essential in the months to come. As for decor: I have faith that you'll come up with a suitably baby-friendly decor that will slow transform into toddler-friendly decor as your munchkin grows.
Plus, I have to STRONGLY agree with the other commenters who said you'll need your own mommy space. And not just for your sanity--you'll need the craft space. My sewing, painting and other crafts have taken over the dining area because it seems that I'm always in the process of making something for my little guy. I really miss having a craft room and you will too.
My vote is to just start using the guest room as the nursery. Otherwise you'll just end up taking apart what you admit is your favorite space (the little room) only to have to eventually move your child into the room that has the closet. Long term it just makes more sense, in my humble opinion. Leave your nice office intact and save yourself some time. Guest rooms only get used when you have guests, but I'm guessing you spend time every week in the little room.
ReplyDeleteI vote nix the guest room. A guest room is a lovely thing to have, but a house should be lived in, not left looking pretty just in case somebody comes visit.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it's been mentioned already but once baby starts moving about, he or she will be all up in your crafty business, so it'd be much safer to have all your crafts confined to one room where you can lock the door than scattered about the place because you don't want to mess up the guest room.
Congrats!!!! If it was me I would go for the largest room with the most storage from the outset. My own reasons for this would be that in the first 2 years alone there is so much going on with baby that having the time or inclination to decorate another room kind of goes out of the window! Also 'top tip' leave the bed in there or at least a single bed because when baby is teething or sick it's so much nicer to have one of you on hand whilst the other can get some shuteye in peace. Hope this helps xxx
ReplyDeleteI would use the smaller room. We used our larger guest room for the nursery and we hardly use the nursery for anything besides sleeping and changing. The toys end up being dragged all over the house as they get older and the smaller room would have been just as effective if we had used it
ReplyDeleteat first I though-easy, small room. small baby=small room. But after reading the pros and cons I would go with guest room-as the baby will have to move in a year or two anyway.
ReplyDeletealthough-where will babysitting grandparents (?) sleep?
I don't have any of those so no worries on that end.
DeleteCongrats! I like the smaller room. You can always end up using the larger room as your baby grows up and needs a toddler bed and 823 shelves for all of his or her toys. The guest room looks like it has plenty of room for a nice "mommy time" crafting room for now. If you have no guests, what's the point of keeping a room for the guests who aren't staying over? :-) Get a futon or a hideabed and call it good.
ReplyDeleteGuest Room! Although you can totally swing it in the smaller room, you will be glad you have more space, more windows more natural might for all those photos you'll be taking and more room to store the bulk size boxes of diapers & wipes you will be buying!
ReplyDeleteFYI My bedroom is on the 2nd floor and baby is on 1st - I was able to fit a daybed in the nursery for me to sleep during the first couple months, especially since I could not do stairs. It will eventually be baby's bed when she grows out of crib!
I vote for the guest room. I would eliminate the distance factor, as the baby may be in your room in the beginning anyway. Once the baby is old enough to sleep in it's own room, a monitor would work so you can keep an eye/ear on the little one. That way you can keep the small room as is, and just need to find out a place to store your closet craft stuff.
ReplyDeleteGuest room - that is where they will end up so just start them off there.
ReplyDeleteWe are the kind of folks who only sleep in our bedrooms, if you're the same and you can fit a twin size bed and a dresser in the small room, I'd go small room. If you intend to hang out and play in Baby's room, do the guest room.
ReplyDeleteI vote for the guestroom. It's really not that far away. In my experience, I needed a little place to lay down (sleep!) when I was nursing my daughters in the wee hours of the morning. I never took to a glider, and my vintage rocker was fine, but not overly comfy. Having a place to lie down was crucial (chaise would work too). It would be so much easier to have a designated room for the baby, rather than to start of with the smaller room and end up moving and redecorating again in a few years. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteGuest room. You will need the space :)
ReplyDeleteGuest room for sure! And tell Mr. Limestone to purchase one of those snazzy video baby monitors! If he/she is using his/her lungs you'll hear it from either room. If they are too quiet you'll be up for either room anyway. They also have these cool pads you can stick under their bedding to monitor their movements. Wish I knew about them when I had my babies. Instead I'm pretty sure I stayed up all night staring at them to make sure they were ok. :)
ReplyDeletego with the larger room- you'll want the closet space for sure, and a little distance between your bedroom & baby's room is a good thing if you want to talk (or whatever!) at night. plus, who knows if you'll be up for re-decorating 2 rooms at once when your little one is 2-3 years old?! : )
ReplyDeleteIt might look nice decor wise but not keep the babys crib by the window, not so much because of the cords/drapery but because you need to keep the baby's body temperature normaI. Also beware of vents/heating/cooling units near cribs.
ReplyDeleteJust some friendly advice from a nurse.
With the small room I don't have a choice since the crib will only fit by the window. That said, we have fairly new windows and Ill be putting draperies (no cords) to help with drafts. We have pretty thick walls so it wont be right near the window either way. Thanks for the tip on the vents.
DeleteMy vote is to keep your favorite room and put your creative talents into the room that can grow with the little mystery bundle. Will you choose to find out the sex of the baby? I had an amneo 28 years ago for health reasons and the nurse was shocked that I wanted to know the baby's sex; nowadays, most every one knows ahead of time. Wishing you health, energy, an easy labor and a healthy babe.
ReplyDeleteLove your blog! No kids, so no opinion on which room works. I'm just wondering what 3D software program are you using? Those images look so realistic! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks Tara. I used the online tool from www.mydeco.com Hope that helps!
DeleteGuest room!
ReplyDeletePut the baby in the guest room. Even if you don't buy alot of things for the baby they all seem to get quite a bit of "stuff" most of it from the baby showers you will have thrown for you. Plus, you will be too tired to move your son or daughter out of the small room and into the bigger room when you realize you've lost the baby in "stuff" ;) As a 3 time mommy I've been there.
ReplyDeleteI would use the small room! Move the crib down to the other end of the wall, where you have placed the dresser. Even if you have a monitor, you will be checking that little bundle often and just a crack of the door will let you see in the crib. Put the dresser/changing table closer to the window. Sometimes you will be able to change a wet diaper in the middle of the night by the light of the moon. Place a small cabinet, where you have placed the chair. Something like a kitchen pantry cabinet. This is where your creative juices will come to play. It could have a rod (or 2) for hanging clothes and shelves on the bottom, for all the things you want to hide. You will still have room for a comfy rocker in front of this cabinet. There WILL be "stuff" all over your house, close to where you can watch all the fun. This small room will be the perfect cozy nursery for at least 3 years. Then you can move baby #1 to the "guest room" so the cozy nursery can be used again for baby #2.
ReplyDeleteIts probably too hard to tell from the mockups but the small room could never fit 4 pieces in there without looking like it was a storage space. The crib wouldn't fit on the door wall nor could you float a chair in the middle of the room. To get a sense of scale, the size of the room is about that of a walk in closet in most new suburban homes. In fact lots of people in Brooklyn turn this room into a nice walk in when they renovate.
DeleteTiny little babies have big amounts of stuff! I would opt for the guestroom too. You'll really appreciate the extra storage now and not having to move rooms later. I think you should keep your very favorite room intact, as it is. Also, LOVE the new blog design! It looks so great!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lauren! I was so sick of the old design - so happy to have this new one finally up.
DeleteWell, my reaction is a BOY/GIRL reaction...If you are having a girl...put her in the room next to yours, accessible and less of a change (for you) at first. You can slowly transition to the Guest room, phase out the craft stuff and then make it her room, personalize it to her taste (Okay YOUR taste-via her)...and then change the decor each year like I have with my daughter.
ReplyDeleteHOWEVER - IF it is a boy, I would put him in the Guest room right off the bat. BOYS do not like change in their rooms. My youngest who, at age 11, is a big boy in every way, could care less that his bedding has Humpty Dumpty on it...BECAUSE that is HIS bedding, it is what he knows, and he does not like change.
Much like my husband who is Perfectly happy to use the Bathrobe he has used since before we were married 17 years ago...because it is HIS and what he knows...Just the way it is.
Interesting take. I never heard that particular info about girls and boys. It would probably be a while before I knew anyway :)
DeleteGuest.
ReplyDeleteThe Guest Room! It will eventually be the babiy's room when he/she is a bit older so what's the sense of dismanteling the small room and then you have to redo the work and change it back...
ReplyDeleteI vote guest room as well!
ReplyDeleteLots of advice on this topic! :o) I vote for the guest room. You will want some space between your room & the nursery & you'll want the extra space as baby grows. It's the least used room so it would cause less chaos to change it.
ReplyDeleteMy vote goes toward guest room. They are little for such a short period of time, and definitely have a lot of stuff (unless you are baby stuff minimalist, which is really hard). The second reason is because you definitely love the tiny room decor... Now, I'm going to say something not popular with first time parents: They may not ever use their nursery anyway. Our oldest two slept in our room until about 2 1/2 and 3. They had this beautiful little nursery, and never used it. I wish I would have made the room a little more little boy than baby because they didn't occupy it until they were little boys anyway.
ReplyDeleteI say let your occasional guest crash in the man-cave. They'll appreciate the privacy, and you can keep your little space! That being said, I think you can easily use the small room if that is most convenient. When my oldest was born, we were living in a one bedroom apt. in LA and his crib was on the living room wall. After seeing the huge (and bursting) suburban nurseries of our friends, I was convinced that the required editing was a great thing! I tend to be a quality over quantity person, and that didn't change when I had children. I just used a changing pad (that could be cleaned, folded, and put away) in the crib for diaper changes, so we didn't need a changing table or a long dresser that took up valuable floor space. We used a tall dresser, with a smaller footprint, and it housed everything he owned: the top drawers for diapers and supplies, and the lower drawers for clothing. An 8-pound human has tiny clothing, so no need for a closet and hangers. PS- With the exception of traveling, I never carried a diaper bag either. I tried it, and hated it. I preferred a large, stylish bag that could accommodate a few small diapers, a flat case of wipes, a bottle and some pre-measured formula! As they got a bit bigger I could easily squeeze in a jar of food and a tiny spoon! Like many parenting decisions, the great news is that there is no "wrong" answer, just what works best for you (and I always reserve the right to change my mind on that too)! Can't wait to see your beautiful creative stamp on a nursery!
ReplyDeleteWow, it is interesting to see all the replies and the different reasons behind peoples choices. If it was me I would go the smaller room for the initial nursery. That way you can do a real fun nursery specifically decorated for the new baby, and then giving you the opportunity to take your time decorating the larger room geared for an older baby/ toddler without disrupting them whilst you are doing it (if that makes sense). I'm not overly familiar with the layout of your home, but if the bedrooms are on a different level to where you spend most of your "day" time then you'll find that most of baby's toys etc will migrate to where you spend most of your time during the day, and thus you won't need the big space in the bedroom (you'll just then have to put on your creative hat to create a storage area for your main living area to house all said baby things LOL!). And also, doing a separate nursery means once your first born is older and transitions to the larger room you have a nursery space ready and waiting for baby number 2! ;)
ReplyDeleteWow, so many comments and great advice already! I'd echo everyone else who says go with your gut. Keep the craft room if you really love it, though you may be spending much less time there in the first year (I can barely keep up with emails and writing blog posts)! In our current apartment in Istanbul, we have three bedrooms, but V has slept in our room since the beginning for when she wakes up to nurse. We have an armoire for her clothes but rarely use the closet for anything. Now that she's crawling and cruising, she mostly plays in the living room where I spend most of the day, but I spend a lot of time diverting her from destruction/danger (hard to baby-proof a place that isn't really yours, but we have an odd situation).You'll probably have Lil' Limestone in a bassinet in your room for the beginning at least, so that buys you some time.
ReplyDeleteWhen we come back to Brooklyn, I'll have to figure out how to turn our very tiny dining alcove into a nursery, and I bet I'll be asking you for tips!
Guest room...and here is the REALITY. That little limestoner is going to be in your room for the first year anyway...no doubt. So make a space right next to the bed for a co-sleeper. and hunker down. The guest room is big enough to accomodate him/her for the rest of his/ner years.
ReplyDeleteEasy Peasy.
Here's my 2 cents... when my son was born, we did have him in our room at night, but I felt bad about waking my husband (I was breastfeeding -- not much he could do for me at 3 in the am and he had daytime baby duty). We had a small nursery with crib/changing table/closet/rocker, and I would take our son in there at night to nurse.I wish I had had a bed in our nursery so I could sleep/nurse in there. So I vote for making the guest room a nursery and keeping some type of bed in there for you (a daybed maybe?)
ReplyDeleteWill you have more guest room traffic with the arrival of the baby? Also if you can't decide, flip a coin and then once you have the baby and day to day takes over, you may come to the realization I want the little room or I want the big room. We had a similar situation, we went with the little room and kept the guest room. Our son is now four and still wants to keep "his" room even though moving to the guest room which is next to his would give him more space.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely use the larger space! Take it from a mom of three. Yes, the smaller space SHOULD be enough, but it will not! Plus, its your first baby!
ReplyDeleteYou won't need a closet for the first year or two so you can still use the closet for your storage (just child proof it). As a matter of fact, my boys are 7, 6, 4 and they still don't use a closet. lol!
I would nix the guest room. Your little one will be crawling by 6 months, and will need the space to move (and not pull the room apart while doing it). By a year s/he will be walking or at least cruising, and you'll be happy for the space. Also, it isn't safe to have your baby under a window, and not just because of the curtains. If something ever went through your window, G-d forbid, you wouldn't want the crib to be right under it. Thirdly, closets are a lifesaver once your baby starts touring the room, because you can keep things out of his or her way easily. Baby socks are a pain to get out from under a dresser with no legs.
ReplyDeleteAlso, as someone who just moved with a 9 month old, I really don't recommend setting yourself up for so many planned nursery/kid room changes. My daughter has barely anything on her walls, and any time I have to decorate her room i focused on the more practical aspects of baby proofing and maximizing storage. I have literally a pile of stuff to hang, but our weekends are so busy that we haven't gotten around to it...and we've lived here for 3 months.
Efficiency is the one of the only way to stay sane as a parent. That, and guiltlessly sleeping while the baby sleeps as much as possibly during the first few months!
We live in Queens in a Jr. 4 apartment, and we have a 6 month old son. Our son's room is what you might call a 2nd bedroom, except that it has no closet (hence the Jr. 4 title). The dimensions are quite similar to your craft room. I will say that not having a closet has not been an issue at all so far. We don't need hanging space for his clothing----nothing is that precious that it can't be folded and put in a dresser drawer. In the grand scheme of things, you really don't need hanging storage for their clothes, IMO. We have a sleeper sofa in the room, a long dresser, his Stokke crib, and his toys, which includes an activity mat. We are not cramped and actually enjoy being in that room. We do keep toys in a basket in the family room too, but the point is that his room doesn't have to be huge to work well.
ReplyDeleteGuest room. You'll need the space and the craft supplies could be stored elsewhere~you won't have as much time to craft w/ a little one around anyhow. ;). And if it's a girl, think of all the sweet dresses she'll have. Go big!
ReplyDeleteMake life simple, use the bigger room.
ReplyDeleteGuest room! I originally wanted to use a smaller room for our baby, but I'm glad we went with the bigger room so it can grow with him. Also, it's amazing how much room you need for clothes, blankets, burp cloths, and ALL THOSE DIAPERS! I still need more storage and his nursery is very large.
ReplyDeleteI don't have strong feelings either way on which room would be best but I do think you could fit more in the small room than you can. What if you placed the crib in the center of the long wall where your desk is now? You could add tons of storage by flanking the crib with wardrobes and built ins and even add shelving above the crib to use the vertical space. If you leave the space between built-ins large enough you may even be able to fit a twin sized day bed when baby gets a bit bigger. Maybe you could even work in the changing table into the built in. If designed well I think you could fit almost everything you would need in a great built in wall with the crib nestled in the middle.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd go with the small room for a year or two or three. You might need the guest room for visiting grandparents, or something. It's also cozier for the baby, instead of being a little baby in a big room. Maybe you could put your work desk in there for a while. Eventually you can turn the guest room into the baby's room, but you won't want the baby off by itself playing for quite a few years. It won't even play by itself for several years. Babyr clothes are small, although you need quite a few as it takes a lot to even make a wash load. I never used a closet when my kids were small. I did have a sideboard/chest for a changing table with two small drawers over one wide drawer over a cupboard. Now I have it in my dining room. It isn't that big, but big enough for a changing table. What ever you do, congratulations. That's really exciting.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Mrs. Limestone!!! SO excited for you guys! Wishing we still lived in NYC right about now. We actually looked at a place in Columbia Heights...89 Columbia Heights. LUVED it! Great views and an amazing renovated hotel. You'd have dug it. Anyhow, wishing you ALL the best! Any chance you'll be at BlogHer in the City? XO
ReplyDeleteI think you've already answered the question in your post! You adore your darling office space and never have overnight guests like you expected to! I have four girls ranging from 9-18 and it was truly just a blink of an eye that each of them was a tiny baby tucked in my arms, taking up very little space! I think you'll be happy longest if you dedicate the guest room to your bundle of joy! Yes, baby needs very little space as a newborn but I think you'll appreciate having a bedroom for your child - a space to 'make his/her own' over time, a place for toys and children's books and all of the treasures he/she accumulates (even with parents who are great at purging/keeping things minimal)! I also think it will make the transition a bit easier on you if you get to keep your gem of a workspace. You'll have enough upheaval (in the very best of ways!) without re-thinking and re-organizing a space that is working well for you on top of it all! Oh, my! Adding another member to the family is SUCH a life changing experience- Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI would use the small room as the baby's room. Then when baby gets too old for a crib or toddler bed, transition to the guest room. If you use the guest room now, what will you do with the mattress? This seems like the perfect mattress for baby to transition to later. I would also buy an Ikea wardrobe or a Craigslist armoire and put it in on the wall by the door of the small room for closet space.
ReplyDeleteAs you are finding out, a baby is a game changer!
OOOOOOh. it's a hard debate. I think you get to pick though, b/c it is you who has to be up every night feeding the baby (and therefore need to be more comfy in the room design, IN THE DARK!). Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI think I'd be inclined to go for the guest room! Babies need a lot of stuff, so I think the larger space and closet really makes sense for a child's room!
ReplyDeleteI too think that the guest room is a better idea....you wouldnt want to move around and switch rooms ...take a look at this video from sarah richardson 101 ...they just designed a "safari" theme nursery and they really hit on some good points (www.hgtv.ca/sarah101/video.aspx?releasePID=fUHzH6cQue1IJsilSmFT9ohTx_1PwYY6) hope this is helpful!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I would vote for the guest room because a comfortable rocking chair is essential equipment and something you will use even into the preschool years when there is a bump or an illness (children are so soothed by rocking). You can always have the babe in your bedroom in a bassinet for easier night feedings during the newborn stage. My babies slept in my bed. Sleeping with a baby is better than sleeping with a man :)
ReplyDeleteThe comments made for an interesting debate! Somehow I don't think we're helping much, not when we all disagree so passionately. I vote for the small room. Babies don't need much. And I'm opposed to play rooms as a rule, so the comments suggesting a nursery+playroom totally earned a side-eye from me.
ReplyDeleteWe had this same decision to make (though thankfully we both agreed). We went with the smaller room closer to our bedroom. It's such a cute, cozy nursery. Our other room would feel too big for a bub.
ReplyDeleteThe smaller room will remain the nursery and in a few years when we have another baby, it will be that baby's nursery and our son (currently 10mo) will move to the bigger room.
Smaller for sure. It is a perfect nursery and you may have guests now that you have a baby. Save the big room for when the child grows. And then you can put your favorite room back together- storing the little room stuff will be easy. Good luck !!
ReplyDeleteI would do the guest room. I have a 4 year old, and one on the way! I say the guest because eventually s/he will be moved there one day. Also, you will have more room for all the "stuff". I'm sure you will have lots of toys, clothes, TOYS! We are constantly getting toys from family/friends, and it's nice to have them in her room. I'm always looking for cute stuff to hide the toy clutter, like those basket cube things! Good luck and congrats =)
ReplyDeleteOh, and if you're worried of losing the guest room..just convert the office into a guest room with a cute fold out couch in front of the window and desk opposite wall?
ReplyDeleteGuest room definitely, so much more practical! But either way it will be gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI would keep your guest room as long as possible. With a little baby you may have more guest than you think, unless all your family lives in town. My daughter is about to turn 2 now and we are just starting to spend a ton of time in her room.
ReplyDeleteLong-time reader (think Wedding Channel days!), first-time poster!
ReplyDeleteI vote the small room for a couple of reasons, the first of which is the distance to your master bedroom. While I have no children, I can imagine that even an extra 5 second walk could become tiresome with an unhappy little one on your hands. Second, I actually really like that it's a smaller space as it's much less likely that things (clothes, toys, etc.) will begin to pile up.
Congratulations, Stef and Luke!
Definitely the bigger room! One reason, do you really want to have to redo the bigger room so soon after doing the little room if you start there? Seems like a lot of redecorating in a short amount of time. Secondly, sounds like the little room is pretty close to the master. That means you could be tip toeing around your own bedroom trying not to wake a sleeping baby. A little further distance to the bigger bedroom could give you a little noise protection. Thirdly, you are going to need the closet! People love to buy clothes for babies. You will receive a ton of baby clothes from people and will need the closet to help with that storage.
ReplyDeleteLooking at your floorplans..... don't put the crib so close to any windows with window treatments. Before you know it a baby will start pulling themselves up in their crib and can get tangled in the window treatments, with bad consequences. And make sure that the large shelf with the cubby holes is bolted to the wall for when the baby gets old enough to start climbing. Unfortunately it goes by so fast that they start doing these things before you realize it!
Just my thoughts. It's been a while since I was at this stage. But not too long to remember most things....
I just stumbled upon your blog. Yay. First of all, congratulations! My husband and I have five children, the oldest is a senior in high school this fall and the youngest goes off to kindergarten 3 days later.
ReplyDeleteI am going to be completely candid here: Keep both rooms the way they are for now. Wait till wee one gets a little bit of age on her before you do anything, because (wait, why am I saying "her"?) she/he will most likely be in your room (bassinet, or the like). Save the money and put it toward her.. there I go again... college account. Simple is best.
I realize this won't make me your favorite commenter, but it's the truth, and that's how I roll. :)
God bless you during this VERY special time~
:o) mg
Keep your favorite little room, and use the guest room. Having more space and an extra bed in there may come in handy if you or hubby (who ever is on night patrol) doesn't want to keep getting up. Closet space will come in handy, and if you don't get many over night guests now, you probably won't when you're little bundle arrives.
ReplyDeleteCongrats! Looking forward to seeing the nursery pix!
My vote is definitely for the guest room.
ReplyDeleteAs the parent of four (soon to be five) kids, I can tell you that even in a year, you aren't going to want to be having to transform two spaces - well, you will probably want to (it's fun!), but it's unlikely that you'll be able to in a timely manner. Or maybe you will. You know yourself better than I do, obviously. But do remember that you'll have your hands full. Happy, but full. And your priorities may have changed by then.
The biggest reason, though, is this: as mamas (new or seasoned), it is good to have a favorite space for some personal down time. If you find a lot of joy and peace there, keep the space. Baby monitors will be helpful if the issue is thinking that you won't hear your baby from that distance. I agree with others about the tiptoeing around due to being right next door. You can always have a basinet in your room for the first few months, keeping baby close by.
Just some thoughts. I hope that you and your husband can come to a happy agreement about it :O)
I'd go for the bigger room, tone down the storage and add a twin size bed. It will come in handy for sleepless nights when you really just want to be closer to the baby and so whoever is in the master can get a full uninterrupted nights sleep AND be available for a guest if needed.
ReplyDeleteThe only way I think you should go for the small room is if you are planning on really tight spacing between children and will need a dedicated nursery again shortly after this baby is done with it.
I'm totally team "little room" for nursery! It's SO cute!
ReplyDeleteI'm a long time reader and a mom of 2 (2 year old and 6 week old) and I say go with the bigger room for sure. You will definitely need closet space. And it's so much easier to keep things like boxes of diapers and wipes and bins for outgrown clothes right where you change and dress the baby rather than going to some other part of the house every time you need to restock the changing table (which will be frequently!) And honestly in a year from now you will be so over all the plastic toys everywhere. If you put the baby in the small room you'll end up with toys in the nursery, the bigger extra bedroom and of course, downstairs. If you just go with one big nursery then maybe that small room can be the one toy free zone upstairs! I can't wait to see how everything progresses - so happy for you!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with everything you are saying but the husband seems pretty locked in on the idea of using the little room so I'm picking my battles on this one. Im going to commander the closet in the hallway right outside for some extra storage - not as good as a full size proper closet but it should hold me over for a little while.
ReplyDeleteHaving my 4 pregnancy, with military housing craptastic sized rooms right now... I have to agree with the Bigger room being the nursery. Less redecorating, more space for what WILL become a very used rm lol. You'll be surprised how much stuff a baby that can't walk but is learning will need lol.
ReplyDelete