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6 Small-Space Decorating Tips For a Petite Nursery
6 Small-Space Decorating Tips For a Petite Nursery

6 Small-Space Decorating Tips For a Petite Nursery

A nursery short on size doesn’t have to be short on style.

By Babylist Team
Fact Checked by Shannon Vestal Robson
Published Dec 16, 2021|Updated On Feb 28, 2025
Published Dec 16, 2021Updated On Feb 28, 2025
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In This Article

Playful Wallpaper = Bigger Space
Repurpose Your Closet
Infuse Your Smaller Space with Trendy Style
Share Your Primary Bedroom
Create Cohesiveness with a Neutral Palette
Turn Your Corner Alcove into a Mini Nursery

Whether you’re room-sharing or city-dwelling, you may be dealing with a smaller nursery, but don’t worry: the upside is that they’re perfectly sized for little babies. And even with a smaller-than-typical space to work with, you can still pack in a ton of character, style and design without eating up necessary space. Before we jump into the inspo, here are some generalized tips to keep in mind to help maximize your space: 

  • First, go for a mini crib instead of a full-size one to avoid eating up a ton of floor space. Most mini cribs convert the same as standard ones. 

  • While we love a cute decor moment, keeping the clutter down will help you get the most out of your space. 

  • Storage is essential, no matter the size of your baby’s nursery. You can get creative with storage, opting for smaller baskets, multi-use options and even spreading your baby’s stuff throughout your home (versus crowding their nursery).

We've compiled all of our best tips for designing a pint-sized nursery alongside some real nursery photos to help get your mood board ideas flowing. And if you want to save even more space in your home, we have some great suggestions for space-optimizing baby gear. To help make shopping easier, we’ve linked the standout elements of each nursery.

Playful Wallpaper = Bigger Space

📸: @martharatcliffillustration

We’ve talked about nursery wallpaper being a trendy style choice, and though we love it for that, it’s also a great tool to help a smaller space appear larger. Like paint, the key here is to use lighter wallpaper colors or patterns to give your space the illusion of being more spacious (darker colors can shrink the space). You can take it a step further by choosing a wallpaper with vertical lines to add height, too.

Get the look: The star of the show here is the charming, vertical wallpaper. But we also love the icy blue palate with the pops of red.

Repurpose Your Closet

📸: @mixandmatchdesigncompany

Even if you don’t have an extra room to offer up as a nursery, you can still give your baby a separate space. Whether you have a shallow closet or a deep walk-in, you can transform it into a mini nursery. In this inspo shot, the crib is tucked into one side of the double closet while the other side is used for baby storage. We love that, instead of doors, they utilize stylish yet simple curtains so you can cover the space when baby is resting while still letting in airflow.

Get the look: Most closets are fairly narrow, so a mini crib will work best. As for aesthetics, you can add a cute framed picture, stylish curtains and simple decor pieces.

Infuse Your Smaller Space with Trendy Style

📸: @vinterior

A small space doesn’t mean you have to skimp on decor or style. This beautifully designed nursery features standout pieces that gives the space a cozy, intentionally designed feel. Like this nursery, you can choose to go bold with a large print wallpaper, colorful nursery glider and eye-catching lighting. Or you can go more subtle and just choose a few curated pieces to make the space your own. And if you’re not sure which direction to go, check out our nursery trends article and shrink your favorite trend down to a size that fits your space. 

Get the look: Gingham is a trendy pattern right now and flows with most design ideas. And we love that the dresser doesn’t eat up too much space and can double as a changing table.

Share Your Primary Bedroom

📸: @sierralmiller

Keep it simple and functional when you’re sharing your primary bedroom space with your baby. Perfect for a minimalist vibe, you can just add a mini or full-size crib to your bedroom, or take it up a notch with a bold color crib. And if your space allows it, you can add a nursery glider that matches the crib or flows with the look of your bedroom. 

Get the look: Since the crib is the focal point, going all in on a modern option is a good choice. We love a colorful crib, a trendy vintage crib or one with cute and unique details.

Create Cohesiveness with a Neutral Palette

📸: @laura_may_home

Similar to the light-colored wallpaper, a neutral room will appear larger compared to a room with moodier colors. You can stick with a fully neutral palette (which is a forever trend) or weave in small pops of color—it's totally up to you.

Get the look: Even if you go with a completely tan, white and beige palate, you can add textures and shapes to add some dimension and character to your baby’s space.

Turn Your Corner Alcove into a Mini Nursery

📸: @celiadw

If your primary bedroom has a pushed-back corner or alcove, it can act as the perfect little space to set up a nursery. If you’re be room-sharing, there will be an illusion of a separate space within your room. To make it feel more like a mini nursery and differentiate it from the rest of your space, you can add wallpaper (or decals for a less overwhelming look), wall art, a small dresser and other nursery trappings. 

Get the look: This shared-room nursery is expertly styled and really feels like its own space because it has all of the essentials you’d find in a standard nursery (like a dresser, storage and decor).

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