Three tips for a peaceful, cohesive multi-purpose space + photo inspo!
I’ve photographed in-home newborn sessions for almost 10 years, which means I’ve seen plenty of nursery trends and layouts. While lots of couples set aside a specific room for their child, not everyone has a space just for baby. There are all kinds of reasons that might prompt a family to designate baby’s room for more than just one purpose; sometimes, it’s out of necessity in smaller spaces, while others set up a combo nursery/office for a parent who will work from home while caring for their newborn.
With purposeful design choices, you can absolutely showcase a gorgeous nursery, along with a home office, spare bedroom or crafting space! You might have to completely rethink the current layout to accomodate baby’s things, but I’ve seen dozens of multi-purpose nurseries that are just as beautiful and well-done as rooms that are exclusively for baby.
Tip #1: Clearly designate spaces through furniture placement in a multi-purpose roomÂ
The best-designed nurseries serving more than one purpose achieve a clean, uncluttered look primarily through furniture placement. If it works with your room, the most desirable layout features a crib on one side of the room, with the guest bed or desk on the opposite wall. Here’s a very quick Canva diagram that illustrates what this could look like:
I’ve consistently found a traditional changing table to be a waste of money and space; you truly only need them for a short period of time, and a long dresser can easily accomodate a changing pad that you can safely and easily secure to the top. If you are turning a spare bedroom into a nursery, you could even re-purpose an existing dresser into a changing table. We did this for all three of our kids, and I designated one drawer for diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream, etc. so I could tuck it away when not in use.
In a tighter space? The dresser (doubling as a changing table!) could go right next to the crib for very easy nighttime diaper changes.
Personally, I think nurseries feel most complete with a chair tucked in a corner for snuggles and feedings. If your space allows for a small recliner or even a stationary chair with an ottoman, it makes the space ultra cozy – and useful.
Most families add a rug to pull everything together, and this works in a multi-purpose room too. You could place the rug under the crib, under the spare bed, or even under a desk (if you’re using your home office as a dual space, not a bedroom) to further segment the room.
On the nursery side, simply hang or accessorize the space with whatever decor you like for baby. I love multi-purpose nurseries decorated with photos of the family; these work well on the crib side of the room, or on the “adult” side!
Tip #2: Cohesive colors are a must for dual purpose rooms
Most nurseries that I photograph feature a neutral wall color with pops of color throughout the room. It’s simple to add in color with bright crib sheets, a fun patterned rug or artwork on the walls.Â
When you think about combining two spaces, it’s essential to prioritize your color palette. I love neutrals with pops of color, and this is often a popular color scheme in baby rooms. Sometimes parents design a space that is unique to a specific child; others plan to use the nursery for multiple babies, and select decor that is easily adjusted as they add to the family.
A haphazard mix of colors, prints and patterns is a sure-fire formula for a disorganized, chaotic space – the exact opposite of what most want for their baby!
If you’re going for a high-end, classic look, start with a neutral base (ivory, cream, light gray or even very light pastel shades). Light furniture or even dark iron cribs give an airy feel to the room, as opposed to heavy, dark choices like espresso and black wooden cribs. If you already have dark furniture in your bedroom/office, change it up on the nursery side and bring the room together with your accent colors and decorative pieces.
Create a chic accent wall with wallpaper
Thinking about an accent wall behind the crib? Instead of choosing a bright or bold paint color, consider wallpaper! There are endless options from companies online – you can even find custom designs on Amazon! Some companies will ask for measurements of the wall and create a design especially for that space. This jungle wallpaper scene from a 2020 newborn session is still one of my most favorite nurseries of all time!
Tip #3: Opt for light-colored window treatments – and hang curtains high!
I love a light-drenched nursery; it’s so beautiful to see a space created especially for a new baby with great natural light.
However, not every room in every home features huge windows with great access to sunlight.
In a dual purpose space, especially in a small room, go with light-colored window treatments for maximum airiness. Dark curtains add heaviness and make a small room feel even tighter; light colors help open up a space.
Additionally, hang your curtains 4-6 inches higher than the window frame to make the room feel larger. This means you’ll hang them closer to the ceiling than the window, giving the impression of taller ceilings. In small spaces that serve more than one purpose, take advantage of all the extra room you can get!
Examples from real dual-purpose nurseriesÂ
Trisha & Tucker
Trisha and Tucker were overjoyed to welcome Tanner in 2021; however, they weren’t able to move to a two-bedroom unit at their apartment complex until he was a few months old. She still wanted the experience of decorating a space just for her son while pregnant, without taking over the living room with Tanner’s things.
While they were waiting to transition to a bigger apartment, Trisha and Tucker set up a sweet nook for Tanner in their master bedroom. She used an heirloom handmade crib, conveniently positioned next to her side of the bed. To incorporate the crib into her decor, she added a strand of eucalyptus and neutral, complimentary bedding for her son. She visually set his nook apart with a sweet handmade sign above with crib with his name.
Jayne & Matt
Jayne and Matt set up a nursery/spare bedroom when their third son, Forrest, was on his way. This room was already in use as an extra bedroom for guests, so they simply added the crib and changing table across from the bed. Jayne also added neutral decor above Forrest’s furniture to clearly designate that space as his.
The bedroom’s soft ivory and gray bedding, along with the gray bedframe, flow well with the crib and changing table. It would be easy to add too much to this room, given the grid wallpaper, but Jayne’s light decorative touch created a peaceful, inviting space for her baby – and any guests!
Lindsey & Walter
Lindsey and Walter welcomed their daughter in early May. Once Lindsey’s maternity leave ends, she plans to work from home, so she turned half of her office into her daughter’s nursery. She’ll eventually move Evelyn upstairs, but she plans to work in baby’s room at first for convenience.
Along one side of the room, you see Evelyn’s crib and a white bookshelf with baskets for open storage, a very smart organizational choice. Just in front of the bookshelf is Evelyn’s playmat, along with a small table with sentimental decor.
Directly across from Evelyn’s crib is Lindsey’s desk, complete with everything she needs for work. High ceilings and a neutral color scheme in the room keep it from feeling too busy or overcrowded. Her desk is a dark wood color, similar to the small table just in to the side of Evelyn’s book case. The changing table is sandwiched between the door to Evelyn’s room and the closet.
Gabi & Alejandro
Gabi and Alejandro created the coolest nursery-guest bedroom combo I’ve seen; it’s the very definition of boho! Like most parents, she started with a neutral wall color (ivory) and added in pops of orange and shades of brown to create the coolest space for her son, Elio!
The layout of this room is a little different from the suggested diagram above; Gabi placed the crib directly across from Elio’s closet. To the left of the crib is a changing table; across from the changing table is a futon for guests. She brings everything together brilliantly with the dark brown/light brown color scheme.
Photo-friendly nursery tips – and more!
If you’re in the nursery planning stage, I send all of my clients even more of my top tips for a photo-friendly nursery, once they book a session. This gives mamas-to-be peace of mind when creating a space for baby, because they know the room will work perfectly as a backdrop for these special memories after baby arrives.
Not only do my clients get nursery tips – but also, lots of other expert guidance for gorgeous, stress-free maternity, in-home newborn and family photo sessions, too. I created a 76 page magazine called Celebrate Motherhood that features the best tips, tricks and suggestions I’ve learned after exclusively photographing this phase of life for almost 10 years.
Clients adore the magazine since it takes every ounce of stress, worry and nervousness out of planning maternity, newborn and family photo sessions because I explain exactly what to wear for everyone and exactly what to expect for every session! By the time we meet for the session, my clients are totally confident and completely relaxed – they know their photos will be beautiful, and even the session itself will be amazing!
I’d love to help you plan your dream maternity and newborn photo sessions, too! Just head over to the Contact tab at the top of the page and tell me when you’re due!
