EIGHT IS ENOUGH!

A woman from Southern California emailed me asking for simple, economical design ideas for her new nursery. Pregnant with twins, she was concerned that her tiny 8' by 8' room wasn't big enough to incorporate her hefty plans for the new arrivals. I assured her that eight was plenty and she'd have enough room to create a whimsical, comfortable space for both babies. Hoping to expand her family down the road, she wanted to design a unisex space that could easily evolve over time with the kids. With a budget as tight as her room, I came up with a sensible, inexpensive, easy-for-anyone-to-execute design that will hopefully make everyone happy.

EIGHT IS GREAT!

An eight by eight room is tight but totally doable, especially for a baby nursery. I suggested painting a single color as it will have depth when you layer it with several tones. So, we chose yellow. I logged on to www.ikea.com where I found some great buys on baby furniture...from bumpers to hampers, they have it all so you can load up your room without emptying your wallet. At the Home Depot we found a pre-built cabinet unit we painted in a deep, warm yellow that will double as a changing station and dresser (and can easily be removed and used in the garage or laundry room after the nursery turns into a kid room). I found rubber mats at a restaurant supply store and placed them on the floor under throw rugs. They're comfortable to stand on at length, warm, soften the blow if a little one bumps their head and are incredibly easy to clean!

TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: Two days

COST: under $500 for everything.

STRESS LEVEL: Realizing eight is plenty to work with: LOW