Moving from Nursery to Toddler Room
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It was time for us to make the switch! When my little guy was about 15 months old, I realized that it was time to start thinking about moving him to a “big boy” room. And the next month, we found out we were pregnant with our second, so it was definitely time to move him! We switched him to a larger room to give him more space to play, and we love how the space turned out!
We didn’t know what we were having when we were pregnant with Paul (and I was absolutely CERTAIN I was having a girl…. OOPS), so we designed a very gender neutral nursery. As Paul transitioned into toddlerhood, I realized that his nursery did not fit his personality. He really enjoyed playing in his room, too. So, I set to work designing a space he could sleep AND play in, and Paul’s toddler room came to LIFE. Let me show you all the spaces!
Toy Storage
This type of storage is alllll over our house. From our Playroom, to Paul’s room (and now our daughter’s room too) to even my office, we love this system!
We love how this toy storage allows littles to independently choose toys, helps them clean up, and it anchors to the wall! Here are the links and what we used:
IKEA Trofast Cabinet Frame: We used 3 of these and anchored them to the wall. They don’t stick out from the wall as much as cube storage, so it is sleeker but actually holds more toys!
IKEA Trofast Medium Storage Bins: We used 6 of these in white.
IKEA Trofast Large Storage Bins: We used 3 of these at the bottom in white.
IKEA Trofast Mesh Storage Bins: We used 6 of these in the middle of the cabinets in grey.
IKEA Trofast Shelves: We bought two packs and used 3 of the shelves, one at the top of each section.
IKEA Woven Rope Baskets: We used three of these and hung them on the wall for fun and easy organization.
IKEA Wall Hooks: These are actually little dog tails with the legs sticking out of the wall! We hung the baskets from these. So cute!
The Book Wall
Hear me out: put the books on the wall. I’m serious.
Grab some picture shelves and put the books on them. It’s extremely cost-effective, doubles as storage, and allows littles to constantly see their books! It also makes book rotation a BREEZE!
IKEA Mosslanda Picture Ledge: I used 5 of these and the ceilings are 8 feet tall! They securely anchor to the wall and are even more secure if you have a stud near by to secure into. The ledges aren’t too deep, so they display the books really nicely! My little guy can reach the bottom two shelves easily, and I rotate books from top to bottom weekly.
Also sold on Amazon if IKEA cannot ship to you. They are more expensive on there, but worth it in my opinion!
INSIGHT: When my son was little, I packed these shelves FULL of books. As he got older, I put less books on at a time as it seemed to overwhelm him. So, play with what you feel is best for your little one!
Best Books for Babies & Toddlers
As a speech-language pathologist, I LOVE books. We have curated lists for babies and toddlers and for all occasions, as well as a Free Book Guide about organizing books by color!
How to Make the Toddler Room Fun
Take their interests and run with them! Paul loves reading and playing with cars, so I put a little desk in here for him to bring his toys and books to, and he loved it!
Wiwiurka Toys Baby Tadeus Desk: We love this desk- its great for snacks, reading, playing, and more! Plus if you flip it over, it is a piece of climbing equipment. So neat! This company makes all of the furniture and toys by hand- a really cool company to support and their pieces make great gifts.
I also wanted to display his favorite toys up top to help prompt him to ask for them!
A great communication tip I always give parents is to put things “in sight, but out of reach.” That provides a natural communication temptation for littles to ask you for help or ask for an item!
I love the name sign! We got it from Hickory Hollow Designs. Take a moment and peruse this website because HOLY MOLY this brand is AMAZING! The quality and customer service of this brand is top notch- check them out! Plus, it’s a small business so let’s support! I actually went to middle school with the owner, how cool right?!
Safavieh Car Rug: This rug is 7.7” by 5.5” and fits our 10’ by 12’ room so well! It’s machine washable and the ENTIRE thing fits in a standard washer (ask me how I know….. cough, cough Eric and his ENTIRE cup of coffee spilled on it….) It lays flat on carpet or hardwood and is good quality!
Cloud and Sun Decals: This was a custom order with Strideza and the customer service was so great! I sent her pictures of what I was thinking and she was really responsive. After some messaging back and forth, she created exactly what I had envisioned! Hanging up the large sun almost landed us in couples counseling, but that’s probably an Eric and I problem and not a “you” problem. With two people, hanging large decals isn’t too hard!
Toddler Room Essentials
Babyletto Hudson 3-in-1 Crib in White: This was Paul’s crib as a newborn! It converts to a toddler bed and a day bed, and is made from non-toxic materials. We love Babyletto’s cribs and mattresses from a safety and design perspective. He hadn’t tried to climb out of his crib yet when I first wrote this blog, but I’m here to give an update: We converted him to the toddler version of this crib when he was a little over 2.
Curtains: These curtains are SO inexpensive ($9 for one- NINE DOLLARS!) but BOMB! They are NOT 100% black-out, but they really darken the room. Paul never slept in full 100% blackness, so I didn’t mind that they weren’t true black-out, but if you want total darkness, I would pick something else! Thick, great quality and I love the tab top!
Wall Color: Early September by Behr.
It’s Been 2 Years…
I love, love, love how this room turned out. It is simple, and screams “Paul!” It has all of the things he loves, and was put together with a lot of love. I am editing this blog 2 years later and telling you that he still loves this room! The Toy Storage and Book Wall are still his favorite things. The Wall Decals are holding strong, and we transitioned him to a bigger floor bed that will also be his bed until he leaves this house! The investments we made in decorating and organizing this room were so worth it, as they will grow with him into preschool and school-aged years!
