“Home idea with IKEA”: from a pantry to a baby‘s room

Evaldas and Agnė are expecting a baby boy, who already has a name – it’s Benas. The newly baked parents decided to dedicate a separate room for their new family member. The space is small and oddly shaped, but the couple wants to fit all the necessary furniture there. How to choose the right furniture for the growing baby? To find the answer, this week’s heroes teamed up with our interior designer Gabrielė Leistrumaitė.

Before the renovation

The room was used as a pantry. Here, Evaldas and Agnė used to store their seasonal clothes, furniture that didn’t fit in other rooms, and all the gear they had bought for their soon-to-be-born baby.

Interior designer‘s task

The couple wanted their baby’s room to be both functional and cosy. Since the space is small (only 7 sq. metres), we decided to choose furniture that would also be relevant when the baby grows up. The biggest challenge was to arrange everything in such a way that, alongside the bed and storage furniture, there was still room for playtime and cosy family moments.

To brighten up the space and make it feel cosier, Gabrielė has decorated a grey wall with hand-painted scenery of mountains and added loads textiles in playful patterns and colours.

For the sweetest of dreams

The most important piece of furniture in this room is the SUNDVIK cot. It will protect Benas’ sleep for years since the cot can be transformed as he grows. The base can be placed at two different heights and when the child is big enough to climb into/out of the cot, one side can be removed.

A dimmed lighting is better for putting the baby to sleep, thus we have installed a white cloud LED wall lamp above the cot. It’s called UPPLYST and allows keeping an eye on the baby without disturbing his sleep.

As Benas grows, so will the wardrobe

No matter how small a child’s room may be, it needs to provide space for storage. This is why Gabrielė has planned a modular SMÅSTAD storage system with a drawer that makes toy organising a breeze. The wardrobe adapts easily to the needs of a growing child: one can change the fronts, knobs or handles over time and add some extra shelves or frames if needed.

Instead of standard cabinets or shelves that would clutter the small space, we have attached FLISAT wall storage and MOSSLANDA picture ledges to the wall. They take up very little space and are perfect for storing books, magazines, framed pictures or other small items that are dear to your heart.

Rock-a-bye baby

To give parents a place to sit and relax in their child’s room, our interior designer has chosen the POÄNG armchair. It’s made of sustainable wood and swings gently, which makes it ideal for napping or feeding the baby. And what if it gets dirty? Child’s play: the cover is removable and can be washed.

Storage that encourages play

The play area in the baby’s room is not just for playing. A wooden FLISAT doll‘s house also serves as a wall shelf that provides some extra storage space. It is mounted within the child‘s reach, so that Benas can play and explore while on the floor.

“Safety is key when furnishing a baby‘s room, which is why all IKEA children‘s products are tested and approved as save to use. Your contribution is also important: choose furniture with rounded corners and low pile rugs with anti-slip underlay, mount shelves away from the cot and changing table, and make sure that all higher cabinets are attached to the wall.”

Gabrielė Leistrumaitė, IKEA interior designer