One more thing can be crossed off the ol’ nursery to-do list! Changing table? Check!
I remember before Clara was born a co-worker told me that changing tables were unnecessary since you usually end up changing the kid wherever is most convenient – like on the floor or the nearest piece of furniture – rather than going through the formality of walking all the way to the nursery. This was after we had already bought & refinished Clara’s changing table/dresser so the comment stuck with me, thinking I’d fallen into some first-time parent booby trap.
Surprisingly enough, we used Clara’s changing table religiously. Maybe because our house was small or because it was all one level. If we were at home she got changed on that table. And that routine stuck with us even when we moved to our second house, which was twice as big (but still a one level ranch).
Stairs might be a diaper changing game changer, though. So in this house we plan to keep some changing supplies downstairs for convenience. Anything to make your I-have-a-newborn routine easier, right?
We offhandedly mentioned when we started the nursery that we were considering using my dad’s old dresser that’s currently in our closet, which could double as a changing table. It’s not a permanent closet solution for us (we’ll eventually add a built-in closet system), and we kinda liked the story of our son having his grandfather’s 50-year-old dresser. But after completing the built-ins we realized that the eight drawers of storage they afforded us were awesome, and it was probably overkill to add four more on the other side of the room – especially when some sort of open, easy-access toy & game storage would be more useful for us over there.
So we scratched our heads for a little bit, and then we broke down our criteria:
- It needed a wide and flat surface to accommodate our changing pad (at least 15″ wide)
- It needed to have open storage mixed in with the possibility of adding a few bins or baskets to hide diapering stuff for a fleeting period of time
- It most likely needed to be wide (around 60″) to make sense on that long empty wall, while grounding the large bike prints that we planned to hang over it. Sort of like the storage cubbies in the photo below from our last sunroom…
It was literally looking at that photo above (we were checking to see how closely we had hung the prints together) that we had our A-HA! Why not the Expedit? It met all of our criteria and wasn’t serving a permanent function in its current home in our office (where we someday dream of adding an L-shaped file-storage area along with a floating desk/meeting table). And yes, this all happened right right as the news of the Expedit’s demise (or reincarnation?) hit the web – so it was sort of an all-signs-point-to-Expedit moment.
We unloaded everything (contributing more to the disaster that is our office) and I dragged it upstairs to see if the nursery should be its new home. And I say “drag” literally because I didn’t feel comfortable asking Miss Preggers to lift it. It was heavier than I remembered!
We put it in place on the wall opposite the built-ins and well, it was a bit underwhelming. Granted, it was very very empty and even the changing pad would eventually get a colorful cover. But it wasn’t a compelling case for the Expedit.
We leaned the bike art up to see if that helped, which it did, but we still felt like something needed to be done to make the Expedit a little more upgraded and not as blendy with the wall, rug, and doors.
So we had an idea. A hack, if you will. To add some contrast, and sort of nod to Clara’s white-and-wood changing table, we decided to wrap the outside of the Expedit with stained wood. This would also tie it into my homemade bike art frames, as well as the wood-topped built-ins across the room. You know, kinda like this…
That’s not Photoshop above (I wish I was that good!) – it’s the real after. I thought it would help for you to see that before I dove into the How-To part of the post. So let’s rewind to that, which started with me dragging the Expedit back out to the garage.
Our measurements revealed that three 1 x 6″ boards would be wide enough to cover the Expedit, leaving about a 1/2″ of an overhang on each side. This was nice because it would give the changing pad a bit more surface to sit on (it was the exact width of the original Expedit). We bought basic whitewood because it’s the same stuff we used to make our living room console table, which has held up great for the past few years, and the price was right ($5 for a 6 foot piece). We also wanted a slightly rustic wood look, like we achieved with the console table.
Here are all of the pieces once they were cut to size at home on our miter saw.
To attach the boards into big panels, I used my Kreg Jig to create pocket holes and then I could join each set of 3 side-by-side. It’s the same technique I used for the console top, so you can read more about it here. Note: I often make two holes if they’re going to be hidden when using the Kreg, just so if my first attempt at joining doesn’t line up perfectly, I can try again without having to break out the drill again.
Here are the finished boards all joined together. It’s also after I gave them a quick sanding to soften the edges and any ridges between the boards. I only bought two pieces for the bottom since no one will ever see the missing middle piece – so that explains why those are hanging out by themselves at the bottom of this shot.
Before staining, we decided to take wood conditioner for a spin. Its job is to “prepare” the wood for staining, reduce unevenness/blotchiness, and enhance the color. This small can was $6, so it’s not much of a “risk” – and richer and more even results sounded good to us. It goes on much like stain – you brush or wipe it on, let it penetrate for a few minutes (I gave it 15), and then wipe off the excess. You just have to be sure to stain within 2 hours of the application.
We used the same Minwax Dark Walnut stain that we’ve used elsewhere in the room for consistency (like on the counters of the built-ins and the bike art frames) and only needed one coat. For demonstration purposes, I stained a piece of unconditioned scrap wood (it’s the same exact type of wood, just a leftover piece) to see if there was a difference in using the conditioner. Both Sherry and I were pretty surprised by the comparison. I definitely felt the stain soak in more on the conditioned wood during application, and the color is noticeably richer/warmer on the conditioned wood.
When the stain and my two coats of Safecoat Acrylaq were dry (that’s our favorite poly alternative because it’s non-toxic and locks in any potential fumes or offgasing) I could finally begin attaching these wooden panels to the Expedit. I decided to go with a simple wood-glue-and-nails system, so that I wouldn’t have screw heads to hide after the fact. I prepped the Expedit surface by roughing it up a bit with sandpaper and then applying a bunch of wood glue.
Then I used my nail gun to secure them in place with some 1.75″ brad nails (thank goodness for the thick frame on the Expedit).
Then I did the same with the sides for sort of a waterfall-edge effect.
I let those dry overnight before attempting to flip the piece over and attach the bottom pieces. You can see how I just put them on either end in this shot, since that middle slice will never be seen.
After letting everything dry for a couple of days, I dragged it back upstairs and started on the next step – adding legs and casters. Sherry and I thought two of these chunky $5 casters from Home Depot would be a nice touch, while some stationery legs (made from 2 x 2″ pine and Kregged to the back and middle) would keep it from rolling around mid-diaper-change.
If you’re scratching your head about where the casters were on the after picture, well, they weren’t there. Because we decided they weren’t right for this application. The height they added made the changing pad uncomfortably high (we thought we’d like that added height, but it was a good deal higher than the changing pad height that we were used to in Clara’s room) plus it would’ve meant the art above it would have to hang even higher than the doorway tops, which we thought would look off.
But we really liked the look of it, so we wanted to share the idea in case it worked better for someone else’s application…
It was just a matter of unscrewing a few things to get back to the sitting-straight-on-the-floor look (which also has the benefit of not creating a spot for dust and toys to collect). Then Sherry helped me hang the art and fill the shelves.
Update: There have been a few questions about the height of the changing station. The Expedit itself is 31″ and the wood frame added a few more inches, and the pad itself sits on top of the dresser, so the baby is around 34″ from the ground on the Expedit with the pad on it. Clara’s dresser with the pad on it was around 33″ from the ground – so that range seems to be what we prefer.
The stuff on the shelves is mostly placeholder items (another bin or basket for diapering supplies will definitely end up in the mix). In fact they’ve already been tweaked a little in the rest of the photos in this post. But you hopefully get the idea of how this’ll function for us.
It’s nice to have some concealed storage, plus some open toys and books that he can easily access. The 3 Sprouts dragon box was a gift from Sherry’s friend Cat during Clara’s dragon-loving days that Clara brought in and said was for her brother because he likes green (yes, Sherry melted into a puddle). Who knew those bins were perfectly sized for an Expedit? Apparently Clara did.
We might need to get a few more large baskets to house diapers and wipes more easily, but other than that, this changing area has shaped up quite nicely. Well, except for the fact that the changing pad cover is just leftover fabric that Sherry tucked around it – so we have to buy/make a real cover soon.
The funniest part of this entire endeavor was when Clara brought in a baby onesie from a to-be-washed pile in the guest bedroom and said Barnacle wanted to wear it while we took his picture. Apparently we have an accidental tradition of dressing up not-real-babies in the nursery before the real baby arrives, since this happened in Clara’s crib after we set it up.
Oh and for anyone wondering how the changing pad is secured in place, it’s the same one we used for Clara, and it has two over-sized snaps on the back that attach to snaps that get screwed into the furniture or wall from the back. These are pics from making Clara’s dresser (which you read more about here) but we were easily able to remove them and screw them into the back edge of the Expedit.
We’ve also used heavy duty 3M command velcro to adhere the bike art firmly to the wall beyond the screws-into-studs/anchors hanging method that we used. So the little guy shouldn’t able to knock it off the wall or even pull it off (not that he’ll ever be unsupervised up there anyway). We did joke that it could get peed on, but the slick poster board material will hopefully work in our favor. We also have a hilarious tiny tent-like item that was a gift for keeping the spray at bay, if you will.
We’re really happy with how this little upgrade turned out, and we’re hoping it has some lasting value as toy and book storage when Barnacle gets older. I’m already picturing it stuffed with bins of legos. And the cost of our update was around $45 – the wood was $39 and the wood conditioner was $6 – since we already owned the stain and returned the casters (you can add $15 to cover those if you don’t have ’em).
The nursery is feeling much more complete now that we’ve dealt with that formerly empty wall. And Sherry’s putting the finishing touches on her mobile project for over the crib (this is just a photoshopped version of what she’s going for), so she’ll be back with those details in the next few days. It’s amazing how much more homey a room feels without two big blank walls staring back at you.
Aaaaaand I just realized the fun part of diaper changing is pretty much over. It only gets uglier from here. Speaking of which, we haven’t forgotten that we need to add a place for dirty diapers (we’ve had luck with this method for Clara, so we might go that route again). How’s that for a note to leave off on?
Do you guys use changing tables, or are you bed/floor/random-other-spot folks? Have you done anything fun to an Expedit lately? It’s amazing how many hacks there are. Can you believe Ikea’s retiring them (or at least tweaking and renaming them)? Will the new name stick, or will we all still call them Expedits?
PS: Wanna see another fun furniture hack? Check out this cool paint pattern we added to a thrift store desk.
Update – Wanna know where we got something in our house or what paint colors we used? Just click on this button:
Sayward says
This post has made my LIFE.
1. Last week I was all “oh, I hope they repurpose their expedit for that long wall.” It’s like our hearts beat as one <3
2. Last night I was staring at MY identical expedit and wishing I could class it up. You have made all my dreams come true. (sadly my contractor boyfriend probably won't say the same)
3. On Saturday I fully intended to drive to IKEA to grab the big, full wall expedit, but never got around to it. I had no idea they were changing the dimensions. Now I'm freaking out and considering calling off of work tomorrow!
4. I'm also kind of tempted to buy up all the expedits and start a black market operation.
Seriously, it looks so awesome.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! Can you imagine a black market Expedit operation? You have to have a password (Swedish meatballs?) and bring an allen wrench to get into the incognito building.
xo
s
Sayward says
Hahaha!!! Dying!!
Someone sits down next to you on a park bench. No eye contact whatsoever.
“So I hear you can get me a 4×4 in white.”
“Who sent you?”
*subtly palms allen wrench into my hand*
“Fair enough. High gloss or flat?”
“I’ll take them both”
“Both will cost you $7000 even.”
“Done.”
aaand I’m rich! (obviously I’ll be dressed like Carmen Sandiego and use a fake Swedish accent)
YoungHouseLove says
I think you’re onto something.
xo
s
Lynn @ Our Useful Hands says
Even before you revealed that it wasn’t photoshopped my face started to half smile into a “Yeeeeeeeahhhh go that route!” It looks so great! I agree with abandoning the casters route – one less place to have to clean under and lose things. Now that this wall has come together I’m kinda starting to feel like you guys are seriously going to have this baby soon. Amazing! Things are gonna get hectic and fun!
My best, Lynn
GreenInOC says
Great idea – it looks great!
Reenie says
You guys are so smart!! That looks great ~ love it.
Jessica jones says
We use the expedit as our changing table too. I was going to buy a dresser and get rid of our standing expedit book case but my husband just said “why don’t we just turn it on its side?” What a smart guy! But I love the wood around y’all’s. It’s makes the expedit so much more sophisticated. Bravo!
ShellyP says
I love the HACK you did with the Expedit. That nursery looks so great and it’s a room your son can grow up in and enjoy for years. I love that it’s not “baby” themed. I prefer the Expedit with the wheels vs. sitting directly on the floor. It looks better raised up. Most comfortable height is kitchen counter height (36 inches) and you’ll be able to easily access supplies in those cubbies directly below the counter. 31 inches seems too low; my lower back is starting to spasm just thinking about it.
I’m going to get into savatsana now.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Shelly! We just added an update to the post about the height. It’s 34″ with the wood + pad, and Clara’s dresser was 33″, so that just seems to be what we’re used to. With the casters it was around 38″ and even tall John thought it felt awkwardly tall, but I bet it’s just because we’re used to years of using Clara’s at 33″
xo
s
Samantha @ Fabulous Fabris says
Oh this looks great! What a great idea to add the wood around the edges, it looks fabulous with the frames on the wall. Totally chuckling at poor John carrying the shelves up and down the stairs.
Mo says
I am excited to see the mobile project Sherry is finishing up! This nursery ROCKS. You two are doing a great job bringing it all together. Nice work, team!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Mo!
xo
s
Nadia says
Best ikea hack EVER!!! Holy moly, the possibilities are endless! Painter panels, neon panels, chalkboard paint, pegboard!!! Ahhhhh, I’m so doing this!
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh pegboard is a FUN idea. You could even back it with that, painted in a bright color.
xo
s
Davin says
Lovely. Best Ikea hack…..of all time!!!
Seriously. I have a 5×1 cubby version that needs some love, and after seeing this awesome hack its slated for some wood-wrapping sweetness. Thanks guys!
ashley says
I love the look of this! So classy! Are you worried at all about the height? Seems shorter than most diaper-changing options.
YoungHouseLove says
We just added an update to the post about that for ya. It’s 34″ high with the changing pad (an inch taller than the dresser + changing pad that we used in Clara’s room), so maybe it’s just what we were used to? When we had the casters on it, it was around 38″ and that felt really high, even to tall John.
xo
s
Amy E. says
we were fairly religious about our changing table use. it helps that our first-born’s nursery was centrally located in our 1-story house. we used 2 Ikea TROFAST units (pictured in this blogpost) as a base to connect a board to in order to make a platform for our changing pad. it worked quite well and was the perfect height for us, with handy storage right there for all our changing needs. we still use it today to store toys and things. it’ll soon be relocated and re-used for our next kiddo (arriving sept). one of my favorite buys from when we were pulling together the nursery the first time.
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds really smart!
xo
s
Katie O says
We needed a double duty (or dootie??) solution for our changing area for our baby due Wednesday (although at this point I’m certain it’s never coming). We moved a chair up against the wall at Christmas time where we were going to put the changing table, and it scratched the heck out of the wall, so we needed something taller to hide the scratches. For our other children, we’ve always changed on the floor or the couch/bed, but since we’re diving into cloth diapering this go around, I felt we needed a dedicated space. The dresser is high, around 40 inches, but I’m still hopeful it will work for us, at least for a while. Or at least until I can find that stray can of paint that is our living room wall color so I can fix the wall! Our dedicated diaper-changing spot is downstairs since that’s where we spend most of our time, and the dresser holds all the baby’s clothing and cloth diapers/accessories. I can’t speak to how this system works yet, but I couldn’t imagine hiking up and down stairs 20 times a day every time the baby needs a new outfit or a diaper change. The Expedit does seem short, but I’m sure you guys thought that through and decided it would work for you! Also, have you thought about using cloth diaper wipes instead of disposable wipes?
YoungHouseLove says
We somehow never ended up trying cloth wipes, but I’m so interested in giving them a go! Will keep you guys posted if we do!
xo
s
wilma says
Oh! I totally thought you used cloth wipes…
If you do decide to try, it’s not hard at all! I actually kept a doggie water bowl (it has a lip, so it’s easy to carry with one hand) on the dresser/change table, and would fill it with warm water, and sometimes a *tiny* squirt of baby soap. I had tons of wipes, and the rule was to never double dip. They get washed with the diapers. Having a long change table will help, as there’s less chance of spilling the water (though I always put mine on top of a washcloth or small towel to absorb the sloshes). I changed the water whenever I felt like (washroom was close by). This method seemed to be the most simple, but I’m sure there are lots of other ways, too, and there’s also nothing wrong with using disposable wipes!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Wilma!
xo
s
cc says
Oh, Expedit, you really are the perfect piece of affordable furniture…
A word about the bike art, though. You may want to see if your son is the sort of little baby boy who instantly pees when you open his diaper. (At least mine certainly was, from the word, er, “go.”) It’s easy to be caught off-guard when you are the sleepy parent of a newborn, right? The wall in our nursery was surprised again, and again… but better it than me, I suppose. ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, John mentioned that we joked about those getting peed on in the post. We’ll have to see if they get peed on. We’re getting a lot of good tips for washcloths and next-diaper-at-the-ready solutions, so we’ll have to see how it goes!
xo
s
Heidi says
A very fitting Ikea hack for the news of Expedit’s impending demise! And, I love that the Barnacle made an appearance. Gotta make sure the size references are spot on at all times!
http://jax-and-jewels.blogspot.com
Tara S says
LOVE this!! Seriously this room is looking amazing. I’m loving the green and am totally jealous of the built-ins. We have had a vision to add built-ins in our living room for over a year now and we just need to get started. I love that you used the Ikea drawers to get you started. I would love to use a prebuilt two-door bottoms. I want it to be all wood. Any ideas?
Can you also tell me where the green striped basket is from in the last few pictures? It fits perfectly in the cubby, fun splash of color and oh so functional.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Tara! That’s from Target (their new Threshold organizing section with baskets and bins is 40% off with the Cartwheel app, so I got a bunch of boxes and bins).
xo
s
Amanda says
Ok, maybe I was the only one who literally laughed out loud when I saw the baby doll on the changing pad haha. I thought you two had done it at first, but then I saw it was Clara – too cute! I love this IKEA hack! Looks awesome, and I love how functional it is. By the way, did you see that IKEA is releasing a new version of the Expedit under the new name of Kallax? (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/about_ikea/newsitem/022114_expedit_kallaxz)
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! Isn’t that crazy! He’ll always be Expedit to me ;)
xo
s
Maureen says
That is the most wonderful Ikea hack/upgrade I have ever seen! And you know there are many out there. So glad you thought of it and so much better than just painting the Expedit. It really looks terrific!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Maureen. You’re too kind.
-John
Liz O says
That seriously looks awesome!
Jess @ Crunchy Hot Mama says
LOVE.THIS.JOHN! That is absolutely gorgeous! Leave it up to you guys to take a plain ole shelving unit up a notch ;)
For our first, we had a 2×2 Expedit for the changing table, with a 2×4 Expedit next to it-standing up for books, baskets, etc., and loved it! With baby #2 though, I usually just change her in our room (since she still sleeps there), or in the living room.
Maybe I’ll be inspired (thanks to ya’ll) to get her room finished since she’s already been here for 5 months ;)
Lauren says
If you guys are looking for some reader-insprired content (maybe while you are busy with a newborn) you should totally have an Ikea Hack Contest and have readers write guest posts. I did a hack on an Ikea serving tray this weekend (http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/06410406/) and thought how YHL friendly it was!
YoungHouseLove says
THAT’S SUCH A FUN IDEA! Love it, Lauren.
xo
s
Maureen says
I am sorry if you have already answered this, but at what age will you start the cloth diapers? Just wondering!
YoungHouseLove says
As soon as little-man is big enough for the one-size-fits-all ones he’ll be in them. With Clara it was around 2-3 months old, just because buying 12-18 newborn diapers felt like such a fleeting phase, and then she could use the same ones the rest of her baby-toddlerhood so they were such a great deal.
xo
s
kate says
I lurve this! What a great option. We went dresser with a changing pad on top like you guys did for Clara. But what a great option for those who don’t need additional drawers. And the wood accent makes Expedit look so fancy pants!
Evelina says
Question from someone who hasn’t had kids yet: do kids get changed on a diaper changing table/system until they are potty trained? Do they grow too big beforehand and need to be changed on the floor? Sorry if this is so obvious for moms haha!
YoungHouseLove says
It really depends on the family I think. For us, it was the changing pad until she was potty trained, but I know lots of people who use the floor or a bed when they get bigger.
xo
s
Amanda says
I absolutely love the update and I think this looks perfect in his room! I love how it’s all coming together so far!
Tara says
have you thought about using cloth wipes? thats what we do. I figure i’m already washing the diapers, might as well do the wipes too. We actually prefer the cloth wipes to the disposable ones. We keep them in a wipes warmer so they can stay wet.
YoungHouseLove says
We always meant to give them a try with Clara and just never made the switch. Thanks for the suggestion Tara!
xo
s
AnnieM says
I’m an RN who teaches Childbirth/Baby Care classes for our local hospital, and we discuss disposable vs cloth diapers all the time. I have some cute cloth diaper systems (AIO, pocket and prefolds/covers) that my daughter handed down to me to have them try out. My suggestion for cheaper, reusable wipes is to buy a few dozen cotton washcloths from Costco or Target to use as baby wipes. Washcloths typically come in packs of 6, 8 or 12 (they have really cute colors at Target) and are really cheap and SO easy to use. They wash up like a dream in the same wash as the diapers, and you never run out of wipes. I also recommend parents try to stay away from using the chemicals in commercial baby wipes too often as well. When I used cloth diapers, I just kept wet washcloths in a ziploc bag when I was out and about and put the dirty one right into the wet bag with the dirty cloth diaper. Reusing a pump coffee carafe (http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-PP1920M-Thermal-Beverage-Dispenser/dp/B00006WNRZ)filled with warm water on the changing table makes cleaning those cute little bottoms super easy :)
PS. I LOVE the Expedits when my kids were little. Super for storing toys, books, etc. Fabulous idea for a changing table!!
YoungHouseLove says
Love the tips guys! Thanks for sharing!
xo
s
Brittany M says
So brilliant! I never would have thought to wrap stained wood around it. The wood makes the expedit fit in the room very nicely.
I might steal the idea!
<3 Brittany
Jessica says
We have the same issue with stairs in the house and not wanting to trek up and down every diaper change, especially in the beginning. We bought the Ikea Raskog cart, and our pack and play is set up downstairs. The cart is awesome, takes up minimal space and holds diaper supplies, extra clothing, blankets. Nice to have everything on hand no matter what floor you are on.
BeeBelle says
It took us until baby #3 to realize we needed a SECOND changing table on the main level. A hack like the one you have in the nursery itself would work great! It’s so convenient and doesn’t have the ick factor of changing on the floor or the couch.
Beth @ Sawdust and Embryos says
We have stairs in our home too, and despite having a suuuuper cute DIYed changing table in the nursery upstairs, we put a simple ‘traditional-type’ changing table on the 1st floor… and were SOOOOOO glad we did. Especially with twins! Although… I probably would have lost my baby weight if I’d trekked up the stairs every half hour to change a diaper. :)
Amy says
Oh my gosh, I can’t believe how awesome that looks! I absolutely love it. It makes me want to run to ikea and get an expedit just so I can cover it with wood! I have nowhere to put it, but we only live 3 miles from ikea so it’s tempting! Great job!
Koliti says
I bet your beautiful wood-wrapped Expedit nicely balances the white crib and everything ties-in wondferfully with the stained wood. (Too bad it’s probably impossible to take a wide angle photo of the whole room.)
And I love how Barnacle is the “stunt double” for your son :) Barnacle-tested and J&S&C approved.
Looking forward to your mobile – love the branch idea.
Michelle @ Ten June says
Ummmm I freaking love it. Genius idea! I am so doing this down the road with an Expedit (or whatever the next version of the Expedit is) one day!
Mallory says
I totally agree! If I needed an Expedit, I would be doing this ASAP. It totally takes it from generic, blah, assemble-it-yourself to classic, almost MCM style keep it forever furniture!
Cindy says
While there is no need for a changing table in my home, I love how the wood wrap warms up the white storage unit and am now considering adding it to my white storage cubbies.
Ashley says
I love the new nursery, especially the green! And I can’t wait to see Sherry’s completed mobile. When my daughter was born, we just threw a changing pad on top of her dresser and changed her there every time. It worked nicely since we used one of the drawers for diapers/creams. We didn’t want to “soil” any furniture or carpet with just doing it anywhere. I am pregnant with our second now and will probably do the same thing this time around.
Lindsay says
Just wanted to say that people told us the same thing… that we would change our daughter’s diaper wherever was convenient. Turns out for us, the changing table is where is convenient. Even in our 2 story home, we always change her on the changing table for going on 17 months now. It’s just nice to keep the diapers and wipes in one spot, and it is easier to keep up with when they are running low to have them in one place.
Trista says
Wow. I couldn’t stop staring at the reveal picture. Fantastic job.
Danielle says
I really really like this – great idea! The room is coming together so nicely!
When changing our son we always threw a wipe over his boy parts until the diaper change was over – you won’t always have that tee pee cone thing with you so that’s a helpful way to prevent the pee from going everywhere – just have to be quick with the wipe b/c as soon as the diaper comes down it always seemed like that thing started spraying :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Danielle!
xo
s
Alicia C. says
haha. Danielle, I just commented about the same thing! Great minds think alike. :)
Melissa says
I was always surprised at the “you don’t need a changing table” advice because I also used mine nearly every.single.time my kids needed to be changed. Even after a c-section I had no issue going up the stairs 10 times a day to change my newborn. The Expedit looks really sharp.
jenw says
When he was still small enough to fit sideways in his crib we just lowered the side and changed him there. When he got too long to fit that way we used the twin bed in his room as the changing surface. And like you, in a small ranch house we always did the changing in his room.
Alicia C. says
That looks great! I really love the shiny white/rustic wood combo on both of their changing tables. We did the dresser thing similar to Clara’s. It has drawers and one cabinet so I have a small basket on top with prepped diapers and then I have a bigger basket in the one cabinet in the dresser for all the extra prefolds, liners, etc. As far as diaper bins/bags go, we have a wet bag for travel but we have the safety first pail w/o the deodorizing disk like this: http://www.toysrus.com/buy/diaper-pails-refills/safety-1st-easy-saver-diaper-pail-23019-2373657 we just put the dirties in there without a bag or anything. Since we wash diapers 2-3x/wk we dont seem to have an issue with smell. I just carry the pail into the laundry room, load them in and then either use the shower sprayer to rinse out the pail with a little dish soap or wipe it down with a clorox wipe. I found the wet bag needs two hands (one to unzip and one to hold) and that was hard to do with the baby and the dirty diaper. We are using a single row Expedit in his room for a window bench/toy storage (pinterest has tons of ideas). We got the pee pee tee pees too and they were more funny than useful. I got into the habit of just covering the business end with a cloth wipe as soon as I opened the diaper to prevent any spraying. He’s 13 months and I’ve only been peed on once. :) Good Luck!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Alicia!
xo
s
Lizzie T. says
“not that he’ll ever be unsupervised up there anyway”
Ha ha ha ha ha! You say that now… It is of course possible that your little boy will be very different from ours. But climbing is our guy’s very favorite thing in the world. I found him standing on the newel post at the bottom of the stairs only yesterday and just about had a heart attack, and he climbs the built-ins in the bedroom he shares with his twin sister on a regular basis.
He started this when he was around 18 months old, though, so you’ve got a while before you need to even think of worrying.
The Expedit looks super-fab!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh, that’s true. I’ve taken Clara’s childhood as an indicator of this little man’s ways, but I have no idea what we’re in for, do I?
xo
s
Sarah A says
This is a generalization, but it’s my experience (as the mother of a boy), that boys don’t get changed on the changing table after the first 8 months because they are so darn squirmy, whereas baby/toddler girls I have known are more patient with the “lying on my back with my legs in the air” part of diaper changing. It’s not that boys are more active, just more active in that position.
Also, you will discover how fast you can move the first time you hear a child say, “Mommy! I’m up high!”
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
Melissa@TheChicDream says
The room is looking great! We had a changing table for our first baby but rarely used it (except for bedtime and after his bath) because his room was upstairs. We moved into our new house when our second was six months old and didn’t even bother putting it in her room since her room is also upstairs. We just change her on the floor, couch, our bed… wherever.
Sina says
I love the idea of useing ikea things in non-traditional ways. I LOVE the progress you are making with the room! Any person (big or small) would be happy in that beautiful space!!!
I love those two Public Bike art pictures. I saw them a few years back when they were in Gap, and I didnt even think to ask for them- you guys are so smart. I have since tried EVERYTHING I can think of to get them back in my life- I emailed Public, Gap, and many more- they are gone for good I fear.
I am glad to see you are still using them. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, I wish they would make prints and sell them! I think they’d make a killing!
xo
s
Jessica says
First off, I am LOVING everything about his nursery! Especially this changing table. One thing I thought I’d “warn” you about: with no legs on the changing table, your feet have no where to go when changing diapers. It’s not a big deal at all, but it is a weird adjustment if you’re used to having a nice space under the dresser. Our changing table upstairs is very much like Clara’s, but our dresser downstairs has no legs and so we have to kind of “hover” over at a weird angle to change diapers. It is so insignificant when you think about it, but I found myself avoiding the downstairs dresser because it annoyed me. Haha. You guys will probably be okay with it though, because you’re awesome like that.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip Jessica!
xo
s
Susan says
I love it! I have a question, since ya’ll are DIY pros. I need to redo a dresser that has a cherry stain. It has makeup stains/buildup on top and needs a good cleaning before I do it. What would you recommend cleaning it with and is there any product I could use to just stain the parts that need it, instead of doing the entire dresser w/o it looking tacky? I really don’t want to have to sand all of it down. It’s a big dresser. Thanks!!!
YoungHouseLove says
There’s something called TSP that would be nice for that cleaning part, and a liquid deglosser couldn’t hurt either. I think you could try to touch up just the parts that need stain, but it might call for one final coat on the whole piece for a fully even result.
xo
s
Sally G. says
Such a smart solution! I wasn’t a fan of the plain Expedit on that particular wall (very monochromatic) but it’s amazing how much that wooden edging really makes it stand out.
I’m also a really big fan of the green theme in this room – it’s my favorite color, and I’m trying to work some emerald/Kelly green into our living room, but inspiration spaces are a bit thin on the ground compared to say, teal or grey. So thanks for testing color combos for me :-)
Tara says
I was told the same thing about having a changing table but use mine all the time, even in a two-story house. I joke that the key to losing baby weight is breast-feeding and putting your changing table upstairs! Also, boys will pee on you! And the wall, and the floor, and well, you will be amazed how far it can go!
I love watching this room evolve!
Barbara says
Sometimes I just slap my forehead when I read your posts. Never in a million years would I have thought to frame my Expedit. You two are worth the price of admission every. single. day!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so kind of you to say Barbara. Thanks so much.
-John
Elaine - visual meringue says
WOW! I LOVE this! I seriously think it’s one of my favourite things you guys have ever done – and I love pretty much everything you do so that’s saying a lot! The wood ‘outline’ is the perfect solution to making the piece unique, functional and to tying it in to the bike frames. AMAZING! Awesome job!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Elaine!
xo
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