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:
qs777 says
Love the Ikea hack! Love the wood with white thing lately.
Also, I had to laugh at the “tiny tent” thing. We always just used a diaper or wipe for coverage. I never had a problem, but my husband did just a couple of times when he forgot. I always thought that was hilarious since he should know; having the same equipment and everything. ;)
YoungHouseLove says
So funny!
xo
s
Deena says
Add me to the expedit changing table club. We had one for our daughter (who is 3 months younger than Clara) and LOVED it. I’m 6’1″ and my hubby is 6’3″ and an unaltered expedit was a great height for us. It now stands vertically (and wall anchored of course!) as her book & toy shelf. Enjoy!
YoungHouseLove says
NO WAY! It’s amazing that you tall glasses of water used the unaltered Expedit without any issue! And I love that you still use it for books/toys.
xo
s
Rebecca says
How timely! We just finished converting the Expedit into a changing table for our son! We pretty much copied this idea:
http://thenestinggame.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Expedit-Reference.jpg
(using boy colors instead of girl colors). We just added the capita legs, four drawers and two doors. It’s a great height and we can’t wait to use it for our baby boy!
YoungHouseLove says
Really cute idea! Love that!
xo
s
Katie V. says
I love the wood contrast – so clever! I’m sure someone else already mentioned this, but the first thing I thought of when I saw the prints hanging there is the Barnacle is going to pee on them! Oh the joys of boys!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, John even called that out in the post. Should be interesting!
xo
s
Michelle says
We religiously used the changing table but in a 2 story house, it got old going upstairs all the time, so we bought another changing pad and set it up on the dryer on the main level (in the laundry/mudroom). We loved having it there and could keep diapering supplies in the cabinet above. Then, we moved our laundry upstairs and missed it, so a small Malm dresser has a home in the (now exclusively) mudroom and it makes a great changing table with supplies in the top drawer and hats, mittens, gloves, tote bags, etc in the lower drawers.
christine says
We have the same onesie that Barnacle is wearing for our daughter. My hubby is a big bike guy – he bikes to work almost 20 miles at least once a week and did it more before our daughter was born. We actually have at least 4 or 5 bike related clothing items for her. love it!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so sweet!
xo
s
Cori says
This project is awesome, you guys are so creative. I don’t think I ever would have thought of wrapping the shelf in wood, but it looks so great!
I live in a two-story house, and I ALWAYS change my daughter on her changing table, which is upstairs in her room. Maybe if I used disposable diapers I’d change her wherever, but since I have to rinse the cloth diapers in the upstairs bathroom anyway, I always just change her up there. I don’t find it to be an inconvenience at all. I already go up and down those stairs a zillion times a day, so what’s a couple more to change a diaper?
YoungHouseLove says
That totally makes sense!
xo
s
Becca says
I have meant to comment for a while bc we have almost the same due date! And it’s coming up fast! Yay! I love your expedit hack!!! We have a couple of these and I am always looking for a way to change it up a bit. Really love the caster idea and might try to incorporate that into our playroom when we move one to re-purpose.
Also, we refinished my husband’s old dresser (using one of your painting tutorials… thanks) and made it the changing table. It’s super small though. Only holds the changing pad and wipes. All supplies go in the top 2 drawers. We live in a 2 story and have found it much easier to just go upstairs and change him. Could be bc we cloth diaper and that’s where the dirty diaper bag is, but also bc I did have a small stash downstairs at the beginning and just thought it was a hassle to keep refilling it. Ha! And we don’t have a pack n play for the same reason some people don’t want changing tables… less extra baby fluff!
Our babies will be about 17 months apart and sharing a room. Luckily all the diapering stuff still fits in those top 2 drawers.
And since I saw other comments I thought I would say, yes, you will get peed on. And it will probably be in the middle of the night with the lights off while you bend down to get something off the floor and wonder what the warm shower is all about… but it will be funny and a good story. We never really bothered covering him with anything bc it just doesn’t happen that much. Standing in a warm bath though, is a whole other story!
Best of luck for the rest of your pregnancy and delivery!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Becca! And congrats on your little one on the way. Love that we’re due at the same time.
xo
s
Frances says
Looks great! I love the expedit units… We have one in our nursery. And I use our changing table religiously too even though it’s upstairs. A little workout for me doesn’t hurt. I did keep diapers downstairs for the first few weeks but after that it’s all upstairs!
Sarah says
Pee pee tee pees. They are the best!
Used them and they worked with both boys.
Somehow though, they seem to outgrow the go whenever factor, and they just know to hold it through a change.
Love love the changing table. Great hack.
Kirsten says
I love this! The wood outside of the white looks great and matches the bike prints perfectly.
I totally agree about not having a “real” changing table. We used a long dresser as our daughter’s changing table and it’s worked out perfectly. Oh and it’s on the 2nd floor of our house and 95% of her diapers at home get changed there.
I know a few others have suggested it… but have you considered paiting the built-ins white? The white would look so crisp and beautiful with the crib and the changing table. Just a thought!
YoungHouseLove says
I think since the crib is white, we like that the built-ins on either side of it aren’t also white (might be a lot of white along that one wall).
xo
s
Becki @ The Uncommon Common Law says
OMG LOVING the wood around the Expedit! The room is looking great! :)
Elizabeth G. says
Adding contrasting wood was a great idea! I have also purchased whitewood for various applications; however, I always seem to have trouble with warped pieces. The panels you pieced together look flush – along the top and between the boards. Do you have any tips for achieving that end?
YoungHouseLove says
When we buy them we’re sticklers. Like we lay them all on the floor and just look at them. Anything that bows or bends gets put back. It really only takes a few minutes and saves you lots of grief later!
xo
s
Elizabeth G. says
Thanks so much! I will definitely spend more time on the selection process!
Evangelia says
So i’m looking at this post and i’m still confused on how you attached the three boards together. Is it just wood glue? where the pieces come together, it looks really seamless. So you use the Krig to drill the holes and then you use really long screws to get them together? I read your other post and just want some clarification. Also, in your table post, you stained each piece first then put them together, and in this post you put them together first then stained. Which method would you recommend? thanks for your feedback.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, the kreg jig makes those pocket holes that you see, and kreg also sells special screws that you drive through those holes that go into the piece of wood next to it and things are secured that way. As for the difference in staining, this time we wanted less of a each-plank-is-diverse look (for the console we wanted some boards to be darker than others, so we used two different types of stains). This time, instead of having to stain each plank and then assemble things we just went for staining each panel the same tone after they were put together for a more uniform look.
xo
s
Whitney says
We decided that we didn’t want to have a traditional “changing table” you know the kind that are basically a mat and shelves and labeled “changing table” because we knew diapers wouldn’t last forever. So we went the same route- re-did a dresser and put a changing mat on it. SO when people say you don’t need a changing table I always thought they meant a traditional one, not something that has another purpose. With that said, baby’s room is on the 2nd floor, ours is on the first so we basically change her on the bed on her changing pad and have diapers and stuff on a tray on our dresser. Wish we had a 2nd floor master :(
Courtney says
Call me a broken record: We use the Expedit as a changing table – works great! It’s in a room that is shared by our 2.5-year-old daughter and 14-month old son. Those big squares are so flexible, so it’s easy to switch up as the little one grows!
Also, it’s a little lower than the traditional changing table (a hand-me-down) that we have in our newborn’s room, so lifting the kids up to it as they get bigger is easier, too!
YoungHouseLove says
Love to hear that! I was thinking as this guy gets bigger it might be nice not to have to hoist him up like we would have if we kept those casters on ;)
xo
s
Avone says
Three things:
1. I almost had a heart attack about the Expedit being discontinued. Don’t scare me like that.
2. I’ve had three kids and never owned or used a changing table. We’ve always stored diaper supplies in a basket in living room built ins. So I’m totally that person who would tell you that you don’t need one. But whatever works for each individual, of course!
3.I LOVE how this wood-wrapped Expedit turned out. Good thinking, guys.
Lauren C says
We live in a two story house and still used the changing table almost exclusively. I assumed that it’s partly due to the cloth diapers and not wanting wet bags full of dirty diapers in too many places in the house. Plus the diaper sprayer is upstairs and the laundry. It seems like good exercise to force myself to use the stairs throughout the day.
Carla says
Brilliant. It looks just awesome. Everything about that entire wall looks great. This is the kind of DIY project that keeps me coming back to your website.
One question, though. Is the Expedite made from solid wood? I thought it was particle board or MDF. You didn’t have any problems putting nails in it?
YoungHouseLove says
It most definitely isn’t solid wood (we wish) but since it’s so thick, and we were driving them in super fast (with a nail gun) there wasn’t any splitting or issues with things crumbling or holding (adding the wood glue component hopefully strengthened things too).
xo
s
Rachel W says
I love this!! Great use of the expedit!
And just a thought….as a fellow cloth diapering mama, I think that cloth diapering may be one big reason we ALWAYS change our little one in her room. With a disposable, you can toss it in the kitchen trash if you change her at a changing station in the living room, but when you’re CDing, you still have to go up the steps to put the used diaper in the bin or rinse it. just a thought :)
YoungHouseLove says
I think you’re onto something Rachel!
xo
s
stephanie says
Genius, genius, genius! I was thinking “casters” which is my answer to a lot of questions and then you go and wrap it in wood. . what a wonderful idea for any room in the house! I love non task-specific changing tables and we have a dresser each for our kids. I loved putting a neutral cover on my change pad and then topping it with a faux furry zebra rug for my boy. Looks like lower-case p is coming home to quite the spread. : )
Kristin says
I’m 100% on the side of a dedicated changing space. It always grossed me out when others would just change their kid anywhere – like on my couch or rug.
Plus, I really think it helps down the road with potty training. When you have to go to the bathroom, you stop what you do to go. Leaving your toys and the room to get a diaper changed models that later behavior for toilet training. If you change a kid while they are still playing, then I think it’s harder to convince them to stop playing later and use the toilet.
I like the look of the shelves with the artwork, and the scale of everything on that wall.
Megan says
Funny on this timing. I am updating our Lack bookshelf in our basement to look exactly like this (I am debating even putting this wood on the inside of the shelves). I also bought mid century little legs to add some height. After seeing this I want to start mine right now!
YoungHouseLove says
Would love to see pics Megan! Sounds awesome!
xo
s
Marie says
Great work!
But isn’t it a bit shortsighted to leave out that middle piece at the bottom? After all, Expedit can so easily be turned the other way and work as a book case but if you want to do that you will have to redo the whole thing.
Btw, the new Expedit (don’t rember the name) will be thinner, which will mean less material and a benefit for the environment (and more profit for IKEA, I guess. ;) )
YoungHouseLove says
Someone else said that, and it’s a great point! If we ever want to stand it up we’ll have to add a piece of wood down the center. Luckily it’s a standard board size and a standard stain color, so it shouldn’t be too hard.
xo
s
Kristi says
Beautiful hack! Love the way it turned out. This makes me super bummed about Expedit’s demise. I much prefer the thicker sides on the original version.
We just had baby #3 and I gave the changing pad to my sister who is going to start trying to get pregnant soon. Our changing table (dresser with a changing pad) was upstairs for baby #1 and sometimes used, reestablished but never used for baby #2, and now totally abandoned for baby #3. We just have a little pile of diapers and wipes in the family room on our main level and change her on a pad there. Although maybe the baby weight would come off faster if I brought her upstairs for every diaper change…:)
Sabrina says
I love this hack!
I live in a colonial, as well. We used the changing table in my son’s room upstairs primarily, but also kept a few diapers, wipes and a blanket to lay on the floor in a storage ottoman on the main floor. That was pretty helpful to us.
Leila says
Looking so good! Your little gentleman is going to love that room.
I love Ikea hacks or pairings with the juxtaposition of their sleek white surfaces with rustic, warms woods — your Expedit looks great and so, sooo functional!
Also, I can’t sing enough praises of wood conditioner! On my second furniture-refinishing project I got lazy and stained without conditioning first, and I’m glaring at the orange-y spots on my coffee table as I type this…
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man! We were definitely impressed by the difference it made!
xo
s
Kismet says
I would be stubbing my toes on that. It looks…..incomplete? What about low bun feet?
YoungHouseLove says
That could be fun too! Thankfully we’ve heard from about 30 folks right in these comments who’ve used the same Expedit as a changing table without altering it, so we hope it works out well for us too! Will keep you posted :)
xo
s
Cara says
I think it’s cloth diapers that makes one changing table ore appealing. We lived in a two story house when our daughter was born, and I did use a changing pad on the couch downstairs and the table upstairs for the first month or so. (And I kept a wet bag downstairs.). But, after that first flurry of constant diaper changing, I changed her exclusively at the table. It was just easier to have one spot where all the dirty diapers were gathered and where I could tell at a glance if it was time to wash.
Bethany says
We used the Expedit as a changing table in our son’s nursery and it worked out great! I’m 5’4″ and my husband is 6’1″ and the height worked well for both of us without adding anything fancy like wheels or an extra layer of wood around it. We liked that it is a piece of furniture that could grow with him and not just be “baby” furniture that we’d eventually have to get rid of. We are now expecting another boy and are going to use the same system for him since it worked so well the first time around.
YoungHouseLove says
So glad to hear that Bethany!
xo
s
Marianne says
Love the idea for the expedit! Thanks, now I have a plan to update the dark wood expedit I found on craigslist and make it white. So I guess it will have the reverse look of yours.
YoungHouseLove says
Someone else said they did that and it sounded really cool! Good luck!
xo
s
Shellie says
I havent read the blog in a while. You’re naming your son Barnacle?
YoungHouseLove says
It’s just a nickname Clara gave him, so it’s not going to be his name when he’s here, but it’s a pet name that we call him now, sort of like how Clara was “the bean” before she was born. More on that story here: https://www.younghouselove.com/2013/12/baby-p-is-a/
xo
s
Krystal says
We are in a 2 story house and I was sure that I’d rarely make the trek upstairs to change our first but I found with cloth diapers especially it’s too much to have them scattered throughout the house. (Who wants more than one bag of diapers to waiting for the wash?) We are lucky enough to have a huge upstairs bathroom as the “kids” washroom where we have our change table, cloth diaper necessities and it’s so much easier to have the sink and bath nearby. Lbs the nursery btw so fun to see it shaping up
Christy Niebaum says
Love the Expedit solution! I finished my first staining project a few weeks ago (butcher block counter top for my daughter’s play kitchen) and also thought the Minwax pre-conditioner made a huge difference (tested on unconditioned scrap wood to compare like you did). I had a hard time deciding between espresso satin and dark walnut, though! Ended up with espresso satin, but loved both.
We use an antique dresser (with beautiful dove tail drawers) for our changing table and it’s worked out great. We keep a few diapers and a pack of wipes in the basement just in case, but mostly just use the changing table in her nursery for diaper changes.
Stacy W says
You guys…wood-wrapped Expedit?? Genius. It elevates the piece so much. I love how the stained wood on the Expedit ties in perfectly with the wood tops on the built ins.
Well done (as always)!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Stacy!
-John
Sarah Reason says
When we were picking out my daughters bedroom suit one of my requirements was a changing table. My hubby & inlaws thought I was insane, that it was a waste of money and Id never use it. Well, mommy wins, cuz I use it all the time!! Its much easier to have all of our diaper stuff in 1 spot instead of trying to remember where I left it after I changed her on the floor.
On another note, I just read the article you linked to about the wet bags. And I have to say, Im suprised you use disposable wipes. When we first started using cloth dipes we used disposable wipes but after a few months we figured we are already rinsing and washing diapers, might as well get reusable wipes too. And I have to say, I love em. We use disposable wipes for errands sometimes, but otherwise use some homemade cloth wipes. Is there a reason you havent decided to do cloth wipes?
YoungHouseLove says
We always meant to make the switch with Clara but just never did – we’d love to try them this time though!
xo
s
Cate says
So I am hoping they still have an expedit when I go to Ikea in 2 weeks!! I need one for my 4 year olds room.
Ps – love what you did with yours for baby boy’s room!
Georganne says
My son’s bedroom is on the second floor and ours is on the first. When he was a newborn, we had some diapers, wipes and a fold-out changing pad on the first floor for diaper changes. Once he moved to his own room, we used his changing pad and dresser all the time! He’s 14 months now and I still prefer it to the floor. Every day I quietly size him up and hope that he doesn’t grow over the pad any time soon! I love the bookcase idea!
Meg says
Just love what you are doing with the room and happy to hear that you will CD again.
We cloth diapered both of our kids and I would like to offer a suggestion (sorry if it has been offered already). We store our dirty diapers in a Simple Human trash can with a planet wise diaper pail liner. There is NO smell, super sturdy and they don’t look half bad. The liner stays nice and sung in the can.
I love that it is a hands free option when changing. We toss the wipes and flush-able diaper liners in all together and my husband separates when he washes.
Good luck!
Meg says
Oh I forgot to say that we almost never change diapers anywhere but at the changing station. It just never made sense to me to not walk upstairs. I sort of feel that you never know what you are going to get into when you open the diaper, you might need to change just the diaper or you might need a whole bath so why not stay in one place.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip Meg!
xo
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Irene says
We also used our changing table religiously, and I think it’s a cloth diaper thing. You don’t have an infinite number of diapers to spread out, so it’s easier to keep them a all in the same place. Also, who wants to collect diaper laundry from all over the house? We use cloth wipes, too, with a spray bottle, so it was just easier to always go to her changing table. Curious about how having two changing stations will work out!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, others have mentioned that they tried two stations with cloth but ended up favoring the bedroom one and just using that every time so it was all in one place. We definitely could see that happening!
xo
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bekah says
The expedit on its own was totally underwhelming for me, but you guys really made it look great!
We were total ‘stop, drop, and diaper’ people. We used the changing pad a lot when our boys were newborns, but once they got bigger we changed them wherever we were.
Angela H. says
We have a 2 story house, but since our master bedroom is downstairs, the changing table is in our room. And it gets used regularly (as opposed to the floor).
I discovered little baby wash cloths are great for keeping pee from spraying everywhere; I always had one on hand at diaper changes with my little boy. I preferred the wash cloth to the tent thingy.
As a side note, I’m expecting our 3rd child and I’m considering cloth diapers because of y’all’s post. Thanks for sharing everything! Love what y’all do!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Angela! And good luck with everything!
xo
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Monica says
This weekend I repainted a dresser we bought on craigslist. We put a weathered box on top with Jackson’s diapers and wipes, and a vintage oil can to hold his lotion and powder. Now we just need to get his artwork hung up above it. http://www.smalltownmojo.co/project-nursery-ive-got-the-dresser-blues/
YoungHouseLove says
SUCH an awesome makeover! Love it!!
xo
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em says
I always thought the “changing tables are a waste of money” thing referred to actual changing tables- furniture who’s only function is a changing table. A dresser with a pad on top will function as a dresser for years after the baby is past changing. I just put a pad on top of my kids’ dressers- I did not even secure the pad since I would always be standing right next to the kid when changing him or her. We had 2, then 3 floors with our kids, but the kids were almost always changed in their rooms on the changing table. The Expedit is a great idea for Barnacle’s room, since you already have tons of drawer space. And the wood frame looks great.
Sheila says
LOVE this solution. We plunked our change pad on top of an Ikea Hemnes dresser, which I love the look of, but was a tad too high (but we made it work).
Re: 1 vs 2 changing areas… We too were told by countless people that they had one per level (we’re in a 2 storey), but I found because we had cloth diapers I preferred 1 location (1 set of pails to collect the dipes/wipes) plus the nursery was next to the washroom (a bonus when we started solids). To each their own!
YoungHouseLove says
I completely can see us being that way too! Having diaper storage/wetbags in two locations might be annoying with cloth!
xo
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Taffee says
Our daughter and her husband have twins with a two story home. They decided they needed a changing station on each level. One is in their nursery upstairs, on a dresser with a changing pad and all the supplies needed in cute totes.
They also put up a nice wooden changing table with a drawer and a lower shelf in a room off of the family room on the main level. They use the drawer for diapers and ointment, and the shelf below for additional onesies, pajamas, and receiving blankets. While recovering from a C section, this was an ideal set-up. They also kept a pack and play set up in the family room for the two little peanuts to sleep during the day!
Amie says
I used an Expidit as a changing pad too! It was perfect and was fun to use in the playroom when we were done needing a changing pad.
YoungHouseLove says
Love to hear that, Amie!
xo
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Meagan says
We have a 2 storey house with the bedrooms upstairs and I thought when we were prepping for our daughter that I too would want supplies on the main floor, but we never changed her anywhere else but her room upstairs. It’s nice to get a bit of “exercise”. Also we’ve never had issues with a squirmy toddler while changing her. I don’t know if it’s because she has a designated changing space so she knows it’s time to lay back and just let it happen. But I’ve had to change her on the floor while visiting friends and she was a lot harder to control.
Suzy B says
Love this Hack! I have pinned several ideas like this but John made it look fairly easy….thanks for the step by step.
Such a creative idea for a changing table…way out of that phase, but so excited for your little guy to arrive. Would probably add the casters but ORB those babies! Love you guys and keep up all the great ideas!
Vicky McPhail says
Love it, it looks awesome, way to go guys! So excited and thrilled for you 3 (well 4 with Burger)- we have a girl around Clara’s age and a new little brother – it has been so much fun!
YoungHouseLove says
Congrats! Enjoy this sweet time Vicky!
xo
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