Ideas For Church Nursery Mini-MakeOver

Our church has two lovely rooms being used as nurseries - one is for the toddlers to play in and one is for the nursing moms and sleeping babies.  Both received a new paint job a few years back (the reason I am not painting now) and the nursing room received a few new rockers and cribs as well.  However, the layout of the nursing room leaves a bit to be desired, as does the decor.  I have decided to do a few things to *hopefully* add a bit of functionality and style to the room.  Here is what I have planned:

This wall has a large unnecessary shelf on it.  Really, it is just taking up space. It doesn't contribute much of anything.  I will take this shelf down and, instead, put the new change table I made on this wall.

Above the change table, I will put a large silver-framed mirror.  I don't know about you but when I am nursing a baby, it is bound to spit on me, my breasts are bound to leak and my breast pad is bound to be askew.  I would like the opportunity to look in a mirror before entering the general public to make sure I am presentable.  A mirror in the room affords that opportunity.  Plus, it will look much nicer than the random baby decorations you see around the room!  Beside this change table, tucked between it and the wall, will be the "diaper genie".  Right now it is in the center of the room and really doesn't need to be seen!  The doors and drawers on the change table can hold the diapers and wipes plus all those other things sitting on that shelf.

This is the current change table set-up.  Notice there is no space on the change table to put your wipes, diaper creme, baby powder, etc?  Not very helpful.  Those boxes under the change table hold diapers in various sizes and extra wipes and will get moved to the new change table and hidden in the doors/drawers.  The white change pad will go on the new change table and this old table will get moved out.  I anticipate using it as a shelf in the young kids Sunday School class.  See the"diaper genie" out there for all to see?  Yeah, it will get moved and be much less conspicuous.  Notice also how the two rockers don't match.  On the other side of the room, there is another blue rocker.  I will bring both blue rockers to this side and put a side table between them.  On the table will be a table lamp and maybe some b&w photos of babies.  We will see how big the table is since I have to find one yet.  I notice that when bottle-feeding a baby, there is no place to put the bottle except on the floor or on the "diaper genie".  A side table will take care of that.  Oh, and see that giraffe wall-hanging in the corner?  It is covering up a large panel box.  Right below it on the ground is a large painted canvas.  It is the right size to fit over the panel box.  Maybe I can repaint the canvas and put some sort of saying or verse or something there?  I am not sure.

This side of the room has too many pieces of furniture!  Hopefully I can eliminate some but we will see what happens.  Above each of the cribs I will place 4-16"X20" fabric-covered canvases covered with this fabric:

I am thinking the brown and blue in the fabric will go well with the brown and blue rocking chairs.  It will also work well with the wall color, I believe.  I am not sure how it will work with the striped curtains but they are not on the same wall so we will have to see once it is all done.  I will be taking down that shelf and picture and contemplating options for that corner.  I will also move the two matching cribs to the same wall and bring the odd crib to this wall.  The window also needs a treatment to go over top of this one.  See, with sleeping babies, you want the room dark.  This curtain has the ability to do just that but it certainly looks - well, it doesn't look that pretty.  If I can get a nice thick double-rod, I would hang this curtain behind a nicer looking decorative one.  We will see what happens.

Finally, we have this wall with two cribs.  Like I said, the two matching cribs will go on this wall and the odd crib on the other wall.  I want to see what they will look like without being square up against the wall.  Maybe that will eliminate the boxy feeling of the room.  The brown rocker will come between these two cribs.  The fabric canvases will go above these two cribs as well.  Above the rocker I will hang a tall narrow shadow box that I have made.  In it will sit a vase and in the vase will go various different decorating pieces, depending on the season.  I wanted something to go a bit more vertical in this spot.  I will also remove the halogen lamp.

I also have these really beautiful rose hooks that match the red color in the fabric.  I just have to figure out where they might fit.  They would be a great place to hang diaper bags or purses.

Ideally, if I had tonnes of money (since I am doing this all out-of-my-pocket), would make matching sheets and blankets and dust ruffles for the cribs.  But, this will have to do for now.  I hope to implement these changes this week and show you the difference next week.

If you have any ideas or suggestions for me, I am all ears.  Remember, this is not in my home and I need really economical solutions!