Nursery furniture can get really pricey, especially when you are on a limited budget. I was able to furnish my son’s room thanks to gifts, Craig’s List, and hand-me-down pieces that I revived with a little paint. The end result was a room that was both functional and cute.
Before you start your search, measure the room and figure out exactly what you have room for. Next, make a list of the pieces you think you’d want and determine which of those will fit in your room. Consider the placement of windows and electrical sockets, since these things might limit the way you can use your space. If you are a visual person, draw the room on a sheet of graph paper. You can then draw potential pieces of furniture on another sheet of graph paper, cut them out, and play with different layouts by placing the cutouts in your virtual room.
Shop for furniture at the store where you are creating your registry. If you like something, go ahead and register for it. You will probably not get everything, but you never know what you will get. Family and friends might want to go in on a gift together. We were fortunate enough to receive our crib as a gift.
After your baby shower, determine which pieces of your furniture you still need and begin asking around if anyone has old pieces that you could restore. I was able to get a few very old dressers this way. One dresser, which was originally pink, covered in crayon, and missing hardware, is virtually unrecognizable now. I sanded it, painted it with glossy white cabinet paint, hand-painted the drawers to match my nursery theme, and covered the whole thing in a glossy varnish. I then bought brand new hardware to complete the look. It looks so cute, it is now my favorite piece of furniture in the whole room.
As a last resort, turn to sites like Ebay or Craig’s List to purchase gently used furniture. Don’t worry about color, since you can always refinish it with stain or paint. Ask to see furniture in person before you buy it so you can make sure it is sturdy. We found a quality changing table for just $30 on Craig’s List. We recently sold it for the same amount. You can’t beat that…