Another "baby space" question for BTDT Moms and ladies ready to go

Bear with me...

I have a long dresser (about 70" long)-- which I am in the process of emptying out. It has six pretty big, deep drawers, then three smaller drawers (still deep) in the middle. We are not planning on using a closet for any baby clothes/storage-- since we need the closet too much for other stuff.

I also have a huge 5'x5' bookcase (w/ 16 separate sqaures), which I plan to get wicker baskets for all the squares for additional storage (acts as add'l drawers, etc.). We also have two sets of other shelves hanging in the room for decor items and additional storage.

So.... now that you know the contents of our second BR, my question is-- how many drawers of clothing will we really need to set aside for the baby? Taking into account all the other storage we have, and not using the closet.

Thanks!

Re: Another "baby space" question for BTDT Moms and ladies ready to go

Well I can tell you previously we really didnt use a closet in our old place for Noah.

We had 5 drawers of clothes and small vbaskets filled with things like socks...bibs...hats...etc.

It was a bit cramped.

Re: Another "baby space" question for BTDT Moms and ladies ready to go

Depends on how much clothes you have. I would say you could easily fill the draws and use the baskets for odds and ends like bibs, burp clothes, creams and lotions

Re: Another "baby space" question for BTDT Moms and ladies ready to go

I personally think it would be hard.

We have an armoire and a dresser. He then has a double closet.

In the armoire there are lots of "things" - photo albums, blankets, bins for books. The two bottom drawers hold clothes.

In his dresser - it has three drawers - filled with clothes (one for onesies, one for pjs, one for randoms that I can't hang up)

His closet has an organizer - the center is filled with about 10 bins. The bins consist of bibs, burp cloths, towels, hat, shoes, diapers, medicines and lotions.

He then has six racks of clothes - that are filled to the point where I can't squeeze another thing on there.

Hope that helps you somewhat!

ETA: I hang mostly everything. All of his nice outfits. His running pants, his polo shirts. Everything is hanging in the closet. I guess if I didn't have the closet as an option I would made do some other way and make it work!

Message edited 8/31/2008 8:59:35 PM.

Re: Another "baby space" question for BTDT Moms and ladies ready to go

I've hung all of DD's outfits (there is a pretty nice sized walk in closet in her room)...the long dresser, i've filled one draw with
*onesies
*socks/shoes/hats

another with pj's

another with bibs, burp clothes, recieving blankets

then two side drawers I have her sheets in one and towels and thicker blankets

the dresser is at capacity.

Re: Another "baby space" question for BTDT Moms and ladies ready to go

very small apartment dweller here...

I discovered very quickly that hanging up outfits is cute, but wastes a ton of space. even with double bars in a closet.

also, it's not necessary to store all of the clothes/pjs (size newborn to 12 months) simultaneously. you only need the ones that fit now, and then the sheets and bath supplies.

we have a crib with a bottom drawer and one 3 drawer dresser for Scone. the large crib drawer is for small toys and linens. the top 2 drawers of the dresser have the 0-3 mo clothes (very neatly organized, including hats, bibs, bathrobes and socks... even burp cloths). the bottom drawer has the stuff he doesn't fit into yet. (if there are lots and lots of large clothes, it's spacebag time!)

Since our baby isn't here yet, we most likely still need some stuff... but frankly, infant clothes are so small, it really doesn't take up much space. all of our high-end matching outfits I just folded up all the parts and put them each in an individual pile in the drawer.

Re: Another "baby space" question for BTDT Moms and ladies ready to go

DDhas a dresser with 2 small drawers and 2 large drawers. 1 small drawer is for bibs/hats/socks/etc and the other is diapers, grooming supplies, meds.
Most of her every day clothes are in the 2 large drawers including pjs. I hang all her dresses in the armoire and I put towels/burp clothes/wash cloths in one drawer of the armoire and blankets (lots of blankets) in the second drawer. In DD's closet I hang anything that is too long for the armoire or anything that she is not big enough to wear yet. So, most of DDs clothes fit in the dresser and it seems you have more dresser/basket storage than me. You should be good. As a PP said, you don't need to keep out everything at once since you will get such a range of sizes. I go through DDs clothes every so often and clear out what doesn't fit and then put in what is likely to start fitting soon.

Re: Another "baby space" question for BTDT Moms and ladies ready to go

with my DS we were in a small one bedroom apt...we had one large 4 drawer dresser for him...and his crib had a drawer for blankets and sheets...
we were able to make it work, back then...its been a problem though for a few years now, and he uses an entire closet, AND part of the 3rd bedroom...
so i had to get him a new dresser, with more space...

My furniture has 6 large drawers, and a closet filled with shelves and bars for hung clothing...
i also have an armoire that is plain solid wood, that if she needs it, i will be painting to match her furniture and putting wicker baskets in it...
i find that when things are cramped, it gets messy...
if you have a small space, id just suggest ALOT of organizers!!

Re: Another "baby space" question for BTDT Moms and ladies ready to go

Thanks to everyone for their responses.

It's not that the room is small-- it's 12 x 12... BUT, there is no need for any additional furniture, and using the closet for just baby stuff is not an option, with they way it's set up and what we have in there (DR table leafs, linens, etc.).

I am sure if I emptied everything out, it would be plenty of room-- but, we have a ton of stuff already in that room-- with nowhere else to put it. I don't want the rest of my apt to be cluttered.