I have finally finished the unthinkable. The idea of designing the perfect nursery for Baby Bean, sans the help of an interior designer, stressed me out for months. Living in a condo in tight quarters can sometimes pose as a serious design challenge. Although our digs is not as pinched as most Toronto condos, measuring around 1200 sqft, the third room we decided upon for the nursery is far from spacious. What was once a secondary gym housing a commercial size squat rack and all our workout equipment plus accessories, has now been miraculously transformed into what I would like to think is a calming, colour neutral space perfect for our little princess.

I may not have had the help of a pricey interior decorator but I did have one major trick up my sleeve that allowed me get this space finished in record time and for the most part without having to leave the house. MAJOR BONUS!  So here’s the deal, I have been an Aeroplan member for over 15 years. I had accumulated enough miles to give me top tier status for a couple years while working in my previous corporate job. Over the years, I have used my miles to travel to several Caribbean islands, Europe and across the entire United States. But, it wasn’t until now that I started fully utilizing all the benefits of being a member outside of just redeeming for flights. So you may be wondering how a loyalty program could have possibly played a key role in this nursery, so I will let you in on a little secret that turned out to be quite a big lifesaver this past month. The Aeroplan eStore is a magical online portal that connects you to over 120 flagship retailers. You can not only shop from the comfort of your own home but you’ll automatically earn an Aeroplan mile for every $1 spent on online purchases. And, if you pay with your Aeroplan credit card like we did, you can collect miles twice.

In my personal opinion, this is the best possible scenario for those who love shopping just as much as they love travel. There are tons of shopping options for just about any category – fashion, accessories, beauty, house & home, electronics, baby, books, entertainment, etc. Plus, with every purchase you get closer to your dream getaway. My plan is focused on earning miles while I shop for the nursery so I can fund our first family vacation, as I had missed the window of opportunity for a babymoon (ahem, which I am still chuffed about Réjean!). It’s super simple actually. Just choose a category, search for a retailer, enter your Aeroplan number and last name to start shopping and earning miles right away.

Regardless of the baby’s sex, I always knew that the room’s decor and most of the clothing would be in a gender-neutral colour. Grey is not only beautiful but it’s also a colour palette that can easily grow with Bean as she gets older, but please don’t ask me about all the stars. I have no clue where my obsession with stars came from to be honest.  I was not certain I wanted to create a gallery wall or drill shelves into the walls, so I decided to use wall decals  from Urban Walls to create a symmetrical focal wall. Grey stars are also trickled throughout the room in accents and make many cameo appearances in her wardrobe. Let’s just hope she ends up liking them as much as I do.

Bean’s first couple months of sleep will be in her BabyBjörn Cradle in our room

After the torturous task of choosing the perfect white paint, it was time to start sourcing the essentials for the room. I began my search through the Aeroplan eStore at some of my go-to Canadian retailers; Hudson’s Bay and Indigo. Knowing the dimensions of the room, I knew the amount of furniture would have be minimal so no rocking chair unfortunately for feeding time. Instead, I looked for pieces that were compact and could easily take Bean through her first few years of life.

I love baby furniture that doesn’t look like baby furniture, if you know what I mean. I found this classic South Shore Cuddly Change Table with Removable Changing Station via the Aeroplan eStore at Hudson’s Bay and thought it would be the perfect small space hack. We could easily have the change station left on top like you see above but due to the fact we have limited shelf space and no room for a side table, I opted to put the removable change table and pad within the wall to wall, built-in closet Réjean built. This allowed me to display a few trinkets on top of the dresser, alongside her growing French & English book collection with adorable LED letter bookends and crib side Skip Hop Owl that acts as both a nightlight that projects stars on the ceiling and sound machine. My favourite part about the sophisticated and minimal design of this dresser means it will be around for years to come. I also searched high and low for the perfect convertible crib that would not overwhelm the room but also could eventually transform from toddler bed to single bed as she gets older. With hardwood and marble flooring throughout our home, I felt the urge to warm up the space with an area rug. Also, great to protect her delicate knees when she starts crawling. The rug I found online is plush under the feet and is also completely washable – which is perfect because with a little one and a dog running around, stains are pretty much inevitable.

Photos by Elaine Fancy @e_fancy

Besides the mandatory plush toys, endless amounts of cozy blankets/swaddles from my fave Aden & Anaïs and extra storage to accommodate millions of Huggies Little Snugglers and Natural Care Wipes; I also made Dyson’s Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier and our diaper genie “Nursery Necessities”. Living in a condo means the air can get quite dry and with friends and family expected to be visiting non-stop, this humidifier monitors the room’s humidity, temperature and kills 99.9% of bacteria. As for the diaper genie, it really doesn’t need much of an explanation, does it? Ain’t nobody got time for a nursery that smells of soiled nappies.

Here’s 7 Tips for Designing the Perfect Nursery in a Small Space

1. Go Neutral. By choosing a neutral colour palette, you immediately make the nursery look more open and airy. I found that the white walls, that have a slight grey undertone, reflects light and miraculously makes the space look larger.
2. Maximize Storage. Fit more storage options into the nursery by utilizing the space wisely. Picking furniture that has additional drawers to store essentials.
3. Essential Zones. When planning the room layout, think about essential zones – diapering, sleeping and playing. The key to designing a nursery in a small space is to focus on a need based space plan first and then pull together the remaining details.
4. Double Duty. Invest in furniture that is multi-functional. The additional bench on one side of the wall closet works well as a folding station for clothes or a diaper change station while the change table quickly becomes a chic dresser when the detachable change station is removed.
5. Accent Walls. This is both fool proof and brilliant. Accent walls draw eyes to the back of the space adding a bit of drama to a small room.
6. Avoid Bulky Furniture. Scaled down furniture is always best. Choosing smaller pieces with sleek lines will always make a room look larger.
7. Use Rugs. Try using a pattern rug in a light or bright colour to anchor the nursery and introduce some personality into the space.

Just like life, this nursery is a work in progress still and I suspect after lé bebe arrives we will add a few things here and there but what I have accomplished so far could not have been possible without the help of Aeroplan and their amazing eStore. Not yet an Aeroplan member, head to www.Aeroplan.com to register now and start earning miles today! Stay tuned for a live IG stories room tour and shop Baby Bean’s nursery items below:

SHOP OUR FAVOURITE NURSERY ITEMS

*This post has been sponsored by Aeroplan, however all views and opinions are my own!