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Smaller Cooler 2009: Lyla Mae's Custom Mini Nursery

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Name/Age: Lyla Mae, 3 weeks
Location: San Francisco, California
Family: Lyla Mae, Mom Leah and Dad Jared
Room Size: 20 square feet
Division: Baby

Tip for Living Small with Kids: Don't buy every baby item that is recommended by big stores and manufacturers! Keep it simple and keep it organized.

Give Lyla Mae and her parents a THUMBS UP if you think this room belongs in the finals!
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What was one of the biggest challenges you faced in putting together this room? The biggest challenge was actually building the room within our one bedroom condo. We had a wide hallway that was previously our office. We decided to divide the space and enclose half of it for our baby's "room." My husband framed in two walls along with many shelves and storage nooks, using the crib mattress size and location as a starting point.

Our most helpful resources were creativity, trial and error, and not being afraid to run a Skilsaw in the living room. :)

Some of my favorite features of the room are the sliding crib rail with lots of storage underneath the mattress, the fold down changing table that can be closed when we don't need it, and all the shelves where I can mix and match storage bins, supplies, books, and clothes.


Give Lyla Mae and her parents a THUMBS UP if you think this room belongs in the finals!
Thumbs Up Voting is only activated for 48 Hours — so don't delay!

Do you want more Smaller Cooler? Check out all the entries here.

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Comments (51)

This is a great use of space! Just curious what you do for air flow, since the walls go all the way up to the ceiling? I think the only thing I would have done differently would be to only bring it up as high as the soffit vs. wrapping it up around the crown moulding. Any maybe gone a little more traditional finish to make it look more like a built-in (again, because of the traditional crown moulding).

Love the fold out changing table and decals though.

posted by asinner on May 20th 2009 at 9:36am
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Incredible. So smart and innovative. Beautiful!

posted by design.is.good on May 20th 2009 at 9:49am
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Wow. That is so cool!

posted by pyjammy on May 20th 2009 at 9:59am
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Wow! It's beautiful! What a lucky baby!

posted by KatieD on May 20th 2009 at 10:12am
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Wow! That is a genius use of space. It works, it looks great and there is the ability it looks like to extend that mattress of the bed by at least a few inches so this could work well to the age of two. What a cool little room!

posted by angelalds on May 20th 2009 at 10:34am
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Truly a wonderful use of space. Serene, lovely, functional and a jewel box of organization. Congratulations on your new one!

posted by AmeliaJ on May 20th 2009 at 1:25pm
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There aren't enough thumbs up in the world to give to this project. I love the fold out changing table. So smart.

posted by Tricky on May 20th 2009 at 3:21pm
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I love it. Very creative.

posted by leadingedge on May 20th 2009 at 4:42pm
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Awesome! Great creativity. You must go to a good church. ;)

posted by revphred on May 20th 2009 at 4:53pm
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Holy moly! If I could fit in a crib, I would be moving in to your hallway... That is great! I love all the bins and shelves and such.

posted by lemonadefish on May 20th 2009 at 4:56pm
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Lyla Mae is one fortunate chicky with very creative parents. Beautiful.

posted by FBNelson on May 20th 2009 at 5:01pm
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Love the name! Love the creative use of space.

posted by crdesign on May 20th 2009 at 5:17pm
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love the painted on floral design!

posted by christinetarn on May 20th 2009 at 6:33pm
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Who comes up with stuff like this? Very cool space...very cool home...very cool family!

posted by rpelander on May 20th 2009 at 6:40pm
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wow what GENIUSES! no, seriously, it's amazing. i love the comment by revphred by the way. haha.

posted by mrsanaluna on May 20th 2009 at 7:17pm
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That design deserves to be in a magazine. Innovative and beautiful.

posted by baileyb on May 20th 2009 at 8:17pm
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it rocks. nice work.

posted by kssnavely on May 20th 2009 at 8:20pm
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So creative! You are space-geniuses - how did you even dream that up? Kudos to you for following through on a great vision.

posted by bedelia13 on May 20th 2009 at 8:55pm
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Brilliant!! And what lovely flowers ;)

posted by shughes on May 20th 2009 at 8:56pm
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You are so creative and have such good ideas! This is beautiful!

posted by jessdavison on May 20th 2009 at 9:24pm
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This may be the most functional and creative use of small space - for small people! - I've seen. It's proof that you don't have to give up your city pad or your style once you have a baby. Good job!

posted by khatcher on May 20th 2009 at 10:03pm
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Creativity per sq feet is off the charts. They should divide votes by total square footage.

posted by owentran on May 20th 2009 at 11:42pm
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Nice work!

posted by sstarfas on May 21st 2009 at 12:19am
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Brilliant design! Lucky little Lyla Mae--to have a daddy who's that good with a Skilsaw and a Mama who's so organized. I have never seen 20 square feet done so well. This is why I love small spaces. It's so much more inspiring to see what people create out of a tiny bit of square footage than what they make out of a large portion of it. The storage is ample, the bed is perfectly appropriate in size, and the hallway didn't lose 'elbow room' even with the addition of the box. Nicely done!

posted by ppfischer on May 21st 2009 at 12:26am
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Awesome. Super smart urban parents.

posted by Nonns on May 21st 2009 at 1:26am
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I love those built-ins. Great creative location for the changing table!

posted by spanishfish on May 21st 2009 at 6:45am
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Amazing and inspirational!

posted by EMS1974 on May 21st 2009 at 9:18am
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That is the smallest, coolest kid's room I've ever seen! Great creativity, ingenuity, and adventurous streak! You must be great parents.

posted by matthewnault on May 21st 2009 at 10:52am
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very cool little space

posted by gregfischer on May 21st 2009 at 11:10am
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Amazing! Wish we could hire you guys to do our space...

posted by standupstapler on May 21st 2009 at 11:29am
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You have more style in that little baby box than I have in my whole house! I love the finished product!

posted by sadevore on May 21st 2009 at 11:53am
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You both did an amazing job!!!!!!!! WOW! love it!

posted by karafiess on May 21st 2009 at 11:59am
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If only I was so clever and handy as Jared. *Sigh* Only in my dreams...

posted by sewellj on May 21st 2009 at 12:22pm
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Gorgeous! I think this could be the winner.

posted by upstategirl on May 21st 2009 at 12:37pm
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Leah and Jared,
You guys are awesome! I'm sure you will win!

posted by pfmays on May 21st 2009 at 1:17pm
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Impressive. Most impressive.

Hope y'all win :)

posted by hdening on May 21st 2009 at 1:26pm
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Too funny- my sister-in-law just named her daughter Lyla May.

posted by fade on violet on May 21st 2009 at 2:06pm
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Lyla May has such creative parents! Love you guys!

posted by Hillary18 on May 21st 2009 at 2:44pm
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love it!

posted by kdwoodwa on May 21st 2009 at 3:35pm
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Eeek. I agree that it's creative, but I fear this kid may have some flashbacks when she gets to the Skinner Box lab in Psych 101.

posted by ktsigler on May 21st 2009 at 8:59pm
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ktsigler, I couldn't agree more. Creative, but totally spooky. And also kind of short-lived--I wonder how this arrangement will serve this family when Lyla Mae hits 8, 9, 10 months.

Remember just last week when we were freaking out about this crib? And it's open at the top!

posted by daisymcdougal1979 on May 22nd 2009 at 8:05am
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Definitely cool. And my daughter's name is Isla Maeve, which is very similar to Lyla Mae so I'm especially partial.

posted by Loki Parker on May 22nd 2009 at 12:55pm
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Oooh, it's too late to give it a thumb's up, but I would have. This is so creative and awesome!

posted by ZMama on May 24th 2009 at 1:01am
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Wonderful! I LOVE the fold down changing table

posted by dolcib on May 25th 2009 at 7:24am
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I'm too late to vote but I love the space, the creativity, and the love that built this wonderful little room for Lyla Mae. You two (er...make that three...) are AMAZING!

posted by rosiedee on May 26th 2009 at 8:04am
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This is an amazing use of space, ingenuity, functionality and color for Lyla Mae! Great space planning too!

posted by Boxermom1 on May 26th 2009 at 3:04pm
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Love the changing table. So creative.

posted by twinthusiast on May 29th 2009 at 8:25am
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Some circular portholes drilled at the top might help with air flow if she needs/wants more light later -- and they'd match the dots!

posted by mere1975 on May 29th 2009 at 9:16am
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I think it is a very cool space. But as a mother of a baby, I would be having nightmares of baby running out of air to breath. I started having nightmares and waking up every hour to check on my son upon reading a detailed article about SIDS, one of the reasons why it happens so much here in the US is, air flow and the rooms being too hot/warm. Well done design wise, but I would never place my infant baby in such a hole.

posted by Anusha73 on June 3rd 2009 at 1:57pm
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And I thought I had designed some very small nurseries/children's rooms. I agree with others about air flow. Decorative holes can allow air through to the closeted space. Why not use a clip-on fan way up high with cord stowed away carefully. I know that for the next year you are OK, after that...you will need more room for your child.

posted by charmgirl on June 3rd 2009 at 4:02pm
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Way to go guys! Super proud of both of you and it should win!

Rob and Katy

posted by grindy14 on June 13th 2009 at 5:07pm
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