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Name/Age: Mel's son Tibet, due in May
Location: Los Angeles, California
Family: Mel and E.T. (mom and dad) and Tibet (any day now!)
Room Size: 100 square feet
Division: Baby
Tip for Living Small with Kids: My husband and I are renting a 600 sqf 1 bedroom apartment in Santa Monica, CA. When we get the news that there would be a third person joining our family, first I wanted to move. But since we are going to be going on a sabbatical for 6 months in the fall, we have decided to stay put until then. When trying to adjust to living with kids, I think the best thing to do is not to get caught in the hype but look at your own preferences and needs. For now about 50 sqf of our apartment is occupied by baby furniture, oh and a bouncer that we put in the living room now. Now we are waiting for TIBET to arrive. He is supposed to be here before the voting for this competition is over. I turned into a pretty informed mom from a clueless urbanite partly because of this site. So thanks OHDEEDOH!
Give Mel's family 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? After we decided to stay in our small apartment, came the challenge of turning our bedroom into a bedroom/nursery. We tried to get only those things that we would absolutely need. Each piece of furniture in the bedroom as well as the living room has some sort of storage feature.
After completing our little project I watched "America's Stuff" video which was also featured on Apartment Therapy. I was really impressed by the whole video, especially the part where it explains the inverse relationship between accumulating stuff and happiness of the American society. I highly recommend this 20-minute video to anyone. I am proud to say that I tried to recycle/reuse as much as I can when decorating the nursery.
Originally, I wanted a blabla mobile but then I ended up making my own mobile. For drapes, I fell in love with some Pottery Barn shades, but then I ended up making them myself too. This weekend I will sew the baby towel, burp cloths and nursing pads from the 1 yard organic towel fabric that I got recently. Making things for my son, TIibet, also made me bond with him before he even arrived. Now, only one challenge is left...yes, the delivery....urgh....:)
Give Mel's family 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!
Great setup!! We have a room for our daughter but she didn't start sleeping in there until after she turned two. And really, you don't need a play area until they are over 18 mo or have accumulated a lot of stuff. You made the right choice! It is so much easier to have a newborn in the room with you.
view standupstapler's profile
Good luck! I agree with Standup -- having your newbieright there reduces anxiety AND midnight walking.
view Laurenwl's profile
Please tell me where the white shelf box is from! I have been searching for some like this but cant find one without doors, or the right size etc. Thank you.
view Alex17's profile
Thumbs up for you! We have a 1-bedroom as well and we will be sharing with our newborn arriving in Aug. The video is indeed a great reminder for us to consume less and make wise choices.
view valkuan's profile
Hi,
Thanks for the comments.
The box shelf is from Target.
view Ckomel's profile
Very, very nice.
This is how we kids started life: rooming with our parents until about the age of 1 or 2. No separate nurseries for us; parents couldn't afford it. (This was way back when; in the early 50s when my parents were living in a teeny Brooklyn Heights apartment carved out of a brownstone.)
Here's the good news: sharing a room (not a bed) with baby is recommended for the prevention of SIDS, according to www.sidsandkids.com
view aychihuahua's profile