Twinning – How to Furnish the Nursery with Twins on the Way!
Are you expecting not just one… but TWO babies!? Will your little ones be joining the likes of the Olsen’s, Clooney’s and Malek’s?
If so, you’re going to be needing twos of a lot of essentials, but not necessarily their nursery furniture! Phew!
With a handful of helpful tips and tricks, you can avoid playing furniture Tetris in your home, and still fit in everything you and your little handfuls will need. We’ve even thrown in a few extra ideas to help with juggling parenthood x 2 and decorating their nursery!
Want to know how it can be done? Grab your tape measure and notepad and read on!
1. Cot Top Changer/Life-saver
Finding the room for just one baby can be hard enough, let alone two! By being smart with your furniture purchases and selecting designs that work harder, you’ll be able to fit in all of their essentials into one room. This is where cot top changers come in!
The Ickle Bubba Coleby Scandi Classic Cot Bed nursery furniture set comes with an open changer, but also gives you the option to add a separate cot top changer! This handy attachment can be safely secured to the top of the cot and stored away when it’s not needed.
How does this help? If you’re faced with a code-brown situation, there’s a space for both babies to get freshened up! They’ll both be comfy and clean again, in next to no time! Especially handy when it’s a late-night nappy change!
Obaby had the same bright idea! Their Stamford Cot Top Changer fits cot beds with widths of 62cm up to 76cm and can be paired with the whole Stamford collection as it comes in the coordinating colours.
Fitting standard baby changing mats and easy to clean afterwards, it can be neatly packed away. A clever and compact alternative to full-sized changing units, you’ll be saving much-needed floor space for all the other furniture your twins need!
2. Make Use of the Walls
Where floor space might be limited, you might be able to look to the walls to solve your square footage woes!
The wall-mounted Wally Changing Table from Leander takes up zero floor space! Folding against the wall, simply lower when nappy changes are due.
Without the need for a baby changing mat, the raised sides keep your baby safe, with lotions, wipes and creams being kept in the 3 organisers above. Made from moulded PUR foam, it’s easy to wipe clean and adapts to your babies’ body temperature to keep them comfortable with every outfit change.
Shelves are an amazing way of increasing storage space in the nursery. The Obaby Maya Shelf has a 2-in-1 design – including a hanging rail for those extra special outfits you don’t mind showing off, and a wide shelf for books and toys – it’s an adorable way of maximising on storage!
Drilling holes and DIY not possible? Over-the-door hooks, hanging storage organisers, removable command strips and telescopic hanging rails will be your friends! It’s just a matter of getting creative.
3. Room-sharing solutions
In the first 6 months, it’s recommended that you share your bedroom with your newborn babies. This can help reduce the risk of SIDS and give you added peace of mind. But if you’re already struggling to fit in your own furniture, accommodating another two sleepyheads seems impossible, right? Wrong! We’ve got 3 ideas for you!
A great first bed for newborns is a moses basket! We’d recommend the Little Green Sheep Natural Knitted Moses Basket with Mattress & Stand. The reduced dimensions make it easier to fit in around your existing bedroom setup and the carry handle and folding stand mean you can easily transport your tiny twins to another room if needed.
Each baby will need their own moses basket and are unable to share, which might not be right for you and your little ones.
As advised by the NHS UK, co-bedding is a perfectly safe option for twins. This is where twins can sleep in the same cot while they’re small enough*.
If you were hoping to keep your twins together and plan on using the co-bedding method, but also need to fit a cot into your bedroom for the first few months, the Obaby Nika Mini Cot Bed would be a great option. Designed with a smaller footprint, but plenty of space for two to sleep side-by-side, you won’t have trouble squeezing a cot into your bedroom!
The frame later converts into a toddler bed too, so can continue to be used later down the line. A great bonus!
*Please ensure you follow safe sleeping advice and resources
If you’re able to fit in a full-sized cot bed – choose the Vox Simple Customisable Cot Bed with Storage Drawer. Another option suitable for co-bedding, it’s been designed with a height-adjustable bed base, with up to 9 settings, that adapt the cot bed to suit your needs. To limit bending down, the highest setting is a wonderful feature! You can tend to both twins without straining and putting stress on your body.
With the addition of the underbed storage drawer; bedding, muslins, comforters and essentials can be stored in the extra space.
Customise the first cot bed how you see fit, and when they’re bigger, design a second cot bed to the same specifications, or change the design so they’re not matching (maybe a way of identifying your identical twins!?).
4. Close to Co-sleeping
If your little ones have outgrown their shared sleep space, or you’re starting them out in separate cots, but don’t want to keep them completely apart – the Vox Bosque Baby Cot Bed feels as close to co-sleeping as you can get!
Instead of having slatted side panels or a traditional design, the mesh fabric sides offer a modern alternative. Position your twins’ Bosque Cot Beds close to each other and your little ones will continue to have the added social benefits. They can comfort, babble and see one another, without wooden bars getting in the way. You’ll also get a clearer view of your babies, and the design provides better air circulation, helping regulate their body temperatures.
5. Nursery Wardrobes for Never-ending Washing
Twins = double the clothes and double the washing! And that means you’ll need somewhere to store it all! In smaller spaces without built-in storage, fitting in a wardrobe amongst the cots and changing units can be a real struggle – especially in modern box rooms!
Measuring only 79.5cm in width, the tall Obaby Single Wardrobe looks upwards to solve the space issue we face! The generous cupboard includes 2 hanging rails, great for keeping twins’ outfits separated and each of the 2 drawers has a 29L capacity – suiting bedding or bulkier items! Available in white or taupe grey, it will easily slot in with your nursery styling and décor.
A little wider at 88.5cm in width – the Vox Leaf Wardrobe offers open and closed storage. Including 4 open compartments for toys and books, you can quickly grab the bits you need when you’ve got your hands full! Also with 2 hanging rails, and 2 extra shelves, the sectional design makes your storage smarter. The wardrobe’s recessed handles reduce the total depth too, so you won’t find yourself getting caught up while you’re tidying away!
6. Smart Nursery Accessories
Nursery accessories can take up a lot of room, not to mention they’re an extra expense outside of furniture! Wondering which accessories are worth getting? We’ve got 3 that NEED to be on your wishlist.
The Leander Matty Changing Mat is THE changing mat! Thoughtfully designed, the waterproof surface has been crafted from moulded PUR, a clever foam-like material that’s soft and comfortable on sensitive skin and adapts to the room temperature and your baby’s natural body heat to keep them comfortable.
The hygienic design makes it easy to quickly wipe down between changes – and when you have twins, we can assure you that’ll be a HUGE benefit. The Matty Changing Mat will be your new best friend!
When you’re caring for twins, a second pair of arms would be a godsend – the Snuggle Me Organic Infant Lounger is the next best thing! Mimicking the feeling of being held, the nest-like sides cradle your baby, keeping them calm and comforted while you tend to their sibling in the background. Perfect for supervised lounging, tummy time and sitting support, caring for twins is made a little easier with this fab accessory!
Something every cot or baby bed needs, a mattress protector! But particularly so with multiple babies making multiple messes! The OKO-Tex certified Organic Cot Bed Mattress Protector not only creates a natural barrier against dust mites, but it’s also 100% waterproof and absorbent, helping keep babies and their mattresses dry and fresh. It’s machine washable and tumble drier safe too – thank the heavens!
7. A Space for Nursing
Managed to get everything in and you’ve got space (and budget) to spare? Treat yourself to a nursing chair! Ergonomically designed, the extra-wide Gaia Baby Serena Rocking Chair creates a comfortable spot to nurse and feed both babies simultaneously. And when they’re back in their cribs, fed, comfortable and happy, you can return to your Gaia Baby nursing chair and take a minute to relax yourself… you’re surely going to need it!
Nursery Furniture Shopping Got You Seeing Double?
We’re here for you! Whether you’re having twins, triplets or it feels like the whole cast of Cheaper by the Dozen are on the way, we’re here to help create the perfect nursery for your growing family. Call us on +44 (0) 1305 231231 or email customerservice@cuckooland.com and you won’t have to do it alone!
