Buying Guide to Baby Furniture | Nursery and Registry Essentials - Bambi Baby

A nursery is many things. A safe haven that your baby has free reign of, a quiet place to build a bond with your bundle of joy, a time capsule for memories to come, and so much more. Planning your nursery, however, is somehow simultaneously therapeutic and stressful. With so many options, it gets overwhelming – Yes, there are endless possibilities, but what pieces do you really need as the baseline for your baby’s room? That can be hard to predict even as a seasoned parent, considering the ever-changing options and children's individual needs. So we’re going to break down not just the newest inventive furniture, but the classic staples you’ll need when shopping for the newest addition to your family.

Cribs

Yep, we’re starting with brass tacks – the crib: Where your infant can safely and comfortably rest their head at night and nap time. There’s quite a few things that need to be kept in mind when selecting a crib (outside of aesthetics, of course): Safety, comfort, practicality, and convenience. You need something that is breathable, sturdy, comfortable, and convenient. That’s why we suggest a quality convertible crib that can grow alongside your baby.

4-in-one beds are a great option, like the Dolce Babi Lucca, Sorelle Sutton, Oxford Baby Piermont Collection, or the Sorelle Portifino. All four cribs are essentially an all-in-one bed purchase for the developmental years of your child’s life because they serve as an infant crib, toddler bed, day bed, and full-size bed.

Another incredible (and arguably two of the most popular options) would be the Natart Taylor or Natart Ithaca 5-in-one convertible cribs. Their popularity could be attributed to the clean style, comfort, or excellent craftsmanship -- But the added possibility of becoming a double bed definitely sets them apart from your average convertible crib. Due to the additional space, either one of these cribs could very well convert all the way to college years with ease.

The years fly by and babies aren’t babies forever, so a convertible crib is an absolute must if you don’t want to purchase new beds for every stage. They are all built with craftsmanship worth writing home about: The best materials available, sturdy, breathable, and last but not least – absolutely beautiful pieces of furniture that are easily paired with any color scheme imaginable thanks to their many options. With these options in mind, all that’s left is picking based on your desired style.

Dressers, Chifforobes, Armoires – Oh My!

Yet another staple in a nursery is where you’ll be storing your child’s clothes. Preferably, you should pick items that are convertible in a sense – safe enough to use for infants and babies, but stylish enough to last well into their lives. These variables are how we narrowed down our top picks for each.

Starting again with the basics, let's talk dressers. Chests are taller and thinner, ensuring plenty of storage while not taking up too much space, while traditional dressers are shorter and longer so that when your baby becomes a toddler they can more easily reach while learning to dress themselves. Which is the best option between the two styles is entirely up to interpretation, but these are the best options for both.

The Dolce Babi Amalfi 5-Drawer Dresser is a great choice for compact chest-style storage and comes in two colors. It’s made with solid beech wood, beech wood veneers, and engineered wood. It’s hand-finished for durability and safety, comes with a 1-year warranty, and is ASTM certified and tested.

Another great pick in this category is the Sorelle Sutton 5-Drawer Dresser. This chest is available in two colors as well, and sports felt liner in the top drawer, full extension metal drawer glides, and rounded wooden drawer knobs. It meets all ASTM, JPMA, and CPSC safety requirements and includes a mounting system so you can secure it to the wall to prevent tipping… Oh, and itrequiresno assembly, which is a huge plus with all the building required when prepping a nursery.

Now, on to a more traditional dresser style. Starting off strong with the Dolce Babi Lucca 8-Drawer Dresser that comes in two color options, this dresser has a divider in the top two drawers for the organization of smaller items like socks, hats, and bows; and large storage space in the remaining 6. The drawers are crafted entirely of wood and have English Dovetail joints, premium under-mount soft-close drawer glides to never wake baby, and bottom support blocks for strength and integrity.

Following but certainly not falling short, let's talk about the Natart Ithaca Double Dresser. Natart aims to bring back a time when the wood and craftsmanship of a furniture piece were proudly on display, rather than covered with cheap paint and hidden with gimmicks. Built for longevity and style, Natart prides themselves on quality, luxury, and beauty. Any piece in this collection is cute and safe enough for a baby, stylish enough for a teenager, and sturdy enough to last well into college years.

Our next pick definitely goes to the Pali Cristallo Double Dresser. It has four large drawers and three small, creating plenty of space to optimally store everything from bulky coats to tiny hats. Every drawer is made with Radiata Pine and operates on soft-closing drawer guides so you can clean while baby naps. Available in two color options and using non-toxic finishes that are regularly tested to ensure they are exceeding the requirements of standards for led, this dresser is a great choice all around.

Of course, dressers are a staple in nearly every nursery; but what if you don’t have a closet available? Many families have limited or no closet space due to multiple children, limited room, and many other factors. That’s when an armoire is an absolutely paramount addition to your new baby’s room.

The Natart Bella Collection Armoire is the first up to bat. Crafted in Canada using 100% solid European Beech Wood, this sturdy and beautiful piece of furniture is the perfect addition under these circumstances. This armoire sports a reinforced cross-bar underneath the large drawer, recessed and encased back panels, clear coat varnish finished drawer boxes, slow-motion self-closing anti-pinch drawer glides with safety locks and a lifetime warranty, and a dust cover on the bottom. Not to mention the three stunning color options including pure white, linen, and Walnut.

Romina has a stunning collection of styles, each with multiple color options: The Ventianni, Cleopatra, Antonio, and the Karisma. All four of these beautiful pieces are nothing short of luxury and convenience for those who need a bit of extra storage space to hang and store baby items galore. They are eco-friendly and made with the best materials – 100% solid hardwood, organic tree-sap-based glues, and non-toxic water-based organic oil finishes.

Want some additional storage outside of the staple dresser or closet? A chifforobe is just the thing you’re looking for. Let’s take a closer look at some of our favorite options.

Starting strong with the Westwood Foundry, this chiffarobe stands at 54.25” high and has all the bells and whistles like five spacious drawers, a sliding door, solid wood drawer boxes that are secured with English dovetails, and steel drawer guides that ensure strong, quiet, and safe opening and closing. It’s crafted with solid hardwood and comes in two stunning colors to match the vibe of your nursery.

Next, we have the Dolce Babi Florenza, a chiffarobe worthy of writing home about. Equipped with 5 smooth-glide drawers to never wake baby and a separate door for larger items with the option of a hanging bar, it could easily replace a dresser for a newborn or serve as additional storage while your baby rapidly grows. Crafted with a beautiful wood finish, this chiffarobe comes in 2 gorgeous wood-brushed colors and is an extremely useful piece to add to your registry.

Changing Tables

One of the most overlooked yet crucial pieces of furniture in a nursery is a changing table. Sure, you could realistically change your baby on any flat surface; but the convenience and cleanliness that having a designated spot provides shouldn’t be undervalued. It may be last on our list, but it’s first in our hearts for new parents especially.

Our pick goes to the Oxford Baby Emerson. Coming in both white and gray, this changing table provides a safe, clean, and organized space to handle messes any time of day or night. With two shelves underneath to store your diapers, wipes, baby powder, diaper rash cream, and anything else – It’s a one-stop shop any time that little yellow line turns blue. The changing station on top has wooden rails surrounding it to prevent your baby from rolling off like they might on a bed or couch and has an indented area to fit nearly any wipe-down capable cushion for additional comfort. Leave your worries about smell, germs, and searching for that diaper rash cream at the last second behind.

With these basics, you’ll be completely set to welcome your bundle of joy to the world and their brand new bedroom – and free to begin shopping for the non-essentials you’d like to boost your nursery with on BambiBaby.com.