How I Converted a Guest Room Into a Nursery for Less Than $5K

With a second baby on the way in a three-bedroom house, HGTV Canada writer Denise Dias decided to convert the family’s only guest room into a stunning nursery fit for a prince. From design choices to hard compromises, learn how she pulled it off without breaking the bank.

Denise Dias

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Create a Custom Vibe

The guest bedroom didn’t have its own closet and I knew we needed to build one for adequate storage. This was the biggest structural design change to the room and I wanted to achieve a custom look without building a closet from scratch.

Denise Dias

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Get a Built-In Look for Less

I opted for a PAX system without doors from IKEA and had my carpenter build a boxed finish around it for a built-in feel. Excluding closet doors shaved a few hundred dollars from the budget and forced me to style shelves with adorable clothing and accessories.

Costs: PAX closet ($590, IKEA); carpenter fees ($200); animal heads ($30 each, HomeSense); bench ($40, HomeSense)

Denise Dias

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Keep the Framework

Aside from adding a closet to the space, I wanted to avoid removing or changing anything that would incur additional drywall repair or painting costs. This meant we had to keep the existing wall sconces in place and find a crib that would nicely fit in between.

Denise Dias

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Sleep Time Swap

I found the perfect oval-shaped crib on wheels – an elegant and moveable piece that fits the space like a dream. To give the closet drawers more room to open freely, I replaced the nightstands with much smaller ones. These round ones echo the shape of the crib with soft angles.

Costs: Sleepi Crib ($899, Stokke); sheets ($40, Pehr); nightstands ($168 each, Neat Space)

Denise Dias

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Colour Your World

I had plans to paint the ceiling a pale blue but decided against it when quotes from painters came in at $300 or more. Instead, I opted to sprinkle pops of colour throughout the room with fun books, bright toys and whimsical artwork.

Denise Dias

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Artistic Touches

Inexpensive picture ledges transform colourful book covers into art, large baskets hold colourful toys and playful art in bronze frames lend an air of sophistication. I searched for artwork and accessories that could grow with baby into his toddler years and beyond.

Costs: Artwork ($237 each, Minted); picture ledges ($10 each, IKEA); storage basket ($40, HomeSense); books ($10-20 each, Indigo)

Denise Dias

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Spare Room

A minimalist at heart, my guest room was sparse and simplistic in its design, but newborns require more gear than I remembered. I had to strategically make room for a lot more stuff.

Denise Dias

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Cute Corners

Aside from filling the walls and shelves with lovely, but non-essential items, I had to store larger objects that would definitely come in handy. A sleek baby swing and air purifier are tucked away from immediate view and a must-have big nursing pillow is put away in the dresser.

Costs: Leaf Grow ($400, Nuna); air purifying fan heater ($800, Dyson); mobile ($115, Pehr), nursing pillow ($120, Beaba)

Denise Dias

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Room to Grow

Once I removed the queen-sized bed from the space, the room seemed a lot more spacious. I moved the existing dresser to another wall and kept the bench under the window. I decided against bringing in any other furniture to maintain an airy feel.

Denise Dias

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Rug Rat

A large, luxurious-feeling wool area rug anchors the space and provides a soft area to play. It was hard to resist some of the more baby-ish rugs with playful patterns, but I ultimately went with a classic option in a neutral tone to last the test of time.

Costs: Rug ($500, HomeSense)

TOTAL COST: $4,794