How to Make Room for a Baby and a Toddler in a Small Bedroom

Paint the walls a soothing, light shade that makes the room feel larger. Ask your toddler for input on choosing the colors so she feels an ownership in the room. Otherwise, she may grow to resent the baby and feel like it's the baby's space, not hers.

Arrange the furniture so the toddler still has a place to play and doesn't feel like he's simply occupying the baby's space. Pieces that match or complement each other will create a harmonious and pulled-together look. For example, use a small white crib in one corner of the room if the toddler's white bed is in another corner. Add a chest of drawers along one wall or put it in the closet. Include shelves and a toy box to store and organize the children's toys, books and necessities.

Give each child their own bedding. Consider different patterns with complementary themes or colors, such as farm animals for the toddler and jungle animals for the baby or pink and chocolate flowers for the toddler and pink and white flowers for the baby.

Hang a few items on the walls, such as family pictures or decorative wooden blocks that spell out both children's names.

Accessorize the room with a few items that work for both children, serve a purpose and take up little space. Nightlights, light switch covers and a play rug can work for both children without taking up space.

Store extra stuff for both children where it's easy to access when necessary. For example, diaper changing items, such as a folding pad and extra diapers, can be stored in a basket on a high shelf or under the crib. Clothes that are too large for the baby and too small for the toddler or toys that are in between their stages can be stored on the top of the closet. Use the closet as much as possible to keep clutter out of the small bedroom.