Nursery Furniture
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My First Baby
At Wayfair, we want to help customers make well-informed purchasing decisions. When it comes to purchasing for the home, different life events will lead to different kinds of purchases. One of those life events might be having a baby, and we know creating a cozy and stylish nursery is a top priority for expecting parents.
We realized it would be valuable to collect data on the nursery creation process as well as some special information on important milestones for babies.
We polled parents who have created nurseries before and asked questions about budget, whether or not they went over budget, and how they purchased nursery products such as a crib, a rocking chair, or a changing table. Did they buy everything new from a store? Or is it best to buy some items new and receive some as hand-me-downs? We also threw in a few fun questions about first toys and Halloween costumes.
459 parents who had either completed a nursery or were in the process of completing one took the survey. Important highlights include:
- Most expecting parents spend between $0 and $1,000 to outfit their nursery, but some spend between $1,000 and $3,000.
- Essential furniture items include: crib, mattress, bedding, storage items, décor, bassinet, and changing table.
- The most popular baby furniture hand-me-downs are bassinets, rocking chairs, and changing tables.
- New parents most often read "Goodnight Moon" to new babies. Pumpkins are the most popular first Halloween costume, and a stuffed animal is the most popular first toy.
Nursery Furniture Budget – How Much Did You Spend?
For this question, we clearly defined that the budget includes furniture, décor, paint, and bedding.
- $0 to $1,000
- $1,001 to 3,000
- $3,001 to $5,000
- $5,001 or more
Just over half (55%) of respondents said they budget between $0 to $1,000, While about a quarter (27%) of respondents did allocate $1,001 to $3,000 for creating a nursery. Less than 10% of expecting parents spent anywhere above $3,000 (6% budgeted $3,001 to $5,000 and just .44% came in at $5,000 or more).
We also wanted to get a feel for whether or not expecting parents go over or under their baby furniture and décor budget. Just over half of the respondents (54%) spent what they budgeted, while 26% went over budget and 20% went under budget. Be sure to stay organized with your purchases to ensure you aren't overspending. If you under-spend, you can re-allocate the extra money to diapers or baby food.
What are Essential Baby Furniture Items?
This is an important part of the survey and the main motive for its creation. We wanted to help give expecting parents an idea of the items they should buy new and the ones they could try and track down used. We also wanted to provide a clear list of essential nursery furniture based on what expecting parents brought into their homes. Chose to own means that they either bought new, bought used, or received as a hand-me-down.
We placed items into two groups: essential and nice-to-have. Nursery items were marked essential if more than 50% of respondents chose to own them. Items were marked nice-to-have if under 50% chose to own them.
Essential Nursery Items:
- Crib mattress
- Crib
- Crib Bedding
- Nursery Storage
- Nursery Décor
- Bassinet
Nice-To-Have Nursery Items:
- Glider
- Rocking Chair
- Rug
Gliders, rocking chairs, and rugs just missed our nursery essentials threshold. 49% of expecting parents purchased a glider and a rocking chair, while 45% chose to own a rug. If you're on the fence about including these items in your nursery, think about your budget. Are you under budget? If so, you can use the extra money on them. If you are over, maybe you hold off a little bit longer. It could also depend on the dimensions of your nursery. If the room is small, you can keep the room looking less cluttered by not including a rocking chair or glider. In that case, you can rock your baby to sleep in the living room or kitchen.
The two least popular baby furniture items are interesting. Only 29% chose to own a crib with a separate changing table attached and 16% chose to own a crib with a changing table attached. This tells us that most expecting parents choose to buy the crib and changing table separately and do not prefer nursery sets. While you can purchase nursery sets that come with a crib, changing table, and dresser, it appears most expecting parents choose to buy these items separately.
Purchasing Nursery Room Furniture Versus Buying Used or Receiving as a Hand-Me-Down
Our data shows buying new is more popular than buying used or receiving a hand-me-down, regardless of the furniture type. However, some nursery furniture is more prone to being purchased used than others. Twenty percent of respondents chose to receive a bassinet and a rocking chair as a hand-me-down. Least popular hand-me-downs included:
- Crib Bedding – 5%
- Nursery Décor – 7%
- Nursery Rugs – 4%
No true surprise here. Bedding is very much a personal item and most choose to buy new than get used. Décor and rugs are very much a taste and preference decision. It could be hard to fit hand-me-down décor into the specific style nursery you are trying to build. It appears new parents try to find a handed down bassinet, which makes sense given the short length of time a baby uses it. Also, it was interesting that some new parents are willing to try and track down a hand-me-down rocking chair.
In general, receiving baby furniture through a hand-me-down was more popular than buying used but also followed the same general trend (bassinet and rocking chair were most popular bought used items).
Bonus: Other than bassinets and rocking chairs, the next most popular item either as a hand-me-down or bought used was a changing table. More than a quarter of respondents (27%) either chose to buy used or receive as hand-me-down. If you are over budget, try finding a friend or family member who might have an old changing table to help stay on budget.
Nursery Paint Colors
We also asked parents what color they painted their nursery. Creating a nurturing environment for your baby's nursery is essential for their growth and development, and choosing the right colors can make a big difference.
Warm colors, like red, orange, and yellow, are known to evoke feelings of happiness and comfort. They can also make large spaces feel cozier, but it's important to use them in moderation, as bold shades can be too stimulating for an overly energetic toddler at bedtime.
Here is some guidance on color choice:
- Green: Green is often associated with nature and growth, making it a great choice for a nursery. It can also be a calming and soothing color, which is perfect for a room where babies will spend a lot of time. Consider shades like sage green or soft pastels for a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.
- Yellow: Yellow is a cheerful and bright color that can add energy and warmth to a room. It's a great color for creating a playful and joyful environment, which is perfect for a nursery. Consider shades like lemon yellow or buttercup yellow for a sunny and inviting feel.
- White: White is a classic and timeless color that can create a clean and fresh look. It's also a great neutral color that can complement any other colors in the room. Consider using white as a base color for the walls or furniture, and then adding pops of color with accessories like rugs and curtains.
- Blue: Blue is a color that embodies serenity, intuition, imagination, and inspiration. It is often associated with a sense of tranquility and harmony, making it an excellent choice for creating a serene and contemplative atmosphere in your nursery. Consider shades like sky blue or soft aqua for a soothing and peaceful nursery.
- Gray: Gray is a versatile and sophisticated color that can bring a modern and stylish touch to your nursery. With its neutral charm, gray serves as an excellent backdrop, effortlessly complementing any other colors you choose to incorporate in the room.By leveraging gray's adaptability, you can create a contemporary and visually appealing space that reflects your personal style and envelops your little one in a sense of tranquility.
- Purple: Purple is a luxurious color that can create a sense of elegance and sophistication. It's also a great color for stimulating creativity and imagination, making it an ideal color for a nursery. Think about shades like lavender or lilac for a dreamy and fantasy feel.
- Pink: Pink is a sweet color that's perfect for a nursery. It's often associated with love and tenderness, which is suitable for a baby's room. Consider shades like blush pink or pastel pink for a soft and delicate feel.
Books, Toys, Baby Milestones, and Halloween Costumes
Picking out the nursery furniture is an important milestone for expecting parents, but we also wanted to provide you with some helpful information beyond just nursery décor. We asked expecting parents about books, Halloween costumes, and other important milestones for babies.
Books
We asked parents to name the first book they read to their baby. Of course, you can't go wrong with any books but far and away the most popular was "Goodnight Moon." Having that book on hand when you get home from the hospital could make for a very memorable first moment in your new nursery. Below is the list from most to least popular:
- "Goodnight Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown and Clemet Hurd
- "Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch and Sheila McGraw
- "Dr. Seuss"
- "Guess How Much I love You" by Sam McBratney
- "The Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle
- "On the Day You Were Born" by Debra Frasier
- "On the Night You Were Born" by Nancy Tillman
- "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein
- "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" by Iza Trapani
- Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes
- "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" by Bill Martin, Jr.
First Toy
We also felt asking about first toy gives expecting parents' insight into what toys to get during the pregnancy. Far and away the most popular was a stuffed animal of some kind.
- Stuffed Animal (bear, bunny, dinosaur, etc.)
- Rattle Toy
- Teethers
- Blanket
- Car Seat Toy
Car seat toys will come in handy as you begin to travel and run errands with your baby since it can be a way to occupy them throughout the ride.
Other Baby Milestones
We also wanted to gauge some interest on child development milestones. We asked parents to give the month at which their baby completed the milestone below and calculated the average month for each milestone.
Note: The chart above does not reflect the exact time in months for each milestone. Milestones were calculated by averaging respondents answers to when their baby completed each item.
First Halloween Costume
Another important milestone that we wanted to hear from parents about was their baby's first Halloween costume. Pumpkin is the most popular costume for a baby's first Halloween:
- Pumpkin
- Bee
- Lady Bug
- Monkey
- Princess
- Minnie
We hope you enjoyed this lovely guide to preparing your nursery and getting ready for the most important firsts with your baby! Check out out Building a Nursery page for more information.