Ditch The Traditional Changing Table: The Modern Alternative With Better Storage

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For those with limited storage space, the benefits of multifunctional furniture will come as little surprise. A bench with built-in shoe storage, for example, can help to tidy up the entryway, and you can squeeze a surprising amount of clutter into an ottoman footstool. The same principle applies to your baby's nursery. A traditional changing table looks great, and it is, of course, especially designed for the job. But if it lacks storage, it may not actually help you to keep your nursery organized. So, what to do? Well, you could buy a changing table with built-in storage, which would help to solve the problem. But if you really want to keep things organized, then the best solution may not actually come from the nursery changing table category at all. Instead, according to Instagram user @livewellwithel, you could be better off browsing the tool storage department of your local big box store.

In the caption of her post, she explained that she was initially dubious about the idea. However, after installing a tool chest instead of a regular changing table, she was amazed by how much storage it provided. As for which tool chest you use, there are plenty of options. The post references a tool chest from Husky, which you'll easily find at Home Depot. But you can just as easily find what you need in Harbor Freight's highly-rated garage storage selection. Wherever you shop, you will be more than satisfied, as @livewellwithel wrote, "It's held up so well through the chaos of baby life."

If you plan to adopt this idea in your own nursery, there are some basic tips on baby proofing to keep in mind. First, you should anchor the chest to the wall to eliminate the risk of tipping. Also, make sure the tool chest has no sharp edges, corners, or handles that your baby could catch themselves on. You could install silicone corner and edge guards, like those included in this baby proofing set from POIKSHARK. Next, in order to make the chest a suitable changing table, you'll need a changing mat. Try to find one with lipped sides to help keep your baby from rolling around. You could also buy one with a strap, like this waterproof diaper changing mat from JVEOO, to secure your baby in place. If you can find one with non-slip feet, then that's also ideal. If not, you could always buy some adhesive non-slip pads to stick to the bottom of the mat to prevent it from sliding.

Finally, while some who commented on @livewellwithel's post raised concerns over noisy drawers, there are several ways to get around this. The first is to test a few tool chests and see which closes the quietest. Husky has various options with soft-close drawers, like this 46-inch 9-drawer Mobile Workbench Cabinet. If you cannot find a chest with soft-close drawers, you could add adhesive bumper pads where the drawers meet the cabinet, which should help to keep bangs and clangs to a minimum.