Setting Up a Nursery: Furniture, Safety and What Is Optional

A nursery needs less than the catalogues suggest, and the few things that genuinely matter are safety items rather than furniture. Getting those right first makes the rest of the decisions low-stakes.

The cot

This is the one purchase where the standard matters more than the brand.

• Buy new, or know the history. Cot safety standards have changed, and older second-hand cots may not meet current ones. Drop-side cots in particular have been withdrawn in several markets.
• Mattress fit is a safety feature. The mattress must fit the frame with no gap you can fit fingers into. Buy the mattress for that specific cot rather than assuming a standard size.
• Firm and flat. A mattress should be firm — soft is not safer. Nothing should be added on top.
• Nothing loose inside. Current safer-sleep advice is a clear cot: no pillows, duvets, bumpers, pods or soft toys. This is the single most repeated piece of official guidance and the most commonly ignored, because the accessories are heavily marketed.
• Position it away from windows, blind cords, radiators and anything climbable.

Safer-sleep guidance is set by health authorities and updates over time. Check your national guidance rather than relying on product marketing, which sometimes contradicts it.

Anchoring furniture

Chests of drawers, bookcases and changing units tip over when a child climbs them, and this causes serious injuries every year. Every tall item must be anchored to the wall with the supplied bracket or a suitable one.

Do it when you assemble it, not later. The brackets are cheap and usually already in the box.

Changing arrangements

A dedicated changing table is optional. What matters is that the surface is at a comfortable height, has raised sides, and that you never step away — babies roll earlier than expected, and every fall from a changing surface happened to someone who was only turning around for a second.

Keeping supplies within arm's reach of wherever you change is what makes this workable.

Storage and lighting

Clothes are outgrown fast, so storage sized for a full wardrobe is usually oversized. Open shelving with baskets works better than deep drawers for things you reach for at night.

A dim light for night feeds is one of the genuinely useful purchases. Bright overhead light at 3am wakes everyone fully, including the baby.

Blackout blinds help with daytime naps — check the cord safety, since looped blind cords are a strangulation hazard and must be secured out of reach.

What is optional

Matching furniture sets, wardrobes sized for adult clothing, nappy disposal systems, and most decorative items. Babies do not notice the room. Buy the safety items properly and treat the rest as furniture you happen to like.

Before you order

Check the cot meets the current standard in your market. Buy the mattress to fit that cot and check the gap. Check anchoring brackets are included with any tall furniture. And check blind cords in the room before the baby is mobile, not after.