3 Space-Saving Nursery Decor Hacks From Design Pro John Gidding

The last time Rach’s design buddy John Gidding stopped by, he showed us how to hang wall art without using a single nail or hammer -- totally genius!

This time, the co-host of TLC’s “Trading Spaces” is back to help viewer Lauren design a nursery that’s space-saving, practical and easy on the eye. Nineteen weeks pregnant with a baby boy, Lauren’s pregnancy hasn’t been easy, so she just hasn’t had time to think about the nursery.

“My Pinterest board is full of ideas, but I really have no idea how to bring them to fruition,” she says.

“That’s why we brought in the big guns and a handsome package!” says Rach.

Here are Gidding’s tips.

TIP 1: OPTIMIZE VERTICAL SPACE WITH HOOKS

“For me, a nursery starts with storage,” says Gidding. “I like to throw hooks up on a wall right off the bat because in a nursery you don’t need to worry too much about closet doors being closed or a neat look all around -- you want things to be accessible.”

The hooks will give the nursery some personality, says Gidding, and can be used for blankets, favorite clothes, anything that you want to have easily reachable -- which is especially important when you’re going to have a baby in your arms!

TIP 2: HANG STRATEGICALLY-PLACED SHELVES

“Floating shelves and shelves in general are both great for keeping everything you want everything close at hand,” says Gidding, who advises hanging a few shelves within arm’s length of the glider in the nursery so that you don’t have to disturb your little one just by getting up to get something.

As floating shelves tend to be fairly shallow, just make sure they’re not over the crib or anywhere the baby might be, cautions Gidding, just in case anything were to fall off -- even if it’s just a plush toy.

TIP 3: LOOK FOR BONUS STORAGE SOLUTIONS

“Make sure that you’ve got lots of storage wherever you can find it,” Gidding says, lifting off the top to an ottoman to reveal that there’s actually a secret storage space inside.

“Oh I love that!” Rach says. “Very clever!”

BONUS TIP: CHOOSE A UNISEX COLOR SCHEME

“I like that this doesn’t look like a baby’s room to me. It just looks like a pretty room,” Rach says, who also likes the woodsy accent wallpaper, which gives the room dimension.

A little versatility goes a long way, says Gidding, and you don’t have to stick strictly to “pink for a girl, blue for a boy” anymore. His advice? Chose a hue that’s something the child can grow into as they get older.

Good news for viewer Lauren -- she doesn’t have to worry about her nursery anymore! We surprised her with the entire new nursery set from West Elm and Pottery Barn Kids. (The collection lands in stores this Thursday, May 10th).