How to Set Up a Kids’ Room Before a New Baby Arrives

When a new baby is on the way, most of the attention goes to the nursery — but there’s another room that needs just as much thought: your older child’s. If baby is taking over the current nursery, your toddler often needs to transition into their own “big kid” room around the same time. Here’s how to set that up in a way that feels exciting for them, not like they’re being replaced.

1. Time the Transition Early (Not Right When Baby Arrives)

Try to move your toddler into their new room a few weeks to a couple of months before baby arrives, if possible. This way, the new room isn’t associated with the change of a new sibling — it just becomes their own exciting milestone. Bonus: it gives you a properly tested nursery setup before you actually need it.

2. Choose a Bed That Makes the Move Feel Like an Upgrade

The easiest way to make a room transition feel exciting instead of unsettling is with a bed your toddler will genuinely love. A few options that work particularly well for this stage:

• Dino Floor Bed — a low-to-the-ground design that’s ideal for toddlers moving out of a cot for the first time, minimising fall risk during the adjustment period
• Bunny Floor Bed — the same safety-first, low-height design in a softer, animal-themed style
• Forest Teepee Bed — includes safety guardrails and optional underbed storage drawers, useful if you’re also trying to free up nursery storage

3. Set Up Storage That Grows With Them

A new baby often means a full reshuffle of clothes, toys, and hand-me-downs. A bedside table with real storage makes this transition smoother:

• Linear Bedside Table — a shelf and drawer combination for everyday essentials, books, and bedtime items
• Princess Bedside Table — a deep-shelf option for toddlers who are collecting more toys, books, and “big kid” belongings

4. Involve Your Toddler in the Setup

Letting your toddler help choose elements of their new room — the bed theme, where their toys go, a new rug for their floor — builds a sense of ownership over the space. It reframes the whole transition as “I got a cool new room” rather than “the baby took my room.”

5. Add Soft, Personal Touches

A Kids Drawing Rug adds colour, softness, and a dedicated play space in the new room — helpful for keeping your toddler occupied and settled while you’re understandably busy with a newborn.

6. Keep Routines Consistent

New room, same bedtime routine. Consistency in the wind-down process — bath, book, bed — matters more than the room itself in helping your toddler feel secure through the transition.

The Bottom Line

A new baby is a big change for the whole family — including the sibling who’s about to share the spotlight. Setting up their new room early, with furniture that feels like a genuine upgrade, goes a long way toward making the transition feel like a win instead of a loss.

Browse the full Aesthetik Kids range here, or visit our showroom at Shop 4/339 Mitcham Rd, Mitcham, VIC to see pieces in person.