Changing table in living room?

Mrs.Syntax

With a new baby coming in a couple months and DD nowhere near PT'd, I'm thinking about setting up a changing area on the main floor of our house so I'm not hauling both kids upstairs for each diaper change. (Right now we just have a changing table and diaper pail in DD's bedroom which is on the 2nd floor.) 

Do any of you have a setup like this? Can you describe what you've done to make it less of an eyesore, especially if there is a diaper pail involved? Maybe this is a weird question, but the idea just came to me in the middle of the night (thanks to pg-induced insomnia) and now I'm on a mission to make it happen. 

lageorgiapaperie

I know a lot of people do this with a pack n play. You can find a cheap PnP for about $60 and it is multi functional

stoneycakes

We don't have ours in the living room, but DS's changing table is on top of a low bureau.  I can keep all kinds of things in the drawers and it looks like a nice piece of furniture. If I were keeping it in a living room, I might consider trying to line one or two of the drawers with a wipeable material or finding a container that would fit inside and keeping the dirties in them.  Then, you could just take the whole drawer out and dump it in the laundry when you're ready. I don't know how it would work for sure, but I think it's worth a try to keep dirties concealed.

ElizaSquan

We use a PnP with the changing table attachment. It's wonderful. There are some pockets to stuff the extra diapers in, or you old just use the bassinet level for this. We use a hanging wet bag attached to the PnP and the planet wise ones are very stylish. 

mrsjjohnson2010

lageorgiapaperie:

I know a lot of people do this with a pack n play. You can find a cheap PnP for about $60 and it is multi functional

THIS! the PnP isnt a eyesore

sarenu1

If you're looking to change both children, I wouldn't bother with a PnP.  The weight limits are small for the changing area.  

Why no just store a wet bag in a bathroom and change them on a towel or blanket that can be folded away when not using it. 

tjkdlhb

I use a pack-n-play or a change pad on the floor or couch.  I have a garpage pail w/ liner for dirties and one of those storage sets with multicoloured bins for clean diapers.  I'm tempted to just bring her change table downstairs though.  I might do that tonight...

eta: if I do that I'd probably just stick the dirty diapers in a large wetbag on one of the shelves.

Mamapoo

If you get something like this, you can keep the diapers in the drawers, all of the little extras in some cute fabric bins in the space above the drawers, and keep a pail/wetbag in the closet-y area

I think that would be the least eye-sore option, if you get one that matches your furniture

freezorburn

We have the same situation. We just moved from a place where LR and BRs were all on the same floor, very convenient. New place has BRs upstairs and there was no way I was going to haul DS up and down all day long, he goes through 12+ diapers a day. Also I think he is too heavy for the PnP changer now. 

Our LR is laid out so that it's a long skinny space that's divided in two by a large double doorway. The front half is where we have couch, TV, etc. The back area has a desk and bookcase and changing table.

We debated between putting the changing table behind the doorway where it couldn't be seen from the front door, but that spot was better for the bookcase since it has an electrical outlet. So now the table is in the far corner, and we use a trash can with flip-top lid and Kissaluvs pail liner. As long as we keep things neat, it doesn't look too bad.

EAMommy

I have a daycare in my house so my situation is a little different. However, I do have a changing table in my living room. It's off to the side and does not stick out at all. I use the middle shelf to store diapers/wipes/etc. and the bottom shelf for toys. Thankfully, our garage door is about 10 steps from the changing table (and there's a tiny bathroom right across the hall from the garage) so the diapers go in the pail in the garage (one for daycare disposables and when LO is born I'll add another one for cloth) and then I'm able to wash my hands in the bathroom... Works well for us.