One more item can be crossed off the nursery to-do list: the changing table is done.
Before Clara was born, a coworker insisted changing tables were unnecessary because you’d often change the baby wherever was most convenient — the floor or the nearest piece of furniture — rather than walk all the way to the nursery. We had already bought and refinished Clara’s changing table/dresser by then, so I wondered if we’d fallen into a first-time-parent trap.
Surprisingly, we used Clara’s changing table religiously. Maybe it was because our house was compact or all on one level: if we were home, she was changed on that table. That habit continued after we moved to a larger single-level house.
Stairs can change the diaper routine, though, so in this new house we plan to keep some supplies downstairs for convenience. Anything that makes life with a newborn easier is welcome.
When we began the nursery project we considered using my dad’s old dresser from the closet as a changing surface, which would be a nice family heirloom solution. After finishing built-ins that provided lots of storage, however, we realized adding another dresser might be overkill. Instead, open, easy-access storage for toys and games would be more useful on that wall.
We listed our criteria for the new changing station:
- A wide, flat surface to hold the changing pad (at least 15″ deep)
- Open storage with room for bins or baskets to hide diapering essentials temporarily
- A width of roughly 60″ to balance the wall and the large prints planned above it
Looking at a previous room photo sparked an idea: why not repurpose the Ikea Expedit we had in the office? It fit our requirements and wasn’t serving a permanent purpose there. With the Expedit being phased out and renamed in Ikea’s lineup, it felt like a good moment to give it new life.
I moved the unit to the nursery to see how it looked, and while it fit, it felt a bit bland against the wall, rug, and doors. Leaning the bike art against it helped, but we wanted more contrast and a touch of wood to connect it visually to the built-ins and the frames in the room.
Our solution was a simple hack: wrap the outside of the Expedit with stained wood boards to create a framed, furniture-like look that echoes the existing white-and-wood changing table and built-ins. The visual result makes the unit feel more intentional and tied to the room.
Back in the garage, we measured and determined three 1×6 boards would cover the face of the Expedit with a slight overhang on each side, giving the changing pad a bit more surface. We used affordable whitewood — the same stock we used on other projects — and aimed for a slightly rustic finish.
After cutting the boards to size, I joined the three boards side-by-side using pocket holes made with a Kreg Jig to form larger panels. I sanded the assembled panels to smooth edges and seams.
Before staining, we applied a wood conditioner to reduce blotchy absorption and enhance the stain color. That small step paid off: the conditioned wood absorbed the stain more evenly and produced a richer, warmer tone compared with unconditioned samples.
We used a dark walnut stain to match other wood accents in the room and sealed the boards with two coats of a non-toxic acrylic lacquer to lock in the finish. Once the finishes were dry, I attached the wood panels to the Expedit using wood glue and a nail gun with short brad nails to avoid visible screw heads.
The sides received the same treatment for a seamless, waterfall-edge appearance, and I added bottom pieces only at the ends where they would be visible. After everything dried, I brought the piece back upstairs to add legs and test casters.
We experimented with chunky casters for mobility, but they raised the unit to an awkward height for diaper changes and made the art sit too high. In the end we kept stationary legs at the back and middle for stability and removed the casters.
Sherry hung the bike art and we staged the shelves. The current basket and bin arrangement is temporary — we’ll swap in a few large baskets to hold diapers, wipes, and other essentials — but the mix of concealed and open storage already works well for toys and books.
Update: The Expedit unit measures 31″ tall and the added wood frame raises the changing surface a few more inches. With the pad on top the baby’s position is about 34″ from the floor, which is similar to our preferred changing height.
We secured the changing pad with the same oversized snaps we used previously, which screw into the back edge of the unit, and reinforced the art with heavy-duty adhesive strips in addition to the hanging hardware so it won’t come loose. The poster-board material should also stand up to the occasional mess.
Cost for the upgrade was modest: roughly the price of the wood and conditioner, since we already owned stain and the other tools. The result feels intentional and practical — a framed, wood-wrapped Expedit that serves as a safe changing station now and durable toy and book storage later.
The once-empty wall now feels finished, and the room is cozier with that large piece in place. Sherry is finishing a mobile to hang over the crib, so there are more nursery details to come. For anyone deciding whether to keep a changing table: it turned out to be one of the most used pieces in our home, and repurposing an Expedit with a simple wood frame made it both functional and beautiful.
Do you use a dedicated changing table, or do you prefer changing on the bed, floor or another spot? Have you tried a similar furniture hack on an Expedit or another shelving unit?
PS: If you’re interested in another easy furniture hack, we added a fun paint pattern to a thrift-store desk that turned out great.
