A square room has four 132" walls, so any wall can take the crib. That makes it easier than a long, narrow room: you can pick the layout around the door, window and closet instead of the other way around. Measure your own room wall to wall at floor height, since listings often round up and baseboards take an inch or two.
Facing walls: 132" − 30" crib − 20" dresser = 82" of floor (we drew 80" after leaving a little space at each wall). Take away 36" for the drawers and about 44" is left, more than a comfortable walkway. One wall: 54" crib + 6" gap + 60" dresser = 120", so even a 6-drawer dresser shares a wall with the crib, with about a foot to spare.
This is the easy, balanced layout. The dresser (which doubles as the changing table) is a few steps from the crib, the glider sits in a quiet corner away from the door, and there's still a 3-ft-wide spot in the middle for tummy time. The door here is near the bottom-right corner and swings into open floor, clear of the dresser.
In an 11x11 you don't have to give up storage to keep one wall for everything. Crib, dresser and changing pad all line up on one wall, which keeps the night routine in one spot and frees the other walls for a bookcase, a toy shelf, a closet door or a daybed later. Keep the changing end of the dresser away from the crib so you aren't reaching over it.
Type in your room's real size, mark the door and window, and drag in the crib, dresser and glider you're considering.
Try it with your room, free →| If your room has… | Try this |
|---|---|
| A door centered on a wall | Use Plan B on a wall next to it, so the door swings into open floor. |
| A window on every free wall | Keep the crib away from the window and cords; put the dresser or glider under the window instead. |
| An 8-drawer dresser | A 63" 8-drawer still fits facing the crib in Plan A (about 41" of walkway after drawer space). On one wall with the crib it takes 123" of 132", so measure first. |
| A twin daybed for night feeds | A twin with frame is about 41" × 80". Put it on the wall opposite the crib in Plan B. See the nursery and guest room combo guide. |
| Twins | Two full-size cribs fit on opposite walls with a dresser between. See twin nursery layouts. |
An 11x11 takes a 6x9 rug or an 8x8 square or round rug, leaving about 1½–2½ feet of floor around it. An 8x10 is too big: it would leave only about 6" on two sides. Keep the crib's legs all on the rug or all off it. More in our nursery rug size guide.
A bit smaller or bigger? See the 10x11 nursery layout, the 10x12 nursery layout and the 12x12 nursery layout. Awkward door or window? See how to lay out a nursery around the door and window.
Yes. At 121 square feet it fits a full-size crib, a 6-drawer dresser, a recliner glider and a play mat, with about 80" between a crib and a dresser on facing walls.
Yes. A 54" crib, a 6" gap and a 60" dresser take about 120" of the 132" wall, leaving roughly a foot.
In a corner or next to the window, where the reclined footrest (15–20" more) doesn't block the dresser drawers or the door swing.
A 6x9 or an 8x8 square or round rug. An 8x10 leaves only about 6" of floor on two sides.