Last week we showed you some genius ways to repurpose your crib, and this week we're moving on to the changing table. These days, not everyone invests in this piece of nursery furniture, which comes with a very short lifespan (if you're lucky). But for those who do, there's no reason to throw it out with the last of the diapers. Keep reading for some of the amazing ways — some provide serious kid-entertainment, while others are for adults only — you can give your changing table a second life.
Every mama has her routine when changing her lil one's diaper: without taking her eye off her tot, she can grab a fresh nappy, pull out a few wipes, and dip her finger in a pot of diaper cream. Imagine if it could all be done with the benefit of pivoting drawers and the comfort of a body-molding mattress.
Castor & Chouca, the design firm behind the baby bassinet that converts into a trolley, has created a Nappy Changing Commode ($4,943) that may put all standard versions to shame. With lateral shelves, pivoting drawers, two mattresses, and a "roof" for additional storage, the changing table is a one-piece wonderland for diaper-changing parents. What's more, it can be converted into a desk once potty-training days have come and gone.
The nappy changing commode, with a telescopic body-moulding changing mattress and pivoting drawers that can be used as a desk later on, is the first family furniture made by handcraft makers and standardized as a changing table!
Moms on the go often find themselves changing their tots' diapers in some unusual, and uncomfortable, places. While airplane changes take the prize for most-Twister-like changing venue, mamas often find themselves contorting their bodies elsewhere. The Dipe n' Go ($20) is designed to take the pain out of in-vehicle nappy-changes. Complete with Velcro that attaches directly to the side of a car's interior, the mom-designed all-in-one changing station tries to make the trunk-side diaper change as clean and sanitary as possible, but would you invest in it?
Every mama has her bag of tricks to soothe her infant out of a frenzy. Some newborns like to be bounced and others simply melt at the first note of a lullaby. While I was a devotee of Dr. Harvey Karp's Happiest Baby on the Block methods for calming my tots, I found that simply placing them on their changing table was the lil trick that always worked.
Even when my boys were red in the face and screaming like banshees, gently placing them on their changing tables would instantly melt away the tears and quickly turn their frowns into million-dollar smiles. Thinking that I owned a magical piece of furniture, I told my friends about my discovery only to learn that they had similar experiences. I decided to perform a little experiment to see if I could market my instant baby calmer as a miracle product. I moved the changing pad to the floor and had the same reaction. I tested public changing stations, and my son instantly turned on the smile. I even tried using the changing pad on a grassy knoll in the park, and my tyke immediately gazed at me with a glimmer in his eyes. It was then that I learned the secret nobody told me: changing pads are another word for instant baby calmer.
See how far you can stretch that dollar. New parents spend a lot of dough on products that are typically designed to last a matter of months. Some manufacturers are aware of the frustration parents feel when their lil ones outgrow the crib, high chair, or swing that they spent their hard-earned money on, and are designing items that evolve as the children grow. From infant recliners that convert into high chairs to changing tables that turn into homework desks, check out six items that will stay in your home for more than one year and can be used for multiple children.
When babe's nursery is cramped with a crib, dresser, rocking chair and bookcase many parents think they can do without a changing table. Certainly families can deal without one by changing diapers on the floor or in the crib, but when the nappy runneth over, it's nice for the mess to be caught on a washable pad instead of the carpet. When space is an issue, wall mounted changing tables may be mum's answer.
Simple: The IKEA Antilop ($70) table is simple and white making it easy to decorate around and disguise on a wall.
Swank: For 10 times the IKEA option, Bo Ekstrom's wall mounted changing table ($750) offers a more modern look with bent wood and built in shelves.
Which option do you prefer?
Buying furniture for a baby's nursery can drive a mama mad, especially when the prices of some pieces are more than her paycheck. The folks at Design Milk have figured out one way to justify buying the posh NettoCollection’s Loft Changing Table.
Some people don't believe changing tables are necessary while others can't live without them. A $1650 changing table and dresser seems a tad outrageous, but if you can extend the lifetime of the fancy dresser into a spinning table or living room addition, it may not sound so bad. Just don't tell your friends that you used to wipe poop off the turntable's current resting spot.
If heirloom furniture, quilted bedspreads and Winnie the Pooh aren't your cup of tea, these sleek and modern changing tables might be more fitting of your decorative taste. 
Simple: Dwell for Target crafts a chocolate brown and white option with three drawers and a changing table area on top for only $279.
Swank: The Nurseryworks Two-Wide Changing Table from Giggle has three pull drawers with a circle decor side cabinet for extra storage. On top, there is room for a changing pad and two extra crannies for lotions, diapers or what have you. The "bubbly" swank version will cost you a whopping $1200!
Which one do you prefer?
