When my son turned a year old, there was barely any use for his changing table. He would wriggle around and try to climb out of it while I was changing his clothes! We ended up just spreading a thin blanket on the floor to change him, while the changing table sat around with no use. Yes, there were still baskets of my son's clothes, diapers and other belongings on the shelves, but he would just flip the entire baskets upside down everyday. That system evidently wasn't working out.
Here is a picture of the changing table before. I have an entire post on baby organization here. I would say this system works until the baby turns one.
See how I went from that, to a wheeled beverage cart!
Before and after
A closeup look. There's a slight indication that this beverage cart is travel themed, but it's not too over-powering.
Along with the world map where I can pinpoint the family's travels, I also bought a book from Barnes and Noble to display.
It has the most gorgeous pictures of various places around the world and I enjoy changing up the pages that are on display from time to time. Really takes your breath away.
Hot chocolate and instant coffee station. More details here.
Herbal tea collection with a teabag strainer
I got this gorgeous shot glass from Navy Pier, Chicago. I plan to put a wooden honey dipper inside it. Just ordered it from Amazon. You can purchase it here. I will also post where you can find the tea organizer.
Glass bottles at the back give a more vintage vibe.
Some glasses and teacups for guests. Varying the heights of cups gives a little bit more of a dramatic effect.
Keep in mind that there is also another shelf below this one for you to add whatever you'd like! I would add an ice bucket and maybe some snacks.
I do realize that it's too early for me to keep such delicate items out in the open with a toddler around. On regular days, I keep the bottom two shelves empty and the top one still holds the hot cocoa and tea station. This system is mainly for when guests come over. However, if you have a large enough kitchen, you can keep it there and have a gated fence around it so toddlers aren't able to reach it! That would be the ideal situation, so it can look pretty year round :)
If you're thinking of buying a baby changing table, try to look into something that you can use even after the baby grows out of it. Look for a design that is not very childish and can be used in any part of the house. They would work great for entryways as well. Here is where I got mine:
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