mommychic
10-23-2002, 01:30 PM
I just received the most wonderful advice from a dear friend of mine with at 2-year-old. I was showing my friend pictures of nursery furniture that we are considering. I was asking what other pieces in addition to the crib are really necessary? Bookcases, chests, armoires, etc.… Well, my total (before discussing this with her) was almost pushing $2,000! But all in all, I’m thinking this furniture will last my child until they move out to college and then can be used in a guestroom.
My dear girlfriend showed me the light! She had purchased a similar set up (at a similar price) and strongly suggested I reconsider. Here’s why:
Yes, we all see nursery furniture for what it is a “nursery”. But once your child is a toddler and has developed their own little personality many people like to redecorate according to the child’s interest. My girlfriend’s son has a fascination for trains. His nursery is Peter Rabbit. His furniture is dark cherry. She wishes she could transform his room into a fun toddler train room, but what to do with the dark cherry furniture and all the peter rabbit accessories? She feels like she’s stuck with what she started out with. Knowing that her parents spent a small fortune on the furniture for them, they just cannot part with it. In a matter of two years her son has out grown the room (in her eyes).
What I’ve decided to do for pennies of my original price tag. Is purchase a white crib, white armoire, white bookcase and white changing table. The armoire I’m purchasing at a nude furniture store for only $300 and painting it myself then adding molding and legs to it to give it that “poshtots.com” look. I love how you can compartmentalize the armoires for kids; there’s so much room in them! The bookcase I can get from Ikea, the crib and changing table I’ll get something nice, decent, but not going crazy as they won’t be used for too long. The bookcase and armoire can be painted later to fit any décor we decide on. I like theme rooms like nautical, trains, english gardens, etc.…. When our baby is a toddler and shows us an interest (if it’s a boy that is, what girl will say “Mom I want an english garden in my room!:)”) then we’ll redecorate. Paint murals, paint fun furniture, buy accessories, etc.…. There is so much out there today to make decorating easier than ever before.
Another thing I realized is there is so much crib bedding out there for either a boy or a girl which makes you think that’s how you have to decorate. I was all set to do that and select a boy pattern and a girl pattern. Then thought to myself, but when I have a second child and it’s a different gender am I going to discard the bedding and have to purchase another one? NO! I’m not. One nursery set up for us is sufficient. That said. Crib is white, changing table is white, bedding is a neutral shade of lemon and sage!!
I found this information most valuable. It was something I never stopped to think about. Right now we’re focused on newborns and infants. It was so refreshing to stop and think of a toddler and how the room will work for them in 2 years.
I hope this was helpful to anyone else in the same dilemma I was facing!
Lisa
My dear girlfriend showed me the light! She had purchased a similar set up (at a similar price) and strongly suggested I reconsider. Here’s why:
Yes, we all see nursery furniture for what it is a “nursery”. But once your child is a toddler and has developed their own little personality many people like to redecorate according to the child’s interest. My girlfriend’s son has a fascination for trains. His nursery is Peter Rabbit. His furniture is dark cherry. She wishes she could transform his room into a fun toddler train room, but what to do with the dark cherry furniture and all the peter rabbit accessories? She feels like she’s stuck with what she started out with. Knowing that her parents spent a small fortune on the furniture for them, they just cannot part with it. In a matter of two years her son has out grown the room (in her eyes).
What I’ve decided to do for pennies of my original price tag. Is purchase a white crib, white armoire, white bookcase and white changing table. The armoire I’m purchasing at a nude furniture store for only $300 and painting it myself then adding molding and legs to it to give it that “poshtots.com” look. I love how you can compartmentalize the armoires for kids; there’s so much room in them! The bookcase I can get from Ikea, the crib and changing table I’ll get something nice, decent, but not going crazy as they won’t be used for too long. The bookcase and armoire can be painted later to fit any décor we decide on. I like theme rooms like nautical, trains, english gardens, etc.…. When our baby is a toddler and shows us an interest (if it’s a boy that is, what girl will say “Mom I want an english garden in my room!:)”) then we’ll redecorate. Paint murals, paint fun furniture, buy accessories, etc.…. There is so much out there today to make decorating easier than ever before.
Another thing I realized is there is so much crib bedding out there for either a boy or a girl which makes you think that’s how you have to decorate. I was all set to do that and select a boy pattern and a girl pattern. Then thought to myself, but when I have a second child and it’s a different gender am I going to discard the bedding and have to purchase another one? NO! I’m not. One nursery set up for us is sufficient. That said. Crib is white, changing table is white, bedding is a neutral shade of lemon and sage!!
I found this information most valuable. It was something I never stopped to think about. Right now we’re focused on newborns and infants. It was so refreshing to stop and think of a toddler and how the room will work for them in 2 years.
I hope this was helpful to anyone else in the same dilemma I was facing!
Lisa