Post by hopeful2012 on Dec 18, 2012 21:31:17 GMT -5
Where should I be looking for nursery furniture? For DS #1 we had hand-me downs (the crib is now recalled and he is still using the dresser/changing table).
For #2 I want to buy a new crib and a dresser with a changing table topper on it (the bedroom is small so I just want to have a crib and dresser in there and not also a changing table).
I would preferably like to buy them together because i'm kind of picky about having the finishes match if they are going to be close-ish to the same color.
I'm thinking white furniture if its a girl and I'm undecided if its a boy (may still go with white unless that seems too girly for a boy..especially once the boy is a little older).
So far I've found a crib on PBK ($399) and extra wide dresser with topper on PBK ($899) but $1300+shipping+tax seems like a lot for two pieces of child furniture (correct me if I'm wrong...). There is a cheaper dresser for like $549 but its half the size and probably not worth cutting back on in the long run.
But then i went to look on BRU and the prices didn't seem better at all.
I'm not sold on the PBK furniture but I just want something that I have some confidence will last (especially the dresser) and something that will match.
I think that's a lot to spend, even if you have it to spend. (I do, and chose not to.)
We bought the Graco Stanton crib on Amazon for about $150, and the Ikea Hemnes dresser for $299.
The crib is white, because I wanted to soften the room. We're having a boy, so I chose an espresso colored dresser, with the hopes that he would use it for years.
We chose not to purchase a glider, because we had a fairly new leather armchair in our office that wasn't getting any use. It's very low set and very comfortable for me. (I'm not quite 5' 1".) I spent $130 on a turquoise leather ottoman, and just spent roughly the same on a lime one. They're actually Moroccan "poufs" so they are stuffed and have no formal structure on the inside. I hope these will be used in the little reading nook of his room as seats eventually.
We bought a rug from Urban Outfitters (their home section) for about $100.
I opted not to get a changing table as well. I think you should avoid a "changing topper" that's attached to a dresser. I have heard friends complain that they spent more for the wooden bar attachment, and when removed, there are screw holes that remain. Just pick out a nice dresser and get a contoured changing pad. It's like a mattress. They have a bit of grip on the bottom. You don't need one of those wooden bars on the side of the dresser.
When all is said and done, we will have spent about $250 on art, $40'ish on book ledges from Ikea, and $80 on paint. Oh, and $60 on a table top nightlight from Land of Nod.
I like things to match, but tried not to obsess with it came to the furniture. Instead, I went with lots of matching colors. Turquoise, lime, white, and a touch of orange. I splurged on a ton of different sized baskets and accessories in these colors from Land of Nod. I feel that has really pulled the room together.
We didn't want to spend a ton on the crib, because I want my kiddo in a twin once he's out of the crib/toddler bed. I don't want a full sized bed in his room. We would rather he have more play space on the floor. The crib's front panel comes off and it turns into a toddler bed. After that, we'll donate/get rid of the crib.
I hate regrets, so I tend to spend less on items that get limited/short-term use.
Post by Shreddingbetty on Dec 18, 2012 22:58:15 GMT -5
That is an insane amount of money IMO. I bought our crib (and it is pretty nice, Graco something or another)form amazon for $135 and we have a 20 year old dresser that doesn't match from when SDs were babies. Got a $10 changing pad on it and voilà . DD is also in a very small room. Why not save that money and get something cheaper for now and then spend that kind of money when you get a permanent bedroom set when they move out of the crib?
Post by carolinagirl831 on Dec 18, 2012 23:23:49 GMT -5
I got the kendall crib from pbk for $315 on sale in white, the hemnes ikea dresser for $299, I also custom ordered a glider and ottoman and got a bookshelf. I have a mix of things but I think it looks fine. I used color to tie it all together! Pbk dressers are really small, they wouldn't work for. Teenager, they are child sized. I think they are pricey for what they are. That said I really like the crib, some white cribs look plasticky and cheap. This one looks really nice. It was also duper easy to put together, took DH and I about 20 minutes.
Our dresser is a family heirloom, DS is the fourth generation of DH's family to use it in a nursery. So i did NOT want to change DS on top of it for fear of it getting scuffed up. So I bought a changing table and crib from Amazon in a similar color. DaVinci Emily I think. The crib was $200ish and the changing table $125. I figure once he's done with diapers I'll use the bins on the changing table shelves for toys. The crib converts into a toddler bed so we plan on using it for awhile.
Also after the crib she'll go into a twin bed, so I didn't need one of those converts to a double cribs.
We're going to get the white ikea hemnes dresser and just put the changing pad on top.
We did splurge on a leather glider/recliner at $600 on black friday sale b/c after we use it in the nursery it will go in the living room as DH's man chair.
I got the kendall crib from pbk for $315 on sale in white, the hemnes ikea dresser for $299, I also custom ordered a glider and ottoman and got a bookshelf. I have a mix of things but I think it looks fine. I used color to tie it all together! Pbk dressers are really small, they wouldn't work for. Teenager, they are child sized. I think they are pricey for what they are. That said I really like the crib, some white cribs look plasticky and cheap. This one looks really nice. It was also duper easy to put together, took DH and I about 20 minutes.
Are the whites close to matching? A few people mention IKEA which I may try - how does the hemnes ikea dresser hold up?
Post by hopeful2012 on Dec 19, 2012 9:29:38 GMT -5
Also - holy moly does target have a million cribs/dressers online. Anyone had luck with particular brands - especially trying to get a crib and dresser that go together? I found several nice looking cribs but then couldn't find dressers to match (or they were teeny tiny). Would any target kid/adult size dressers match?
Check out JCPenney.com. Unfortunately they only sell their nursery furniture online but we got our set on there for a great price! And it was exactly what I was looking for too... had trouble finding it in the 9 million stores I went to (I'm super picky).
The Hemnes dreser is solid as a rock. We are about 90% finished with putting it together, and it's solid wood aside from a few small pieces. I imagine it will last our son through high school and possibly beyond. The drawers are really smooth, too. I love it.
Our crib is graco - and also solid wood.
Honestly, I would try to get out of the "must match" mentality when it comes to the crib. You will have that for such a short period of time. Why not focus on similar stains or whites, vs. matching? You'll just be frustrated in 2-3 yrs when the crib is gone and you can't find a bed to match perfectly.
Post by hopeful2012 on Dec 19, 2012 9:40:17 GMT -5
I just don't want one "white" to be noticeably off - like I want too "pure" white pieces of furniture instead of one really white one and one "creamy/ivory" white.
Post by hopeful2012 on Dec 19, 2012 9:42:12 GMT -5
And - good to know about the Hermes dresser - if its mostly real wood and that sturdy that is an awesome price! Is the white more a true white than an ivory?
Here's a post on putting the Hemnes dresser together. The only part that's not solid wood is the buttom of each drawer. That's often common even with high end dressers, though, as that piece is not very thick. The drawer bottoms are also pre-lined which is awesome.
Post by countthestars on Dec 19, 2012 10:04:23 GMT -5
The bottoms of the drawers on my Hemnes dresser weren't solid wood and they fell out quite often. I ended up tossing it after 3 years because I couldn't deal with the drawer bottoms any longer. Have they changed the design, or is it still the thick cardboard-like stuff that was on the bottom 4 years ago?
ETA: Clearly I didn't read Cloudbee's last post. Yeah, I hated my Hemnes. Everyone else seems to have good luck, so maybe I just put clothes in that were too heavy?
The bottoms of the drawers on my Hemnes dresser weren't solid wood and they fell out quite often. I ended up tossing it after 3 years because I couldn't deal with the drawer bottoms any longer. Have they changed the design, or is it still the thick cardboard-like stuff that was on the bottom 4 years ago?
ETA: Clearly I didn't read Cloudbee's last post. Yeah, I hated my Hemnes. Everyone else seems to have good luck, so maybe I just put clothes in that were too heavy?
How did the bottoms fall out? They slide into slats, are nailed in, and then the sliders hook around the bottoms.
Maybe you were missing hardware, or they updated the dresser?
Post by countthestars on Dec 19, 2012 10:35:40 GMT -5
They may have updated it - I don't think they used to be nailed in. The middle of the drawer would start to bend due to the weight of the clothes and then the warped bottom wouldn't fit snugly in the slats. Hopefully they have just changed the design - I LOVED the look of that dresser and was super bummed that it didn't work for us