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Every family has different demands for buying kids' furniture and as the kids get older, the kids will make demands of their own. Determining what furniture to buy depends on several factors.
1. Kid's Age. A child's age can be the deciding factor for type of furniture being purchased. For infants, a secure sleeping environment is necessary and bed choices include a bassinet, a crib, or co-sleeper. Items such as changing tables may also be desired. As infants grow into toddlers, the choices of furniture expand. Some families opt for the simplicity of a mattress on the floor. Other families choose princess beds and matching armoires. As kids age, they place their own demands on types of furniture (e.g., bunk beds).
2. Budget. Like children's ages, budget often drives purchasing decisions. Pottery Barn for Kids has beautiful furniture, but at a cost that many of us cannot afford. Even so, there are many decent options when shopping on a budget. Buying used furniture is one way to save money and acquire nice furniture. This is my preference since I can buy fun furniture at an affordable price. It's also easier to justify repainting or re-decorating used furniture to customize a child's bedroom. Another way to save is to shop online or at discount stores. Sometimes, savings run into the hundreds of dollars.
3. Furniture Being Tied to a Theme. Bedroom themes may play an important role in buying furniture. If a little boy wants a room decorated in cars, then the bed choice may be a race car bed. Themes however do not have to drive furniture selection. Furniture can easily fit into a theme with customizations of other items like comforters and pillows.
4. Desired Quality. Needless to say, the better the quality, the higher the price. Unless furniture is found on sale or is used, higher quality furniture does not come cheap. However, it is not difficult to find furniture that is of reasonable quality and price. And given that parents often buy furniture at least two to four times for children before they leave the nest, settling on reasonable quality without going overboard adds up over the years.
5. Whether Children Are Sharing a Room. If children share a room, then the furniture budget may double or even triple. There may also be constraints due to the size of a bedroom and the number of required beds. In this case, bunk beds are often a great choice as long as the children are of appropriate age-generally five years or greater.
6. Desired Level of Durability. For many kids, durability is paramount. Many kids inevitably use beds as trampolines and dressers for soccer target practice. If this is the case, less expensive furniture may not hold up to the expected wear and tear.
7. Hidden Watch-outs. Some furniture seems like a decent choice at first, but further evaluation may reveal risks. For example, I purchased a fire truck toddler bed that had rounded, but hard edges. My youngest son is a fitful sleeper and occasionally hit his arms at night on one these hard edges. The bed was so cute, but did not fit my son's sleeping habits.
With a little planning, buying kids furniture is a fun experience and one that can be shared with the kids. Kid Furniture DealersView All
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