Beds for Kids
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Sept 2007
My son is about to outgrow his toddler bed and I am thinking
about what size of bed to get for him. The size isn't
necessarily the issue as much as I am wondering if there are
cute ''little boy styled'' sheets out there that come in
full/double size? I am assuming that there will be plenty of
styles that will be cute for a twin bed, however, will the
appropriate styles be limited for a full sized bed (we would
rather get him the bigger size bed)? Is there anyone out there
that has/had a little boy (ages 3-6 years old)in a double bed
and was able to find cute bedding (sheets and comforter)for him?
mom2dom
My son is in a double bed and we've gotten great sheets for him
at The Company Store on line. All their kids bedding comes in
twin to king size.
anon
Sheets can last for years and years, so rather than buy
sheets in kiddie patterns that you'll discard
in a few years, why not have your child choose a color s/he
likes and buy good quality plain sheets? My son chose (to my
surprise) a vivid peach color, which, when he decides as
a teenager he doesn't like, I can use in the spare room.
Then, when he gets his own apartment and is happy to have
anything he doesn't have to pay for, he can use them
again.
We ended up buying a junior size bed at Ikea, it has worked out
great! It was cheaper than a twin size and perfect for the
transition out of pull ups at night. He will probably outgrow it
by 6yrs old and by then he'd be ready for a twin size which is a
bit higher than the jr size bed.
good luck
toddler mama
I think it's better to buy full size beds instead of twin since
the twins look kind of narrow and think that my boys will need
bigger beds when they hits their teens. Also I can use them as
guest beds when we have guests. However the size of the room is
138 and two full size beds are 108 which means there is 30''
between them for their night stands. Any advice? Is it better to
just buy the twins or stick with the full? Thanks
Daisy
March 2006
I am looking to buy a twin size bed with storage drawers. A
captain's bed style would be great (it often has 4 to 6 drawers
rather than the usual two or three), but I would love one with
modern, simple line styling (rather than nautical, which so many
are, which I guess is why it is named such).
Does anyone have any recommendations for brands/lines and ideally
a place with substantial kids furniture inventory so I could view
some beds?
Thanks in advance.
kpc
Scandinavian Designs has a couple of captain's beds with many drawers and modern lines, if you
don't mind the melamine. Look under Bedrooms | Youth on their website
(http://www.scandinaviandesigns.com) or check out their store in Berkeley on Shattuck (or in
Concord if you're over that way). Oysterbed in SF (http://www.oysterbed.com) also has some
storage bed styles. I also like Ikea's ''Bangsund'' bed with shelves/sliding doors under it
instead of drawers.
Also shopping
I was searching for a bed like this for my son when he
transitioned to a big boy bed. I wanted a twin bed with storage
that could grow with him for many years. I wanted quality but
also simple style -- turned out to be a tough thing to find!
I ended up getting a bed custom made and I cannot recommend the
shop highly enough. The shop is called Stumasa
(http://www.stumasa.com/) and it's in San Francisco on the corner
of Frederick and Stanyan. The husband-and-wife team makes their
own furniture and they made a bed to my specifications (I drew my
idea on a piece of paper). It has three big drawers on wheels
underneath, a simple slat headboard and footboard and removable
railings on each side. You can get it unfinished for even
cheaper, but we had them paint it with a milk-based, non-toxic
barn red paint.
The cost? Around $350! compared to the $1300 beds they sell at
Pottery Barn, I was shocked that something so lovingly crafted
would be so inexpensive. Everyone loves the bed, and now a few
friends of mine have had the same exact bed made. I think they
could also do a bed to your specifications (more of a captain
style with six drawers). We also got an adorable matching toy
shelf. So feel free to email me for more info. Kristi kristi.essick@gmail.com
We've had good luck two places: We got a nice, inexpensive trundle bed for our son at
Scandanavian Designs in Berkeley. We used the trundle for storage, since we have a small house.
We also had great luck (and better quality furniture) at Berkeley Kids room, which is located on
College avenue in Rockridge. They have a great variety of furniture, and they can order
furniture that is not in the showroom. Both places had helpful staff and the prices were fair.
Kim
I bought a BANGSUND bed from IKEA for a housemate. TONS of
storage underneath, in partitioned shelves with sliding doors. It's a twin bed that's 3 feet off
the ground, and all of the
space underneath is storage. However, it could be too high off
the ground for a child...
Elizabeth
It was years ago, but we bought two great non-nautical captains
beds at Jonathan Kayes in SF. One is now 12 years old, the other
about 9, and both still look and work like new. My daughter has
a 5-drawer bed (a deeper one in the center, flanked by two on
each side) which is a bit higher than the usual twin bed, but
holds a lot. For our son, we got a three-drawer model that is
standard height. Both are oak, with clean simple lines.
http://jonathankaye.com
R.K.
July 2004
I've checked the archives, but it seems most of the stores
recommended are pretty far out of town. Aside from Pottery
Barn Kids and Berkeley Kids' Furniture (or whatever it's
called, downtown on Shattuck), can anyone recommend a store
reasonably close to Berkeley that carries a good selection of
good-quality beds for children? We're looking for something
made of wood, twin-size, preferably with an optional rail that
can be detached, and possibly with drawers underneath. Any
ideas? (Goodnight Room seems to be out of business.)
Anonymous
I just bought twin beds this week, at Mancini Sleepworld in
Pinole. There's also one in Berkeley, near OSH. I bought nice,
solid wood bunkbeds, 2 good quality mattresses, and 2
dust-mite-proof, waterproof, breathable mattress covers, all for
just over $800. It would have cost almost that JUST for the bed
frames at the Shattuck children's bed place, not including the
mattresses or delivery. Mancini delivered it and assembled it
free, 2 days after purchase (we had them assemble the bed as 2
separate twins). They are having a huge sale now (the bunkbed
frame set was $399) on beds & mattresses, no tax, and free
delivery & set up. Big selection; easy, fast purchase--I had my
2 and 4 year olds with me when I made the deal! I highly
recommend Mancini.
Mom of happy sleepers
I also am looking for twin beds. In addition to what you
mentioned I have been to Scandanvian Designs in downtown Berkeley
and Ikea.
Scandanvian Designs has a melamine veneer twin bed that is low
price and reasonable looking. They also have a few more beds.
Ikea also has some beds. The good thing about these places are
that the beds are in stock and you can get them in a week or
less. Personally, these were not what I was looking for either.
Berkeley Sleepworks have very expensive fancy beds and the few I
looked at did not come in twins. Also, the sales people didn't
even want to talk to me.
I would be interested to find out what leads you get and what you
decide.
Thanks,
Michelle
Try Gorman and Sons Furniture located on Broadway in
Oakland. The have a nice selection of all wood beds, some
w/rails on the side. Plus they are just a really nice store, all
the people who work there are very friendly and helpful. And
they are a local store, been around a long time (they used to
be located on College near Parker).
Jen
We just bought an adorable bedroom set (full size bed, dresser
and night stand) on sale at Bombay Kids. We found it out of
town, but ordered it and it arrived at the Walnut Creek store.
If you can find something on sale, I think it's a great value.
The furniture is solid wood and very stylish -- and they had a
good selection. We were thinking to get a toddler bed for our 2
year old and then just decided to save the money and get a full-
size bed that will last. We paid $700 for all three pieces (the
twin size bed would have been $249). Good luck with your search.
anon
Check out IKEA...they have some nice all-wood twin beds very
cheap.
Nov 2003
Can anyone recommend somewhere to buy a bed (twin, not toddler)
for our daughter? We want good quality but not terribly
expensive. Ikea stuff seems like it won't last long-term, and
Pottery Barn Kids seems too expensive. Besides Berkeley Kids
Room (which was actually pretty close to PBK in price), is there
anything in between? I have consulted the archives. Thank you!
Sarah
We bought our son's bed at Oysterbed in San Francisco. Their
prices are not exactly a bargain but I believe they are good
value. Oysterbed is a fantastic place to look if you are
interested in a captain's style bed (with storage drawers under
the mattress) as they have the widest selection of this style
(in child and adult-oriented styles and sizes) of anywhere I
know. They also have trundle beds and bunk beds as well as
plain platform styles.
Other places that come to mind are Mancini Sleepworld and
Scandinavian Designs.
Holly
Shortly after purchasing an IKEA bed for our daughter, we had a
visit from a friend whose area of expertise is quality control
for furniture for a large retail store. She looked it over and
said that it looked good, and that IKEA is actually known in
the industry for making well-built furniture, for the price.
janet
Try Gorman & Sons - used to be on Telegraph in Berkeley -
now on Broadway near Piedmont Ave where the Sawmill
used to be. They have unfinished wood furniture and offer a
finishing service as well.
Shopper
We got our children's oak chest beds at Jonathan Kaye in S.F.
(just north of Golden Gate Park) It was a bit of a schlep, but
they had just the right thing, at a not-too-outrageous price
(for solid wood and good construction). Delivery was very
reasonable, too (over 5 years ago).
R.K.
Hi.Here are 3 in-betweens: 1. Mancini's sleepworld in Pinole
(Richmond Pkwy exit, next to Toys r Us) has a range from decent
more affordable solid wood to really nice, expensive lines;
their prices seem reasonable and we ordered a bookcase from them
to match our daughter's bed and were quite pleased. 2.Tradeway
furniture on San Pablo, E.C. has slightly blemished rejected
furniture that can be unnoticeable damage in many cases, we got
a gorgeous maple sleigh bed for nearly half retail price there
and the blemish was that the stain was a bit darker than the
company's standard finish (just check things very carefully in
store I think they're not returnable.) 3. Costco sometimes gets
good kids furniture, and if you can wait for delivery costco.com
has some solid birch and solid ash kids beds, some seem like a
really good price, some pricey, and I have seen shipping
included in some cases but not all. ***But I'd also recommend
scouring Craig's list and post a wanted ad on this newsletter
Marketplace and wanted on Craig'slist; I'd bet you could get
something pottery barn quality at Ikea prices, especially if
you're willing to pick up somewhere like Walnut Creek, etc. Good
Luck!
p.s. I totally agree with your instincts about IKEA. Plus most
of their wood contains a combination that includes particleboard
and/ or pressed lumbar which each has outgassing, and
could be inhaled all night long by your little one.
Chris
Gorman & Sons. Now in the Sawmill Bldg on Broadway in Oakland.
Best o' luck.
We bought two twin beds at the Scandanavian Design store on
Shattuck. Each twin bed also came with a ''trundle'' bed (which
is very useful) - pull out with smaller mattress inserted in
the drawer. I believe that the beds only cost about $150 each,
or less. It looks nice, and we bought the corresponding
dressers, nightstands, desks, etc...all for under $600. So
far, they've held up nicely (been 5 years), and the kids love
them. Plus, they look nice, and I'm not embarrassed to have
guests sleep on the beds. I got some advice from another
parent about the Pottery Barn furniture - for my daughter, and
she said, ''Your daughter will only like the white furniture for
a short time period...soon she'll reach an age, where she'll
want to paint it black, or cover it with stickers, and you'll
wonder why you spent so much...'' I kept that in mind, and
changed my focus. Good luck!
Melissa
The Futon Emporium on University and 6th Streets in Berkeley has
wonderful, beautiful beds that are relatively inexpensive. They
also have bunkbeds.
Toby
Aug 2003
I am looking to buy a bed for my 3 year old daughter and
was wondering if anyone has recommendations on where
to buy one. I would like to find a wooden twin bed that has
drawers underneath it. Any recommendations would be
much appreciated. Thanks!
Madeleine
We bought such beds for each of our children at Jonathan Kaye
in S.F. (don't recall exact location; not far from Golden Gate
Park. They advertise in Parents' Press) It was a bit of a
shlepp, but they had just what we wanted - a nice-looking, well-
made twin bed, made of clear-finished oak, with drawers. My
daughter's bed has 5 drawers - one deep one in the center, and
two smaller ones on each side. We bought it when she was
three, and used some of the drawer space for toys. Now, over
ten years later, it is filled with clothes, but still looks and
works as good as new. For my son, we got a slightly lower one
that just has three medium-size drawers (plenty for his
wardrobe, with room to spare). They weren't cheap, but I
thought they were reasonable for the high quality.
R.K.
We got one exactly like you describe at Ikea, about a year
ago. It's been great for our son.
Heather
We found a great bed for our three year old boy at IKEA. It is
a wooden twin size bed with three large drawers under the bed.
It has been really great for toy storage! I think that it cost
in the neighborhood of $250 with the mattress. Hope you find
what you are looking for.
Debora Morrison
We bought a captain's bed (pine twin bed with three drawers
underneath and a small bookshelf at the headboard) from Lullaby
Lane in San Bruno. Very good quality and great price (about
$300?).
JV
Oysterbed in San Francisco has a large number of choices (type
of wood; finish colors; headboard styles; number, size and
arrangement of drawers) for captain's beds and their prices are
very reasonable.
Holly
2001
We are in the market to get our daughter a "big girl" bed. We are going to go
straight from crib to twin bed (my daughter will be three in August and has
been perfectly happy in her crib, but I want to do some research so I can
narrow down our choices so she can help pick relatively soon). We want
something wood and something that can potentially last through high school
(is that wishful thinking?). A friend recommended checking out the Berkeley
Kids' Room, which we will do. I wanted to find out other places that folks
would recommend we check as well. I have checked the UCB Parents website and
noted what is there, but would welcome other suggestions as well,
particularly in Contra Costa County. We are in Walnut Creek but are willing
to travel anywhere in the Bay Area to find a high-quality, low to the ground,
wooden bed (probably a trundle bed with matching nighttable and other
pieces). Thanks. Lori
Cartan's in San Ramon has a really nice selection of beds for kids
that are nice enough to last long term. Also, there is a bed store
for kids and teens on Contra Costa Blvd. in Pleasant Hill (by Tap
Plastics) - I can't remember the name, but it's probably worth a look too.
Good luck!
Dylan
Although not inexpensive, (approx $750 regular twin, trundle beds more)
Pottery Barn Kids has wonderful children's beds. Much of their stuff it
catalog only, but they do have a store in Corte Madera. I have seen a
number of their beds and the quality is very good. Another source is
Goodnight Room on College, although their beds are even more expensive
than Pottery Barn
Kristi
If you want to look close-to-home, I would check out Cartans in San Ramon.
They have a fair selection of big kid's furniture and catalogs for you to
look through. I actually went to Kids Furniture/Lullaby Lane in San Bruno
(I live in Lafayette!) because they have so much on the floor for you to see;
it really helps me to see the pieces in person vs. on paper. Kids Furniture
carries all the same furniture as Cartans, plus some. I also find the sales
people at Kids Furniture to be more knowledgeable about the furniture they
sell--at Cartans the manager knows his stuff, but staff don't seem to, at
least the ones I talked to.
I struggled, too, with wanting to get my just-3-year-old daughter something
that would last her many years. I thought the furniture made by EG was well
made (solid wood throughout, including the backs of case pieces and all
drawer sides) and attractive--not too little-girlish. You can check out their
furniture at egfurniture.com (we ordered some pieces from their Whimsy line).
Good luck, and keep in mind it seems to take 8-12 weeks to order most
furniture.
Christina
FYI.
Berkeley Design Center over on Adeline and Ashby have a good selection of children's
furniture. We got bunk beds there for our boys. I have no experience with loft beds. It
seems like it would be hard to be under when they get too tall.
June
Unfortunately, I have a negative experience to post. We recently purchased a bed for
my daughter from Famous Foam Factory on San Pablo Ave. in Berkeley. We brought it
home and built it and then realized they had given us the wrong style of head and
footboards. We were told it would be our responsibility to take the bed apart again and
bring it back to the store and they ordered the correct bed. This weekend, my daughter
was sitting on the bed and it suddenly collapsed. A portion of the side rail was
constructed poorly with the screws too low and the wood just split and it fell apart. I
called the store and they suggested I again take the bed apart and bring the broken
pieces to them for replacement. I did this and they did have a replacement part. When I
got home and compared it to the other side of the bed, I could clearly see the
replacement part was built better and the original parts were built poorly. I called the
store again and they are ordering the other side replacement which means I will have to
build the bed a fourth time when it arrives. I asked them to come and take the bed apart
and make the replacement and they flatly refused. They did not inquire if my daughter
or anyone had been injured and they only said they were sorry about that shoddy
quality and "that happens sometimes." I believe, if they know their product halfway, and
they know "that happens sometimes," they could prevent it happening by not selling the
defective side rails. That's a no brainer. So while the store did agree to replace the
defective parts, I think they are unethical in selling junk in the first place and people
need to be aware of the total lack of service if they shop there.
Barbara
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