Furniture and Design Blog for Children's and Babies' Rooms

Five Fantastic Alarm Clocks for Kids Bedroom

April 1, 2012 By mbg Leave a Comment

Alarm clocks can help foster independence in children, so it is important to choose one that appeals to them.

OK to Wake Owl

The OK to Wake! Owl with night-light, music and nap timer is wonderful addition to the rambunctious toddler’s bedroom. Little one’s love to cuddle with this cute plush owl, and parents enjoy the extra alone time that it provides. The owl’s face illuminates to a soft green in the morning notifying the child that it is okay to get out of bed. At night the owl’s face glows a soft yellow, enabling it to double as a night-light. It also plays five soft lullabies and two groovy wake-up songs. The alarm clock features a nap time timer that will not interfere with the morning timer and the plush part of the clock is machine washable. The owl speaks five unique phrases that indicate how close it is to wake up time whenever his tummy is pushed. Pressing the button on the tummy will also reactivate the night light and lullabies.

LEGO alarm clock

The LEGO alarm clock is a favorite of all ages. This big block clock is 10 times the size of the classic toy and is available in the standard LEGO colors of red, yellow, green and blue. The two top knobs function as a volume control and an AM/FM tuner with snooze.

Hello Kitty

Girls of all ages will adore the Hello Kitty AM/FM projection alarm clock radio with backup battery. This Hello Kitty shaped clock features an adjustable projection that displays the time as well as a Hello Kitty’s face on the wall or ceiling. The clock also has an LED time display inside of a heart held by Hello Kitty. The radio has an automatic shutoff feature that enables girls to fall asleep listening to their favorite station and they can wake up to either tunes or buzzer.

Hot Wheels

Boys can wake up to the sound of screeching tires and honking horns with the Hot Wheels Screeching Projection alarm clock. The alarm can be set to a favorite radio station as well. The stations and volume of this clock radio are adjusted by turning the wheels of the car. The clock also includes an adjustable time projection arm and an engine-shaped snooze button.

The Sonic Boom

The Sonic Boom alarm clocks are perfect for heavy sleeping teens and college students. The extremely loud alarm on this clock is accompanied by flashing lights and a powerful 12-volt bed shaker that is impossible to sleep through. The Sonic Boom is available in a bright pink heart shape for girls and a sleek black design for boys.

Written by James a father of two and a writer from the UK.

Filed Under: Room Accessories

Getting it Right in Baby’s Room

March 29, 2012 By Kieron Leave a Comment

When you are expecting a baby, particularly for the first time, you are welcomed into a whole new world of retail opportunities. This is a good thing – but it easy to get carried away. To help keep your feet on the ground read on for some top tips on equipping your nursery:

Unless you are absolutely sure of the sex of your unborn baby then don’t paint the nursery all pink or all blue. It is amazing how often scan pictures are deceptive and you could be left with a costly and inconvenient decorating problem.
Whatever you buy, think about how long it will actually be in use for. The expensive kit which the baby grows out of after three months is all very well if budget is no problem or you are planning an army of kids but average families may regret these impulse buys.
If you are lost in a world of products you don’t understand then seek some good consumer feedback on websites such as Super Savvy Me. There is no substitute for real life opinion either so speak to friends with small children and ask them for a list of ‘must haves’.
If space is at a premium in baby’s room then choose furniture which will grow with the child. Don’t go for a changing table with built in baby bath when a chest of drawers with a mat on the top would be a lot more practical.
Think about how you are going to maintain good hygiene and keep everything looking pristine too. When your over excited toddler tips a full jar of Olay out on the carpet are you going to be able to remove the stain or would laminate flooring with a washable rug have been a better idea?
Remember how excited everyone in your life is about the imminent new arrival. You are going to get lots of gifts! Either start a list of requested items or ask for cash to put towards bigger things – that way everyone will be happy and you will get exactly what you want. Perfect!

Filed Under: Baby Furniture Tagged With: baby room, Furniture, nursery

6 Tips for Bringing New Life to Your Child’s Room

March 28, 2012 By Susan Leave a Comment

This is a Guest Post provided by Leslie A. She is a home improvement fanatic who writes online to help people get car insurance quotes online. She also deals directly with a number of insurance providers. When not dreaming up new design ideas for her home, she does her best to keep up with her 4 children.

Parents want to provide the very best for their children. Providing for your children means making their childhood the best it can be. A room makeover can be the perfect, inexpensive gift to your child.

Bring new life to your child’s room while still saving money with these 6 tips:

1. Pillows and Pictures

If you are at a loss for decorating ideas go to your favorite, local retailer or website and pick out a couple objects with color and detail.

Choosing a multi-colored object is better than a single paint swatch. You should be able to come up with several creative ideas based on the color, scheme and shape of the object you choose.

2. Crafts and Handmade Items

Take a trip to the craft store and you will find endless ideas for your child’s room. Whether you have a baby or an older child, using crafts as decoration can give the room a personal touch and it doesn’t have to cost a lot.

Most craft stores sell small sew and stuff kits with dolls, animals and flowers. These kits are easy to use even if you can’t sew a button.

Build a mobile for your child using these sewn crafts, ribbon or string, and a colorful coat hanger. Buy larger sew and stuff kits to make pillows for your child’s bed or mount your crafts on poster board to frame.

3. Furniture Rearranging

Sometimes a simple rearrangement of furniture is enough to bring life back in to a room. Start by organizing cabinets, dressers and closets.

Make your child’s bed the centerpiece of the room, not on the same wall as the door, but visible from the doorway. Add a variety of lighting. This is easy with different colored light bulbs and lamps.

Use pink or peach light bulbs for warm lighting in the evening. Take out the television and computer to make it a quieter space. Clean out the clutter by giving some of your child’s unused toys and clothing to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

Simply rearranging your child’s room will make it feel like a new space, especially to them.

4. Focal Point Art

Create a focal point in the room. The best way to do this economically is by buying a large canvas or a poster board that can be framed later.

You don’t have to be an artist to create this art. Simply draw a large circle or other shape and paint it several different colors, or make an abstract piece with your child’s help using glitter, matte or glossy craft paint.

Hang it above your child’s bed to create a headboard, put it above and behind an existing headboard, or add it to another large wall in the room. Be sure to match the art with the comforter, wall color, and other art in the room to avoid a confusing, busy theme.

5. Colorful Decals

Decals come in so much more than princess and trains now. You can buy full length flowers, butterflies, trees, animals, poems, and even headboard decals.

These are safe for most types of interior wall paint, so they will not ruin paint in any way. Put flowers blooming out of your daughter’s baseboards, trees overhanging the dresser, and sweet sayings over her bed.

For boys, create a transportation theme with cars, planes, and trains, or a sports theme with his favorite players and sports emblems.

6. New Bedding

Perhaps one of the more simple ideas for bringing life back in your child’s room is new bedding.

It is fairly inexpensive and it can create an entirely new theme. Take the room from babyish teddy bears to Legos, race cars, or anything else your child loves.

Throw pillows also make nice additions to a child’s bed and can replace the teddy bears if your child is feeling too old for them.

Bringing life back in to your child’s room is easy and inexpensive. Start out with a color in mind and go from there.

Even if you don’t feel like you are very creative or artsy, a room makeover doesn’t have to be a big chore. Simply looking at your surroundings can provide you with infinite ideas for a brand new room.

Filed Under: Room Accessories

Don’t waste money on the structure

March 28, 2012 By Kieron Leave a Comment

Another baby on the way? Then maybe it’s time to search for a bigger house. But if you are struggling to sell the place you’re in, then my advice is to do a lot of work, spend a bit of money – but don’t waste big money on the structure as the likelihood is you won’t get it back.

But you don’t need to take my word for it. According to a recent study by HSBC Bank, there are lots of things that do add value to your home and they’ve helpfully put an average figure on each. The list looks like this:

Loft conversion £20,876
Room extension £16,069
Conservatory£8,233
New kitchen £5,617
New windows £5,265
New bathroom £3,351
Redecorate house £3,229
Re-surface driveway £2,876
Re-carpet house £2,153

Now bear in mind this is an overall average; so you really need to judge for yourself how much any of these changes will add to the value of your home. But if they aren’t going to add as much to the value as they’re going to cost, then they simply aren’t worth doing – even if they help the place sell. You’d be far better advised to drop the price a little and save yourself the hassle.

But there’s a major exception, for me, from the list above – which is redecorating. Redecorating needn’t be complex and involved; most of us can have a go and do a reasonable job in the process. For the sake of a few tins of paint and some elbow grease, the increase in value and improvement in a home’s saleability is quite remarkable.

The other thing that can’t really be priced accurately is ambiance. By kitting your place out with new furniture (after you’ve decorated) that, remember, you’re going to take with you to the next place – you can really make a difference to the feel of a place. So a quick trip to the sofas sale to pick up something you really like –or perhaps a cheap dining table and chairs can really make a difference to the ambiance, help you sell – and you can take it with you; something of a “win-win” as they say!

Filed Under: Solutions!

Why You Should Put A Sofa In Your Kid’s Room

March 28, 2012 By Kieron 2 Comments

When planning a new look for your child’s room, the first thing you usually consider is the bed and the colour theme. Everything else usually follows from that starting point. Depending on the age of your child, they may have their own suggestions about it too.

But through all the stages of childhood, there’s one item that could be in there from birth to the day they leave home, and that’s a sofa. It doesn’t have to be a big one – in fact a two-seater is usually perfect as you don’t want to take up too much floor space. But if you choose well, you could find one that will be with them through their childhood.

When you have a baby it’s a perfect place for you to hold and cuddle the baby at bedtime before they go into their cot. As they get interested in picture books, it’s a great spot for bedtime stories, far better than having to squeeze into their racing car bed with them, or sit on the floor! And as they grow up, it’s somewhere for them to sit and chat with their friends, to curl up with their own books, and just chill out during those teenage years.

Of course, the room décor will change every now and then – and they might move to another bedroom, but their sofa should be able to move along with them, especially if you choose a neutral colour.

If you have an older child that you want to do this for, you could get them to go to a furniture sale to help choose their own sofa – as long as you get them to agree you can overrule any wacky choices! Stores like Harveys have a great range to choose from and you can start off by looking online to narrow down your selection.

Filed Under: Kids Furniture Tagged With: Furniture, kids room, sofa

A Buyer’s Guide to Kids’ Furniture

January 19, 2012 By Susan 2 Comments

A child’s bedroom is only limited to their imagination; one day it will be a castle under siege from a fire-breathing dragon, the next a grand ballroom hosting royalty for a tea party. Whatever your children use their bedroom or playroom for, it is almost certain they are going to need some specialist kids’ furniture to do it.

There is a wide range of kids’ furniture available and sometimes it can be a little overwhelming picking out the best for you and your child. That’s why this guide aims to help you find the perfect furniture that you and your kid will love in four simple steps.

1. Don’t rush into anything

It can be easy to get caught up in the moment and rush to the shops to purchase the first piece of kids’ furniture you see, but this isn’t a good idea. Sit down with your kids and discuss what you think they need and then have a look at what’s on the market. You may have to compromise and remember, it’s their room, but having an idea of what you want will make the trip to the furniture shop a whole lot easier.

2. Safety is key

There are some brilliant items of furniture out there but the first thing you have to consider is safety. There are different things to think about depending on the age of your child, but there are some rules you should always follow. Avoid sharp corners and any screws or bolts that stick out. It is also important to buy quality furniture, as you don’t want a bed or wardrobe collapsing on your child. Make sure the piece is properly sanded down and put together and you should have no problems at all.

3. Think about style

Ask your child what style they want their bedroom to be and then try to pick furniture that suits this. Don’t be too specific as this can often make your life harder but once you decide, stick to it and add paint and accessories as well as the furniture to consolidate the theme. An older child may just want a desk or maybe a sofa bed so they can have their friends over to stay, while a younger child may be happy with bright colours and novelty items. If you decide this beforehand, it makes life easier and helps you to decide which pieces of furniture will fit their style.

4. Think about durability

Anything your child owns has to be durable if it’s to last, and furniture is no different. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to spend a lot but avoid furniture made from cheap material that is likely to bend and break. Test it out in the shop and if it bends when your child jumps on it or wobbles as he or she races past then give it a wide berth.

So there we have it – four key steps to take before buying kids’ furniture. Whether you use the savings in your easy access accounts or stick it on the credit card, kids’ furniture is a great investment that you and your child will appreciate for years to come.

Ebrar is a personal finance writer specialising in frugal topics, and writes for Savings.co.uk

Filed Under: Kids Furniture

Planning a Child’s Room with the Future in Mind

December 7, 2011 By Susan Leave a Comment

There is nothing quite as exciting as preparing for the birth of a child, especially if it is the first one. Naturally, parents will want to get the nursery prepared in plenty of time – and much planning will go into this.

Many parents, though, make the mistake of not planning far enough ahead. While it is naturally great to have everything geared to dealing with the needs of a newborn baby, complete with cot, baby-bath set and changing table, cuddly toys and cute motives on every bit of furniture and on the walls, parents need to remember that their child will not be this small for long.

Few families can afford to completely change a child’s furniture every couple of years, so it is better to think ahead and buy furniture wisely. A well-organised child’s room will have a good, solid toy box, shelves for toys and books, some kind of wardrobe and clothes drawers and a table and chair. Enough room to replace the cot with a regular bed at some point will have to be allowed for, too.

These basic items of furniture will cater for the needs of a child at least up to the age of 10, leaving only the need to redecorate and maybe change accessories from time to time, as the child grows out of cute teddy bear motives into football, Spiderman, Bratz or High School Musical paraphernalia. Essentially, the main point to remember is that colours need to be bright and cheerful, as they will influence the child’s moods and that space and inspiration to play and be creative need to be provided.

There is a world of different types of kid’s furniture out there, and shopping around a little will not only help parents find the right kind of furniture for their requirements, they will also be able to find some excellent deals. The ability to do much of this shopping on the computer will save a lot of time and legwork, while simultaneously opening up a much wider choice of possibilities.

The best way to go ahead is to draw up a plan of what needs to be purchased immediately, what can maybe be added at a later date and set an overall budget to prevent going overboard to begin, before struggling to add further necessities later. Planning ahead like this, taking the time to compare options and weighing up their benefits and drawbacks as carefully as comparing prices will ultimately help to save a lot of time, work and of course money.

Speaking of money; this may also be a good time to consider some different opportunities of providing for future needs. There will always be something else that needs to be added or changed as a child grows into a teenager. Comparing some good easy access accounts now will help to deal with the ever-increasing demands a growing family will put on the family’s finances.

Ebrar is a personal finance writer specialising in frugal topics, and writes for Savings.co.uk

Filed Under: Solutions!

Setting up a Kid Friendly Bathroom

November 17, 2011 By Susan 1 Comment

From the time that your child is able to walk you will constantly be looking for ways to make sure they are safe amidst all of the hazards around the home. Whether this is adding cushions to the corners of tables or putting up gates near stairs, it is important to think through all of the ways you need to make your house safe for your child. One of the most overlooked areas is the bathroom. These tips should help you to get your bathroom set up for children in no time.

Lock the Cabinets and Toilet

Toilet Lock

Like the kitchen, making sure your cabinets have a child lock on them is extremely important in the bathroom. Most people store medicine and other cleaning chemicals below their sink and making sure this area is locked will help keep your child safe from exposure to these things. Latch locks are a great way to do this as they are easy for adults to open but difficult for young children. The same is true for the toilet cover which can also be locked so that it is not dropped on young fingers.

Un-Plug the Electricity

The bathroom often has many outlets in it for hair dryers or even electric toothbrushes. Many of these outlets are in the reach of children and need to be plugged with plastic outlet protectors when they are not in use. Also, if you leave your electrical devices plugged in, make sure they are out of the reach of children as an electrical device falling in a bathtub or sink can result in hospital trips.

Invest in a new toilet

Child-Sized Toilet

Many of the main plumbing manufacturers make a line of child toilets that are designed to be the right height and width for children use. These toilets are much smaller than the normal adult toilets but can often be installed in the same place with little hassle. These are not recommended for smaller houses as they are not good for adults, but if you have a child that has their own bathroom then investing in one of these toilets can be a huge addition for the child. The Baby Navaro from American Standard is a great option for this.

Test your tub for lead

While clawfoot tubs are a great addition to new bathrooms looking for that classic style, many old types of clawfoot or cast iron tubs can have unhealthy levels of lead for children. Make sure if you have an older tub like this that you test it for lead to make sure it is safe, but you shouldn’t have to worry about this as much with newer tubs.

Towel warmers

Towel Warmer

Not as much for safety as it is a great product simply for keeping your child happy in colder climates, a towel warmer is a great addition to any bathroom. These products are easy to install as long as you have access to an outlet near the desired location. Towel warmers keep your towels a perfect temperature and make getting out of your shower much less of a shock, especially for children.

These are just a view of the tips I recommend when setting up a kid friendly bathroom. If you have a different tip that I didn’t talk about here make sure to leave it in the comments.

Josh works with Plumber Surplus which sells everything from shower heads to doors for your shower.

Filed Under: Solutions! Tagged With: Bathroom

Innovative Modern Furniture for Kids’ Bedrooms

October 27, 2011 By Susan 2 Comments

Compact Sleeping Arrangements

When children are forced to share a bedroom, the ensuing sibling rivalry and arguments can become a real headache for both the children themselves and the parents who have to sort it all out. One way to avoid such problems from arising in shared bedrooms is to give them an interior design which allows each child to have some private space. Even in a small bedroom, innovative furniture designs can create enough breathing room to allow for harmonious living conditions.

Most kids appreciate having enough space to sleep, play, and do their homework. If you design the room to maximize the use of space from floor to ceiling with an innovative modern loft system, they will have plenty of space to do all of those things and more. An efficient design can both save space and make the room appear larger. Loft-style beds provide just such a solution; the beds are close together, often in a “bunk” arrangement, but are organized to give each child some privacy from the others. The optional extra shelves and built-in drawers can belong exclusively to one child, to help keep clothing and toys neatly organized. For older children, some innovative lofts have room for desks underneath the top bunk, perfect for homework and internet browsing alike. Ducduc’s Austin Bunk Bed and Berg’s Utica Trifecta Loft are just 2 examples of the many space-saving kids’ lofts available.

Innovative children’s furnishings extend well beyond beds and lofts, however. Being that one of the hallmarks of modern design is simplicity – generally in the form of basic functionality combined with smooth surfaces and sharp lines – it’s not hard to see why modern furniture can be useful in conserving space. By foregoing the unnecessary thrills that defined furniture from previous (and tackier) decades, modern furniture is perfect for getting the job done safely and efficiently. Modern designer chairs, for example, are often defined by clearly-defined lines and a minimalist design philosophy, meaning they are much more likely to fit snugly under a small bedroom desk than the bulky chairs you may remember from your time in school.

As previously mentioned, the best use of space in a small bedroom includes floor-to-ceiling instead of wall-to-wall designs. The Tiramolla Collection by Tumidei has several excellent examples of using that upward space wisely. The celebrated Italian designer specializes in custom loft designs for small spaces. It is not uncommon for one of his designs to incorporate two beds, bookshelves, and desk and wardrobe space all in 1 loft. While the greens and yellows emphasize that the layout is intended for children, its sophisticated utility is nothing but childish.

Floor-to-Ceiling Design

After considering these examples, you can see how innovative furniture and modern design can easily help transform a contentious kid’s bedroom into a great space for siblings to live together. It’s refreshing to see so many new exciting ideas for modern kids’ rooms.
Just think of all the possibilities in your own children’s rooms; if you are one of those parents longing for more harmony between your kids, make a design action plan. You aren’t obligated to buy a certain brand or follow a specific pattern, but try to stick to the general outlines defined by modern styles – namely, simplicty, sturdiness, and functionality. While you are in transition, buy a small mobile storage unit to organize personal items and special toys for each child. To involve the kids, let them choose their favorite color for their storage bins. In addition to the favorite color for each child, choose a third color or pattern to store generic items or shared property. Once the bins are filled, go over the guidelines and explain the importance of personal space.

Whether you do it yourself, hire a contractor, or win a room makeover on a reality TV show, choosing innovative modern furniture for your kid’s bedroom can solve your issues with space. Once your kids have their own clearly defined space, life will be much more pleasant for the whole family!

Steve Shapiro is the founder of eRoomService, a luxury furnishing showroom that specializes in modern European designer furniture. He and his family reside in beautiful Bensalem, PA.

Filed Under: Kids Furniture

Why Roller Blinds Are Ideal For Children’s Bedrooms

October 9, 2011 By Susan Leave a Comment

Roller Blinds for Children When you’re expecting a baby, among the million and one things you have to bear in mind is preparing a bedroom for them. Not only do you need to think about pretty patterns and colour schemes for the walls, but you also have to consider safety. As well as the obvious safety concerns, like visible items the child can hurt themselves on, it’s also important to take temperature and light into consideration. An affordable and practical solution which allows you to control all of these concerns is a set of roller blinds.

Safety is paramount with these window treatments. Everyone knows what sort of innocent mischief children can get up to as they explore their new surroundings, and any loose ties or draperies can cause a potential threat to their wellbeing. Blinds can be measured to fit any window, meaning they won’t hang low enough for a child to play with. The majority of modern blinds also come equipped with cordless control mechanisms, which significantly reduce the risk of harm to your little ones.

On the topic of operational systems, there are a wide variety available for roller blinds. Perhaps the most impressive and convenient for parents would be the motorised unit, which can be controlled from a wall-mounted switch or a hand-held device. Some are even able to be set up on timers, meaning that the monotonous job of routinely adjusting the blinds a couple of times a day can become a thing of the past.

Blinds also offer a great amount of control for parents when it comes to ensuring the bedroom is kept as light or dark as necessary. This enables the baby to develop a healthy sleeping pattern, ensuring that even during the light summer months; a baby can have an early night. Parents are also able to use roller blinds to control the temperature of their baby’s room. They provide enough insulation to block out intense sun and chilly draughts ensuring that your child’s comfort level is as high as possible.

Whilst safety is obviously the key issue, it’s always nice to have window treatments that look good too. Fortunately, roller blinds can be customised to suit almost any room you put them in. As a baby grows up and experiences changes, their room is likely to undergo a similar transformation. They are available in a wide range of colours and styles, so as the child ages and develops, their décor can reflect this. Patterned roller blinds are available to purchase with co-ordinating accessories and valances, which means you will always have matching colour schemes and patterns in the room.

One final benefit of roller blinds is the cost. Families bringing a new born baby home can often find themselves struggling financially. With roller blinds offering such a wide range of options and control over so many elements, you really won’t find a more cost-effective solution.

Jack Oldham is a recent BA (Hons) journalism graduate who regularly blogs about a variety of subjects including shutters, roller blinds and personalised clothing.

Filed Under: Room Accessories