Kids iron beds

Right now I am so into Pinterest. It's like having a new magazine of whatever you want to look at everyday, but you can rip out your favourite pages and put them all together. I'm gaining a lot of inspiration for B and Little Miss's bedrooms. In our house we need to to a lot of renovating, kids bedrooms included.

I have been admiring antique single iron beds and have been really wanting one for Little Miss. So it was with a screech of brakes and butterflies in my stomach that I approached one the other day at a garage sale. I thought it was going to be at least $200, but was overjoyed to find it was only $30!!! It does need restoration and a new coat of paint, but Little Miss really loves it.

The following images are of kids rooms with iron beds that I think have a lovely old world feel to them. A magical space seems to be created when something with history is given to a child to use and appreciate. If only the furniture could talk. All the children that have come before and laughed, played and learnt  in the presence of these objects. Growing up is such a precious impressionable time. Making a space special for each of my kids is high on the renovation priority list.

Source: daffodildesign.com via Chapter on Pinterest

Source: marktuckey.com.au via Chapter on Pinterest

Source: elinadahl.blogspot.com via Chapter on Pinterest

Source: dotcomsformoms.com via Chapter on Pinterest

Source: ohdeedoh.com via Chapter on Pinterest

Source: plentyofcolour.com via Chapter on Pinterest

Source: designspirationsk.com via Chapter on Pinterest

Source: kireei.com via Chapter on Pinterest

Source: remodelista.com via Chapter on Pinterest

Source: 2bydesign.blogspot.com via Chapter on Pinterest

Source: designspirationsk.com via Chapter on Pinterest

Cool kids furniture

Designer children's furniture is something I love and yet hate at the same time. I love the clever thinking and beautiful aesthetics but hate the high price tags. And I love the creative approach to redesigning something that already exists. A play table can be fresh, new and offer a twist, or scope for further functionality and creativity by being designed slightly differently. Not to mention just more fun that your regular run of the mill table. So even if I have a perfectly functioning table and chair arrangement for B and Little Miss, I find myself wanting something else. Like this deskhouse with pencil holder chimney by nine to nine.

Or these letter storage stools from Art can break your heart.

And what about this beautiful range of furniture from BM2000
These bedside cabinets with faces are adorable characters.

Little Miss would love to sleep in a pink fairy castle bunk bed.

Or I am sure she would be happy sleeping on top of a rainbow bunk bed.

Both my kids have grown out of being in a cot, but this one is so funky and it converts to a toddler then adult bed.

There is something about designer children's furniture that encapsulates childhood. And when I think about it there are many parallels between designer children's furniture and the kids themselves.

The furniture is small in size - just like the little people.

The furniture is happy, fun and makes you smile - kids laugh so much more than any of the adults I know.

The furniture is often adaptable- just like kids, sometimes much more than we give them credit for.

The furniture is often brightly and playfully coloured - anyone who has children knows they can be very very loud, as well as have a wardrobe full of brightly coloured clothes, not ever to be mixed in with a white washing load of Dad's shirts.

But the problem with little people is that they turn into big people, stop laughing and eventually leave the home containing all the expensive children's furniture.

So I guess that's why Ikea is so successful.

To bunk or not to bunk

We are in a dilema, do we put B and Little Miss together in the same room to sleep and maybe get them Bunk beds? Or not...

Pros

• If they are in the same room, we can have another living room, benefiting everyone
• They can be together and 'be there' for each other 
• Little Miss's move to a big girl bed will less of a big deal, she'll be just like B.
• B really wants bunks, it would make him really happy.

Cons

• They muck around at sleep time
• They wake each other up (then us) earlier than normal in the morning
• Eventually they will need separate rooms thus creating more work rearranging stuff and furniture later on
• We just got given a car bed for B from our neighbour, (hear me sigh heavily) car theming and fairy pink princess land kind of clash decor style wise. 
• Together they have too much stuff for one room, it would overflow and be cramped
• Bunks are dangerous, kids muck around on them and break limbs
• Buying bunks is an added expense

OK I cant think of any other pros or cons. There are more cons anyway, I think I know they shouldn't be together as we have tried a few nights with Little Miss in B's room and she is disturbing his sleep. I also know that B will just have to try and jump off the top bunk as that's what boys do and it will only be a matter of time before Little Miss copies him. 

But I still had a look for some nice bunk beds just in case...

Duet bunk bed from Nursery works

Cool minimalist cantilevered beds by Phillipe Allaeys

The Taylor Bunk by Modular furniture Australia

Room and Board's Moda Bunk

Or what about a funky loft bed? Love the built in storage.