Costco Connection - January 2008

for your home

Using furniture
that will stand
the test of time in
your child’s room
gRo_rom_o t_wo

By Gretchen Roberts

YOUR CHILDREN WILL outgrow their clothes, toys and books, but that doesn’t mean you’ll need to replace their bedroom furniture every few years, too. Just think long term when it comes to furniture and short term when it comes to frills, says Sherri Blum, owner of Jack and Jill Interiors in Westminster, Maryland. “Start with a good base of furniture that can grow with your child, and then you’ll only have to change out accessories as your child gets older,” she says.

soft and fun to play on, but that’s easy to clean,” Yip advises. “I like to go with a plain rug and let other accents show the room’s theme, so you won’t have to change the rug out too soon.”

You can spare yourself costly upgrades by furnishing your child’s room with time-tested pieces—then decorating around them with creative elements. Pictured here: the Peyton Collection.

Start with the essentials

When choosing must-have pieces of furniture, think clean lined and simple, advises Vern Yip, host and designer of HGTV’s Deserving Design. “Key furniture should be adaptable pieces that could translate to any room,” he says. He recommends convertible cribs, which adjust from a crib to a toddler bed to a twin bed. “In addition to being cost friendly, a convertible crib is environmentally friendly,” he adds.

A dresser is the next must-have item in the room. “Consider an adult-size chest of drawers. Small drawers won’t hold your child’s larger clothing as he grows,” says Blum.

“Everyone knows that even though kids and babies are small, their stuff is not,” Yip says. Closed storage such as an armoire can be used first as a changing table and later for a television and gaming equipment. Tall book-shelves can display everything from books to collectibles.

Finally, if the room has a hard floor, get a good rug. “Look for something that’s really

Add extras

As your child gets older, think about adding a desk and an upholstered chair. “I recommend a personal desk for children of all ages,” Blum says. “It’s important for them to have a quiet area to work on individual projects. In a girl’s room, a desk can double as a vanity.” Look for a desk your child can grow into.

“Start with a good
base of furniture
that can grow with
your child.”

—Sherri Blum

“A comfortable, upholstered chair covered in a durable fabric like microfiber is really nice to have in the bedroom,” Yip says. The oversize beanbag chairs available at costco.com are hip and versatile. And they’re large enough to double as spare beds when friends stay overnight.

the age of 4 or 5, when they start to see other kids’ rooms or begin to realize there are other options available,” Blum says. “At this age they’re usually interested in characters they’ve seen on television or in stores.”

The next stage is usually in the preteen years. “They’re embarrassed by the superhero bedding now and want something more mature, like a sports-themed or funky flower room,” Blum says.

Finally, the more sophisticated teen years arrive. “Teens usually have a very strong opinion about every element in the room. They like deeper colors and lots of accessories that reflect their constantly changing likes and moods,” Blum says. (That is, unless he or she has a quirky sense of humor, in which case you’re back to superhero bedding.)

With a core of long-lasting furniture, you can inexpensively redecorate your child’s room at each of these stages using just a few materials: a new bedspread, throw pillows, drapes, art and wall paint.

Most important, Blum says, is to listen to your child when choosing accessories. “Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to get to know more about your child’s personality by involving him in the redecorating project,” she says. “Allow him to express himself and it will be a wonderful experience for all.” C

The Costco Connection You’ll find a variety of sturdy and versatile furniture and colorful accessories for children’s rooms at Costco warehouses this month and on costco.com.

Decorate in stages

Decorating a nursery is a time-honored pleasure, but before you know it your baby girl will be a preschooler and way more into Disney princesses than the teddy-bear theme you so painstakingly picked. “Most children start to express ideas about room décor around

Gretchen Roberts is a food, home and garden writer in Knoxville, Tennessee. She has two daughters, 1 and 4, who share a princess/flo-ral/eclectic mostly pink bedroom.