Yesterday we bought the house its first present.
On the way back from signing the closing documents with the escrow company, we decided to pop into fab new Seattle children’s furniture store tottini, ostensibly to try and find a beautiful storage unit for the Minx’s new playroom.
They didn’t have a storage unit but they did have the above ‘Storytime’ rocking chair on sale for an excellent price. There’s nothing the Minx and I like more than cuddling up together in an armchair and reading a story and I’ve been looking for a rocking chair for ages. This has been specially designed to be extra wide to accommodate an adult and small child, so I’m hoping we’ve years of snuggling ahead of us. And I have a sneaking suspicion that when she’s a teenager she might still want to have it in her room.
The only slight issue was the colour. The one on sale was upholstered in bright pink felt (see below). I didn’t particularly want the Minx’s room to have too much pink (though some is sadly inevitable). However I think I can just about live with this.
Speaking of furniture for the Minx, the first thing I need to buy as a matter of urgency, given all the cr*p she has managed to accumulate, is a functional but attractive modular storage unit.
But I have no idea where to find such a thing so far. The one I like best online so far is this by John Lewis, though the picture below doesn’t do it much justice. It comes with mix and match cubbies and bins in lime green, lavender. aqua and pink and also with single cubes, so you can create more interesting shapes and add to the structure over time.
I also quite like these from Letterbox, another UK-based company, though they’re more expensive, and I don’t like the colours so much.
So, where can I get something similar in the US? I’d like something functional, funky, and not too expensive (given that it’s for a kid’s playroom), preferably with bins or drawers rather than shelves as they look tidier and in colours which aren’t too hideous (though I will paint as necessary). Oh and I don’t do twee.
After browsing for an hour or two online this afternoon, I can’t find anything and have no idea where to look next. While I was searching though, I did find this cool blog about good design for children – Coochicoos.
Hi, quick note re your storage. If you can find suitable storage boxes or bins over in the US I would suggest you have a carpenter custom make the actual storage cubes for you to house the boxes or bins you can find. Use MDF or something similar and paint them – you could even get the carpenter to make the boxes to fit inside too but I suspect you would want something a little more lightweight so that your daughter can pull them out herself.
That would probably be more economical and then you can spec exactly the storage you want and add to it as and when necessary as she needs more as she inevitably will!
Hope that helps and good luck with the move 🙂
congrats on your new home!
Presume you’ve thought about buying oversized wicker baskets, which you can paint in adorable pastels? Cheap, and portable too…
That’ll be five quid.
Dxx
Is it too gauche to suggest Ikea? The bins for this:
http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?cattype=sub&topcategoryId=15567&categoryId=15664&parentCats=15567*17075*16259&storeId=12&catalogId=10103&langId=-1
Come in a variety of colors… (I am a total cheapskate, and it shows!)
Oh, Ikea is GOOD. The flat in London was full of Ikea stuff. We’re planning a big trip when we get back from London, so will check these out. Price is nice 🙂
Esther, thanks for the suggestion, I was thinking that too. Though at the moment I don’t have very much idea where to source a carpenter either. Will research.
I was also going to suggest those Ikea shelves, or these from Land of Nod.
http://www.landofnod.com/family.aspx?c=74&f=917&pc=16
Great chair (and great color!)
Thanks to everyone for your suggestions.
Miss Pink, I hold you personally responsible for the fact that I have just bankrupted myself at Land of Nod buying acres of storage. What a GREAT website!
test, black with white pinstrip suit, :(, how to decorate teenage boys room, :(((, brunette layout, =[[, canalization, xywojc,