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Why is all nursery furniture cheap plastic tat?!

48 replies

eggsbenedict89 · 14/08/2017 22:14

Can anyone advise on where sells decent cots and matching furniture that doesn't look/feel cheap?

Just looked in Mamas and Papas & John Lewis and appalled at the selection and quality.

Seems there's a massive gap in the market for beautiful crafted children's furniture!

OP posts:

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Owletterocks · 14/08/2017 22:17

We have a boori cot, it's really lovely quality. They do other furniture as well but we just got a full size wardrobe and chest of drawers. Just packing it away actually as my youngest has just moved to a full size bed

AlexanderHamilton · 14/08/2017 22:18

Beautiful, crafted & babies/toddlers don't usually go together! You need robust, wipe downable, doesn't matter if they draw on it stuff.

That saying the nursery furniture I bought from a local independent shop (but which was mothercare seconds) lasted years & I only got rid of the wardrobe/dresser when ds was 11.

welshweasel · 14/08/2017 22:22

Ha ha. No way I was going to spend a fortune on something that would be puked on and chewed. Ours came from Ikea. It's a lovely shade of grey and excellent quality for the price.

whyareusernamessodifficult · 14/08/2017 22:33

If you don't mind the price Dragons of Walton Street furniture is gorgeous.

Loads of choice, really well built and beautifully hand painted but it is quite expensive.

stoplickingthetelly · 14/08/2017 22:37

Ours is Izzy Wotnot and is lovely.

Enidblyton1 · 14/08/2017 22:40

You haven't looked hard enough.
There is children's furniture of every quality and for every budget.

NancyJoan · 14/08/2017 22:43

We have a Stokke cot, and the rest is just furniture (mostly mid century stuff from auction houses), not nursery furniture.

wobblywonderwoman · 14/08/2017 22:47

We just went for ikea. We did go for an expensive chest of drawers in solid wood though. They at hopefully a lifetime piece. A cot won't be

FusionChefGeoff · 14/08/2017 22:50

I agreed so I bought old, solid wood furniture (eBay for set of drawers exactly the right height for changes, 2nd hand shop for wardrobe) and sanded it and painted it (properly) white then varnished it. Took bloody months but has lasted both kids and was exactly what I wanted. Put a shelf across the normal wardrobe to create short hanging area then storage underneath.

The cot I did buy new as didn't fancy little teeth gnawing paint flakes but it had a nice solid wood trim so blended in with my 'real' furniture.

FlipperSkipper · 14/08/2017 22:54

We have the OBaby Lincoln range which is solid pine. Was about the same price as the plasticy mamas and papas stuff.

Ohyesiam · 14/08/2017 22:56

I didn't buy any nursery furniture, I just got ordinary stuff that I liked. Some needed restoring.

SomehowSomewhere1 · 14/08/2017 23:43

I'm going for second hand, or adult furniture but adapted. That way I can get better than I can afford.

Dede124 · 15/08/2017 00:07

Mothercare! Matching cot, drawers/ changer and wardrobe really nice hot outs last week there's a good sale on too!x

ScotsLamb · 15/08/2017 07:10

Be careful of cots that don't have a plastic coating or plastic guard on them as children could chew the cot resulting in splinters.

NC1990 · 15/08/2017 08:36

We didn't spend a fortune on our nursery furniture, cot was £260 from Mothercare (bought using voucher) and wardrobe Ikea! I figure I'll just want rid of it in a few years anyway so less money to lose. Our cot doesn't have a teething bar as I'm not keen on how they look, if ours decides to chew you can buy removable teething bars to go over the top.

eurochick · 15/08/2017 09:03

Mamas and Papas is not plastic. At least it wasn't when we bought from there a couple of years ago. It is pretty solid and looks lovely.

Lemondrop99 · 15/08/2017 10:50

Boori is gorgeous! Really expensive though.

We also have the Obaby Lincoln cot and I'm impressed with how solid and well built it is. I wanted the full nursery set but the wardrobe was too big for the alcove. Having seen how nice the cot is, I'm doubly gutted we couldn't have the full set.

Freezingwinter · 15/08/2017 10:57

Mine is Mamas and Papas, it's the sturdiest furniture I saw and looks nice too.

Orangebird69 · 15/08/2017 11:03

Ikea stuff is pretty good. My dss cot was an ikea cot (although the cat slept in it more than ds ever did ). Malm tall chest of drawers and a changing table that ended up as a dumping ground. A double bed and some toys made up ds's nursery. My nieces nursery furniture was all from mothercare 9 years ago and is still going strong now (obvs the cot has gone but the wardrobe and chest of drawers are still in use). I'm not a fan of 'collections' myself. I just pick bits of furniture I think are useful.

mummabubs · 15/08/2017 11:11

I bought a second hand Mamas and Papas cot a couple of weeks ago (buying new mattress) which is 4 years old and definitely wood as you can see where the previous occupant bit the bars on the inside! I originally looked for solid wood beautiful furniture and realised it was so expensive- for something that you might not get too many years use out of and is likely to be covered in poo/vomit/wee and that's before they get to the stage of being able to draw on things! The secondhand market is so full of decent cots and furniture at a fraction of the 'new' prices- our cot still sells in Mamas and Papas for £500 and I paid £100 for ours which also came with the nappy changing table and under cot storage drawer (another £160 worth if bought new).

watchingitallagain · 15/08/2017 11:21

Beautifully crafted and cheap don't go together. We have a mamas and papas Ocean cot bought second hand. It's so sturdy it's virtually indestructible. It'll last for all of my three children. It matches perfectly an armoire that we already had- no need for a dinky wardrobe or chest of drawers.

We bought it second hand ridiculously cheap through eBay but it was £800 in the shop!

Silver Cross also have some beautiful furniture. And check out Precious Little Ones showroom if you're in the North West. All beautiful stuff but damn pricy imo.

MagicMoneyTree · 15/08/2017 11:27

Just buy normal furniture and a cot?

LorelaiVictoriaGilmore · 15/08/2017 12:40

I've just started looking for baby #2 and really like the look of the Kidsmill furniture. I haven't seen it in person but have heard good things and it looks lovely online. I think they sell through House of Fraser.

MrsCharlieD · 15/08/2017 18:49

We have mamas and papas nursery furniture which is solid wood bought 3 years ago for ds and about to be used for ds2.

EssentialHummus · 15/08/2017 18:52

Ikea here.

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