Baby Furniture

by Giorgina Devereaux

Adding lovely baby furniture to the nursery is a wonderful way to welcome your new bundle of joy and celebrate what is one of the most exciting times in your life. 

Finding the right baby furniture can be overwhelming because of the many choices available, but once the nursery is decorated and furnished, you will take great delight in knowing that you have prepared as best as you could to bring your precious baby home. 

You will find comfort in knowing that you explored the different types of baby furniture and made the best choices to meet your baby’s needs. 

Since your baby will be spending the majority of his/her time in the nursery, it is important to design a room that feels comfortable, safe, and soothing. 
 

Some things to consider when searching for baby furniture are first and foremost safety, your budget, the style you want, and the comfort of the furniture. 

Baby furniture is like an investment because you want your baby to have sturdy, long lasting, and comfortable furniture for a few years to come. 

Baby Furniture Pieces

Baby furniture pieces include the following:
 

• Baby Crib

• Bassinet

• Cradle

• Changing Table

• Dresser

• Armoire

• Nightstand

• Bookshelf

• Storage Wall System

Baby Crib
 

A baby crib that is good quality and safe is important.  Prior to purchasing a crib, make sure it meets safety standards. 
 

Current safety standards include the following:

• Mattress support hangers should be secured to the crib frame with bolts or closed hooks in order to prevent it from becoming unhooked.  If it becomes unhooked, the mattress support could dislodge creating a gap between the mattress and the sides of the crib, which is dangerous because a baby can become trapped between the mattress and the crib.  The mattress should fit inside the crib snugly, with no more than two finger widths between the inside edge of the crib and the edge of the mattress. 
   

• For newborns, set the crib mattress support at the highest setting.  Once your baby is able to push up on their hands and knees (usually around 4-6 months), use the middle setting.  Around 8-12 months, most babies are able to stand up in the crib, which will necessitate the lowest setting.
   

• You want to ensure that the crib is properly assembled with no missing, loose, or broken hardware or broken, split, or cracked slats. 
   

• Crib slats should be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart (about the width of a soda can) in order to prevent the baby’s body from fitting through the slats.
   

• To prevent your baby’s clothing from becoming tangled, make sure there are no corner posts over 1/16” above the end panels of the crib, including decorative finials or canopy posts. 
   

• Make sure there are no cutouts in the headboard or footboard because your baby’s head could become trapped in these spaces. 

You can find cribs that are made from solid hardwood construction with a nontoxic finish to keep your baby safe.  Some cribs feature a single or double drop side with a heavy-duty stabilizer bar that makes it easy for you to carry your baby in and out of the crib, a plastic teething rail to ensure security and comfort, and large easy roll casters and locking brakes to protect your baby from accidents.
 

You can choose from a canopy, convertible, four poster, round, sleigh, and other types of cribs.  Cribs are also available in a variety of colors to coordinate with the theme of your nursery's baby furniture. 
 

Cribs are available in the following styles and materials:

• Canopy

• Convertible

• Four Poster

• Round

• Sleigh

• Standard Rectangular

• Metal

• Wood

• Themed (truck, rocket, sea horse, lizard)

A canopy crib features an overhead canopy.  You can purchase a canopy cover for the top frame, which will give the crib a luxurious feel. 

Convertible baby cribs can be converted from a crib to a toddler bed to a day bed.  This involves simply removing one side of the crib.  Some brands offer optional straight rails that can be used on the toddler bed, which helps prevent the baby from falling out.  The three in one models offer storage drawers.  You can also find lifetime cribs that can be converted to full size beds allowing for your child to use it until their early teens. 

A four poster crib looks sophisticated and elegant in a nursery.  You can place beautiful finials on top of each poster for added beauty and charm. 

Finials are offered in the following themes:
 

• Bunnies

• Flowers

• Planes

• Flowers

A round crib has a certain classic look about it and exudes elegance because of its rounded and delicate shape.  You can find some that feature spindles, a domed canopy, and hand carved legs. 

A sleigh crib offers sleek, modern lines combined with sleigh bed curves reminiscent of French and American designs from the early 1800's.  This gives it a unique look that is both classic and contemporary.

Standard rectangular cribs remain the most popular because it is the one that many people are most familiar with.  They are available in the largest selection and price range, and simple bedding for this type of crib is the easiest to find. 
 

Crib Mattresses and Bedding/Nursery Themes

Crib mattresses are offered in a foam pad or with an innerspring coil. 

If they are both good quality, they should retain their shape well and provide excellent support for the baby. 

Since foam is made from polyurethane, it tends to be lighter in weight.  The densest foam mattress usually weighs between 7 to 8 pounds, compared with the 15 to 23 pounds of an innerspring mattress. 

Some baby furniture accessories that you will need with the mattress include bedding, crib sheets, crib wedges, and waterproof mattress pads.  There are a variety of bedding/nursery themes to choose from. 

The following bedding/nursery themes are available:
 

• ABCs

• Airplane

• Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit

• Butterflies

• Cars & Trucks

• Castles

• Celestial

• Circus

• Classic Pooh

• Curious George

• Deep Sea

• Dr. Seuss

• Fairies

• Farm Animals

• Fire Truck

• Floral

• Frogs

• John Deere

• Jungle

• Ladybugs

• Mickey Mouse

• Nascar Racing

• Nautical

• Noah’s Ark

• Pirate

• Polka Dot

• Precious Moments

• Princess

• Snoopy

• Spiderman

• Sports

• Teddy Bears

• Toile

• Western Cowboys

Bassinet and Cradle

Some parents prefer to use a bassinet for the first few weeks or months of their baby’s life. 

While it is acceptable to introduce your baby to a full sized crib from the beginning, some parents opt for a bassinet initially because the closeness of the small space within the bassinet appears to be comforting to the baby. 

Also, since it is portable, it gives parents the security of having their baby close at hand. 
 

Most bassinets are available with a waterproof mattress pad, detachable hoods, and wheels for the convenience of moving the infant crib from room to room, or with foldable legs for saving space.

The difference between a bassinet and a cradle is that a bassinet is placed in a stand that is stationary.  On the other hand, a cradle is generally designed so that it can be rocked back and forth and that is soothing to the baby.  Many parents will opt for either one after the birth of their baby because they are both convenient to use. 
 

Changing Table and Changing Table System

One of the most important pieces of furniture is a changing table.  It is essential that the changing table be well padded, have guardrails, and safety straps for the baby.  Changing tables usually come with dresser drawers, open shelves, or a combination of both. 

If you prefer a more elaborate changing table, consider a changing table system.  Some feature two side cabinets with five shelves and one drawer, along with a center changing table that has two sliding trays, two large drawers, and two pullout gliding drawers behind the cabinet door.

The top of the changing table system has guards around the edge to hold the changing pad in place.  Once the baby gets a little older, you may wish to use the changing table to accommodate a television or stereo equipment. 

Accessories for a changing table include changing pads, organizers, and wipe warmers.
 

Dresser

Every nursery with baby furniture needs a chest of drawers to store the baby’s clothes and necessities.  It can be coordinated with the color and theme of the nursery and there are different styles and colors to choose from.  Some feature anywhere from 3 to 5 drawers, along with a side cabinet for added storage. 
 

Armoire
 

An armoire is a beautiful way to store your baby’s clothing.  Some feature two doors with frosted plexi-glass that can be custom painted or left plain. 

Others offer three adjustable shelves inside, along with a hang bar.

This piece of furniture is timeless and will make a lovely statement in your little one’s nursery. 

Nightstand

A nightstand provides a great area to display a lamp, a photo of your little one, and additional storage space.  Some feature a drawer, along with a shelf on the bottom while other offer several drawers. 
 

Bookshelf

Bookshelves are a great way to store a book collection that can be quickly accessed time and time again, and definitely comes in handy when you need to read your little one a bedtime story.

Storage Wall Systems

Storage wall systems are the perfect nursery storage, with some offering 2 cubbies and 2 bases.  They are available in different sizes and finishes.

Baby Furniture Materials and Finishes

Baby furniture is constructed of the following materials:

Materials

• Metal

• Wicker

• Wood

Finishes

• Antique Silver

• Black

• Cream

• Espresso

• Gold

• Green

• Mocha

• Navy

• Pewter

• Pink

• Red

• Slate

• Venetian

• Wheat

• White

• Yellow

Nursery Furniture for Mom and Dad

• Sitting Chair

• Glider and Ottoman

• Rocking Chair

A sitting chair, glider, ottoman, and rocking chair provide ultimate comfort for both parents and the baby. 

It offers a quiet place to sit and rock your baby to sleep. 

These furniture pieces look lovely in a nursery and provide a comfortable place for mom and dad to spend quality time with their little one. 

There are many different styles, colors, and finishes to choose from.  Finding one you like should not be difficult.

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Related articles: Decorating Kids Bedrooms, Baby Shower Decor

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