Budget and Pottery Barn - Ugh

[pantherlj]

We just went through the search for a loft for DD11. She wanted the Sleep and Study loft at PB Teen, but it was crazy expensive and also full-sized - she has a small room and really needs a twin bed. We considered the loft beds at Costco since they got good reviews, but she really wanted a white bed. We ended up getting a loft from collegebedlofts.com and painting it white. It was pretty easy to assemble and it is very sturdy. It's not finished as well as the PB Teen beds - no turned posts or pull out drawers, but she has a desk area as well as some shelves, and it was less than $700 delivered. We bought the quilt she wanted from PB Teen, some of the twisted sheer PB Teen curtains, and some paper lanterns at Ikea (much cheaper than the PB Teen lanterns). We added a rug from Target, and her room looks awesome for under $1000 total.

We have bunk beds from PB Kids that have held up well, and the kids each have dressers from Pottery Barn (not kids) that are close to ten years old and look great. We also have a couple of nightstands that still look nice.

You might find some coupons for sale on ebay. We were fortunate to know someone working at Williams-Sonoma when we bought the bunk beds - she used her 40% discount for us and saved us several hundred dollars.

We got a bed from collegeloftbeds a few years ago and have been very pleased! Very easy to put together and was great how it came pre cut and holes drilled in. Not sure if they still have it or not but at one time on their site, they had lots of photos from customers - shows great styling and design tips!

 

[Mrs D]

I just bought my DD (3) her first big girl bed - after months of searches I did see lots of cool loft beds by these 3 manufactures: Bolton furniture, Lea furniture and Berg Furniture. The local Rooms for kids & teens here sell all three companies.

 

[Cindy B]

Ikea Loft bed is called Tromso.. my son has had his for years!

 

[superminnie]

Who says men have to be the furniture builders? the knockoff wood blog is written by a woman.

So true. If I can do it anybody can. Seriously.I am working on a desk and an entertainment center. All.By.Myself.

It's really not hard especially if you get the guys at home depot to cut the wood for you. It's just like putting together something from pottery barn or ikea, only it will last forever and is way cheaper than PB.

Oh and just FYI Ana (writer of knock off wood) is changing her blog over to www.ana-white.com so if you bookmarked knock off wood you might want to re do it, even though right now it directs you to the new blog.

 

[TnTWalter]

I bought my son's loft bed on craigslist. And many other pieces of furniture. It's an amazing way to get wonderful deals.

If you go to www.searchtempest.com you can search all the craigslists within a certain mileage from your location Used that to try to find hubby a Harley this summer.

Good luck.

If you can find one for <$200 on craigslist....you will have saved almost a disney vacation!!!

Trish

 

[Shleedogg]

I don't know if it is feasible for you... but this website www.knock-offwood.com gives very easy instructions for building your own pottery barn look alike furniture for a fraction of the cost.

I was just about to write the exact same thing! DD just moved into a twin bed and when DH and I get a free moment (after remodeling the new nursery and building the deck) we're going to build her a bed frame from Ana's plans at KOW. I've built 2 toddler picnic tables and DH and I built an 8ft long outdoor dining table and bench together. Her plans are great!

 

[cats mom]

I just bought my DD (3) her first big girl bed - after months of searches I did see lots of cool loft beds by these 3 manufactures: Bolton furniture, Lea furniture and Berg Furniture. The local Rooms for kids & teens here sell all three companies.

We bought a Berg captains bed for DS when he was 3 or 4, and it held up very well. That thing was solid! Of course moving it was a pain. I don't know that their prices are much, if any, less than PB though.

FWIW, by the time DS hit about 13, he was not loving the captain bed style at all. Personally I'd think long and hard before spending big bucks on a captain or loft style bed for an older child. In my experience that's just not what they want when they hit the teen years.

Good luck with your search OP!

 

[KristinU]

Be patient and watch Craigslist for your surrounding area (www.craiglook.com will let you set up a search within X miles).

We got 6 pieces of the PB modular wine bar new in box earlier this year from a couple who had bought it, couldn't really decide if they liked it or not, put it in their enormous attic (out of site out of mind), and finally 2 years later put it on CL...where we snatched up all pieces for $800 and they delivered it with their truck! So patience paid off for me...it would have been around $2000 with shipping if I would have ordered it.

 

[Be1021]

I have a full size loft bed from Lea furniture in my daughters room that is awesome! It has held up very well and was not nearly as expensive as pottery barn.

 

[akmom]

I wanted the PB loft so badly when we just redid my sons room, but we got a metal loft from Walmart and he loves it.

 

[Pumbaa_]

check your ceiling height too, enough room to sit up without bonking your head?

 

[SandrA9810]

My grandmother needed a small bedroom set, but all the "adult" stores sold queens and king bed. So she had to go to the kids department of furniture stores. They found a great quality bed set at rooms to go kids. And it held up very well during the move.