Budget bedroom furniture for 2 kids

[aprilfoolwed]

We're building our dream house! Finally, the kids will all have their own rooms! But we'll need some furniture for them.

DD (turning 11 in May) has a set of furniture in good condition - except her bed. The mattress is okay, but she has a daybed we picked up at a yard sale which has really seen better days. She really wants a full size bed, and we're considering this.

DS (turning 9 next month) will have no furniture. He currently shares a room with the youngest (who will get the current set of furniture - since the middle child NEVER gets anything new - we thought this would be a good opportunity for him). We'd like a full size bed for him too. He'll also need a dresser/chest and a desk. He has a twin mattress, but it's a hand-me-down and not in good shape.

Aside from the obvious (finding something used at a good price), where can I find decent furniture and mattresses for the kids? Will we regret buying a low-price mattress set for them now? Better to get a better quality twin set, or lower price full set (which means we'd then have a potential bed for guests to use too)?

And of course, this all would mean new bedding if we go with a full....

Are there good places to buy unfinished furniture? We used to get stuff at Just Cabinets, but they don't seem to really have the unfinished stuff anymore?

 

[riley2008]

I can't help lead you in the direction to buy good furniture, as we have hand-me-down-down-downs. My boys have twin beds that convert to bunkbeds (although they don't know that) that my father had made for them to match a matching set of dressers that my uncles had as young boys sharing a room. Those beds are SOLID and will last forever (like the dressers). That may be an idea for you. (The place that made it was a bunch of homeless guys going through a rehabilitation program. I found the pattern online and they did a beautiful job.)

Also, just a thought...if this is the only set of kid furniture you want to buy, you may want to consider queen size, depending on the height of your family. This may be something that your DD and DSs take with them in the future.

 

[sookie]

i think that the best thing is to buy good quality, since it will need to last a while. find something with hard woods and not the veneer stuff!

 

[pixiewings71]

We got our girls bedroom furniture from IKEA, it's held up fine for the past 7 years......

 

[EricaG]

We got our girls bedroom furniture from IKEA, it's held up fine for the past 7 years......

Agreed--we have several Ikea pieces in my son's bedroom and have been happy with the quality.

Of course I wanted something that wasn't going to fall apart after a couple of years, but I also wasn't willing to buy really expensive pieces because I think there's too much risk that what he likes (and what meets his needs) when he's 6 isn't what he'll like or need when he's 14.

So, Ikea was a good middle-ground for us--good quality but something we won't feel bad about selling or donating when he decides he doesn't want a bunk-bed, or wants a nice desk instead of toy shelves, etc.

 

[elaine amj]

Depends on how long you want things to last. I'm OK with my furniture not lasting 50 years - I usually want a refresh of style anyway. I get bored if I have something for too long and I can never justify buying another set when the one I have is perfectly good.

My son has an Ikea bunk bed we've had for 7 years. It's still in good shape. My MIL has wanted to buy him a new bed for the last 2 years but we keep saying no because I can't stand the waste of a perfectly good bed.

 

[java]

I actually bought a bunk bed set from R&F got it delivered the next day- and have had it for 3 years so far - and it's held up to 2 wild young boys! It was quick. reasonably priced and came in the size I needed.

 

[Vowelmommy]

IKEA furniture has done really well in my kids rooms, but don't scrimp on the mattress!

 

[TnTWalter]

would be the way I'd go and did go with my kids. You can paint and add knew knobs and pulls to a good solid wood piece for much less than an expensive but cheaply made new piece.


Trish

 

[aprilfoolwed]

Thanks for the input. I actually found a nice used set on Craigslist last night and I am going to see it this weekend. (CROSSING FINGERS).

So now my next question, what makes a matterss a GOOD mattress?

 

[CC12005]

If you have a Sam's Club membership, they have some of the lowest prices for memory foam mattress sets, shipped to your door. I purchased mine online. They have more selection than the warehouses. Reviews are good. We have a couple of them, a bit harder than the real Tempur Pedics, but they are fine. My kids love them. Great deal.

 

[aprilfoolwed]

We do have a Sam's membership - thanks for the tip!

So within the past 24 hours, my cousin posted some furniture on Facebook that she is looking to sell. My DS loves it (it's not what we were looking for, but he loves it - it's a loft bed set) and it's great quality stuff (and I know the history of the furniture). Going to see it tomorrow morning, but pretty sure we'll be coming home with it.

And my DD is most likely going to take our old headboard.

So, if we buy my cousin's set, then both of my DSs will have a bunk set, and we will have the 4 twin mattresses to go with them (2 are junky bunkie board mattresses, but fine for my little guy who is barely 40 lbs). We'll have to buy a full or queen set for DD, and a desk for DS - but then we'll be ready to go!

 

[sherry7]

I see that you're from PA. If you're looking for an unfinished furniture store, there's a fairly large one in Greensburg (about 45 minutes away from Pittsburgh). I think it's called Wood & Water.