So, a few days ago I ordered the crib from Target in Honey Oak. I didn’t really like the matching dresser and it got terrible reviews from people saying it was flimsy and fell apart when they were putting it together. So I’ve been searching high and low online for something that might match. We had decided not to get a changing table specifically but rather just put the changing pad on top of the dresser, but either way it creates a bit of a dilemma for a 5’4” mommy and a 6’7” daddy. It’s either going to be too tall for me, or Eric’s going to have serious back pain from leaning over so far. My thought is that if I want E to change his share of diapers I better seriously consider his relative comfort in doing so. Anyway, back to my search. I can’t seem to find anything anyway that isn’t either WAY too tall for me or WAY too short for Eric. I’ve come to the conclusion that too tall is better because A) more storage, B) I can always get a cute little stepstool, and C) honestly we can really change diapers on the pack and play or the couch or the floor, or wherever. That aside, nothing seems to match the crib in terms of pre-finished stuff, which brings me to unfinished stuff. On the plus side, unfinished furniture is usually solid wood and therefore very sturdy. On the negative, it can be more expensive, and I have experienced buying unfinished furniture in the two end tables we have in our living room. I finished one the first week and the other sat in the basement for at least a year, maybe two, before I finally got around to staining it. Granted, I was working on my MBA and all that so I was pretty busy but still… Eric mocks me a little when I talk about buying unfinished furniture.
Ultimately I began to strategize in a couple of directions. The first, which failed miserably, was to get an “espresso” crib instead of honey oak. Should be much easier to match colors I would think, plus all the green and brown nursery decorating ideas I’ve been browsing are sooo cute and they all feature either brown or black cribs. Unfortunately, by the time I realized this, my crib had already shipped and if I return it I have to pay return shipping (unless it arrives damaged or something). Boo. An extra $80-90 to ship it back just for a different color isn’t exactly a luxury I can justify. Not only that, but Target doesn’t offer free shipping on the espresso crib, only the honey oak, go figure, so I can’t even just exchange it. So I’d end up paying even MORE. So my plan now is just to wait for it to get here and then maybe take a piece of it around to some furniture stores and try to find something that matches. We need to make the rounds anyway to see if we can find a glider we like that won’t collapse under the weight of my huge husband holding our huge baby. Worst case scenario I guess we will just have mismatched furniture or I’ll have to bite the bullet and stain something to match.
It is going to be a busy weekend.
4 comments:
Don't fret, my pet. (That was a line from a play I was in in kindergarten and for some reason I always remember it.)
Emma's room is all white furniture but her glider is pale wood. The ottoman is pale wood too but a completely different fabric. The key is to just find ways to tie everything together and to make sure that if you do have to have mismatched pieces that they at least coordinate a bit. I was totally bummed that all the white gliders we found seemed so flimsy and expensive ... but the one we were lucky to score on serious sales was well-built, comfortable and a good (bigger) size. Naturally, I wanted everything to match but James convinced me that the glider and ottoman would coordinate and he's right -- I don't even notice that it's different.
Now, if you tried to match white wood with black wood and an occasional cherry piece, I think that's pushing it. But if you have to mix and match a little, I'm sure the room will still be as beautiful as you envision it. Nurseries are always so fun to decorate ... can't wait to start our second! Just have to find out whether we have a pee-pee or a va-jay-jay growing in this belly and then we're off and running with nursery #2. :)
Keep us posted on what you do -- and post progress pics!
I think staining furniture is a big nono for preggos, isn't it? I think I remember reading that anyway. I can't remember. Check and be sure. Don't want baby Seth inhaling toxic fumes.
I'm having a fun time matching furniture too because I decided to use my old crib (instead of a really pretty new one someone donated to me that my mom is now going to set up in her house) for the nostalgia factor. Plus, she's a girl and my old crib has a canopy (luckily my mom is a good seamstress so she's just using the pattern from my old one). I think that will be sooooo cute! But anyway, I have my old crib and a rocking chair that was my Dad's when he was a kid, and my old rocking horse which are all a kind of orangey stained solid maple. I can't decide whether to try and match that color or just go with a white dresser. The nursery actually has a built in desk too that we're going to convert into a changing table. That way it's not so weird that there is a desk in the baby's room and it saves us from having to buy another piece of furniture. And the desk (and surrounding closet/cabinets) are white. But now you have me kind of worried about the height of it. It's really short, and although Craig isn't quite as giant as Eric, he Is 6'3" and it probably won't be comfortable for him. Hm.
Soooo, I've been looking on Craig's list for furniture. But it's so hard to tell from the tiny, crappy pictures people post on there.
Anyway, it's all a lot of fun, isn't it? Hurray for babies!
And personally, I love how the espresso stuff looks, but when it's veneer like all of the stuff at Target probably would be, you're better off with a lighter color. That dark wood shows ALL the scratches. So, maybe it's a blessing in disugise that you can't change your mind.
Oh, and Mandy... Pee-pee and Va-jay-jay. Love it. :D
Ohhh good point about the staining during pregnancy, I didn't think about that. I bet I could talk my dad into doing it for me, he'll probably be bored when the weather gets bad and he can't ski anymore :)
And I did think about the espresso finish and the scratches, you're definitely right about that.
But yes, it's all TONS of fun!
Again, my advice is just based on my own experiences and doesn't necessarily transfer to others because everyone has different experiences. My husband is only 6feet tall and not as tall as Craig or Eric ... but I just have to note that you really don't spend THAT much time at a changing table. I think the thing that is more stressful on your back is lifting in and out of the crib. There may be one night where you have a particularly messy diaper that takes a few more minutes than normal to clean up, but the time you spend at a changing table is minimal. It's just temporary, even at the beginning when you change diapers more frequently. Even so, like I said ... neither James nor I are particularly tall so maybe it really would make a huge difference and I don't know what I'm talking about. I would mainly think that you wouldn't want anyone to be too short for a table because you do need to be able to see and maneuver easily around all sides to get the job done properly. :)
And yes, you can always sit on the floor and change diapers there or on the couch or something too. I remember Christy and Nic NEVER used a table or anything to change their boys. I use one all the time when we're at home but don't NEED to.
I'm a huge fan of repurposing a dresser or a desk as a changing table. We're just buying a dresser for Nursery #2 as well. No specific changing table. Just the pad.
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