So, a couple of weeks ago we took Ian to the pediatrician for his three-year well visit, which went swimmingly well, by the way. And yes, he's still in the 90th percentile for height and weight, for anyone who might be wondering. But during the course of the visit something came up about Ian and his crib. As soon as the word came out of my mouth, I could tell there was slight pause and some sort of look going on as if the doctor was pondering whether or not she should go in our file and immediately pull our Parenthood card. So I quickly added, "But we are transitioning him soon!"
Of course I've been planning to transition him "soon" for at least six months now. But honestly, the deal is that most kids are out of a crib by now because they have been forced out - either by circumstances beyond their control or by learning to scale the side to escape - neither of which has been an issue in our household. Sure, every now and then I've gone in his room to get him up from a nap he has his leg hoisted over the side ready to take matters into his own hands - at which point I say something like, "Ian, please don't do that - it's dangerous," and the kid actually listens and retreats until I lift him down. Must be my Super Mom powers in action again. Still, I understand that while we all cherish the confines of the crib - it might look a little funny when his friends come over in high school and he's still got the rails going on in his room. Plus there will be a sizing issue happening at some point, I imagine.
But here's the deal: It's not like I haven't tried to make this switch. Or thought about it, oh, at least five out of seven days each week. Because I have. Really, besides being slightly reluctant to give up the prison-like sleeping arrangements, it's a decor issue. As in, I'm concerned about the look - which might make me look a little bit shallow at this point, but let's face it, these are some of the things I spend my time thinking about (when I'm not consumed with thoughts of world peace, of course). I've been searching high and low for some time now for the right new accommodations and can't seem to have that "Aha!" moment, as I believe Oprah would call it. (Though I think she actually means something meaningful or spiritual rather than bedding choices. Perhaps designer Nate would be better to consult for an appropriate term in that arena.)
Of course the centerpiece of the new setup is the bed itself. And in that respect, I've kind of been like Goldilocks. No, this one's too high. No, this one's too low. This one's not kid-friendly enough. This one won't clean well. This one looks too cheap. And this one looks too expensive! However, while there seems to be a lot that I'm not sure about with regard to this new decorating challenge - there are indeed a few things I am sure about. And here they are:
1. I'm not really into "kid" furniture. Sure, with a few clicks of a mouse I could order up something overpriced from Pottery Barn Kids. But besides that not really fitting into our one-income budget these days...why in the world would I want to pay $900ish for a bed that has about 100 pieces of wood too many on it and has "I'm 10 therefore this is what kind of bed I am licensed to have in my room" written all over it. Plus, what it really comes down to is that most "kid" furniture is on the traditional side and I'm not much of a traditional decor type of gal. So, whatever bed we choose has to be some sort of combo of being kid-friendly without really looking like a traditional kids' bed. Which is somewhat difficult to locate, I must admit.
2. The bed has to be a platform bed. In case you have no clue what I'm talking about, these are beds that don't use a box spring and are therefore lower to the ground. This is the type of bed we have and I'm a big fan. Lower beds make rooms seem larger and more open, and I personally don't notice a comfort difference. Plus, given that we are bypassing a "toddler bed" that some parents transition kids to at this point - a full size platform bed will give him room to grow while still being safer for him at this young stage if he falls out. It also avoids us having to make yet another bed switch in the not-too-distant future. Oh, and while we're at it, I'm also not a huge fan of footboards. I prefer the end of the bed to be open, also making the room feel larger and more open.
3. I'm not really into "kid" bedding, either. Now, this where things get tricky. Because I'm not so awful of a parent to know this isn't about me...it's about Ian. Or at least that's what I keep reminding myself. So, themes like Thomas Train or Bob the Builder or SpongeBob whatever-his-name-is are not really under consideration at this point in time. Now, that's not to say that more subdued "themes" like general car sheets, airplane sheets, etc., with some sort of solid comforter would be out of the question. I just don't want it to be...overboard, shall we say. And for what it's worth, as of right now, I still I have some reasonable control over this situation in that, unlike his mother, I really don't think Ian has spent a lot of time thinking about what type of comforter he wants on his new bed. Which could have something to do with the fact that he has no idea that he'll be getting a new bedroom set soon, but that's beside the point.
So, the bottom line is to say that I've been all over the board on this new bedroom thing is an understatement. But after seemingly endless searching for an economical, yet nice looking, yet kid-friendly bedroom set - I hesitate to say that I think I've come back full circle to going with something from....drum roll please....IKEA. Yep, trusty ole' IKEA. And to think at one point in my life it was my goal to rid our house of every piece of IKEA furniture. Clearly that was pre-kid. I'm going back and forth between a couple of different sets there, but here's the most recent finalist in case anyone is interested (color TBD).
The bed is really low, which is great, and it's a clean and simple design (just like IKEA says!). Plus, you can't beat the price, that's for sure. We would get the tables that hook on the side with a slot for magazines - or in our case kids' books. I think that would be kind of fun. I'm not completely in love with the big, chunky style dresser that goes with it, but it may happen anyway. This isn't the final choice, granted, just a strong finalist at this point, I'd say. As my next move, I might go check out a couple retro furniture stores around Portland to see what they have in the way of mid-century modern secondhand used furniture that might look cool in a boy's room. I saw a Danish modern dresser online earlier today that looked kind of fun and different.
As for the "theme", if you will, well, one day I think I'm going to paint the walls blue with a red comforter and airplane sheets and the next day I hate that idea. So who knows. My most recent idea that I'm still kind of liking is a safari theme. I personally think animals are always a good thing to be surrounded with - except maybe if they are small and furry and have names that start with a Z and a C. But the safari thing came to mind while I was perusing the PB web site last weekend and came across this duvet cover. I thought something like that would be fun with maybe some of this type of artwork on the walls. Or this. Of course, I've also started a small collection of Ian's "artwork" that I had planned on framing and incorporating into his new bedroom when he got one...and I don't know how that all fits in, but we'll get it figured out (that is, unless I change my mind tomorrow). Come to think of it, some of the painting is pretty "wild", so there you go! And then of course there are things like a new wall color. While I'd personally love something in the chocolate brown category with that type of theme (somewhat similar to the IKEA photo earlier, actually), I think that something perhaps more along the lines of a nice red might be a little more fun for a preschooler. (You see, I'm really not totally oblivious!)
And so the quest for a new bedroom for Ian continues. However, I can assure you that Change is Coming! Soon...
Until I write again.
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