Shopping Hints
By Mary Beth Breckenridge
AKRON, Ohio – Youth furniture is growing up.
It’s hardly a surprise that kids attuned to style and accustomed to choice would expect the same when it comes to furnishing their bedrooms. And manufacturers are giving them what they want – furniture that’s sophisticated and customizable, just like what Mom and Dad demand for themselves.
Robin Campbell, marketing services manager for Young America, Stanley Furniture Co.’s youth furniture brand, attributes the evolution to young people’s increased exposure to design trends.
“I think they’re just more demanding in what they want,” she said. “They know what they want, and they want it now.”
In fact, the youngsters’ taste is one of the biggest influences behind their parents’ purchasing decisions for the children’s rooms, according to a recent survey by the American Home Furnishings Alliance, an association of manufacturers, distributors and suppliers. Taste tied with price is the second most important consideration in buying youth bedroom furniture, behind function.
What many of those young consumers seem to want is options. That stands to reason, Campbell said, given the choices available to them in other products, from customizable Nikes to personalized M&Ms.
Choice, therefore, is becoming common in youth furniture.
Young America is making customization the marketing hook for its new myHaven collection, a cottage-style furniture grouping available in 20 finishes including such fun-loving colors as chili pepper, watermelon and grape. Many of the hues were inspired by fashion icons that influence the younger set, such as Lilly Pulitzer, Lacoste and J. Crew.
Another new line of youth bedroom furniture, Pulaski Furniture’s Build-A-Bear Workshop Home, is tied to one of the most recognizable names in customization, the chain of stores where customers can design and create their own stuffed animals.
Each of the line’s three collections offers options, including changeable drawer fronts and hardware.
Those options not only let the youngsters get the look they want, but they also allow the furniture to “grow” with the child – another common feature of today’s youth furniture. Pink and lavender drawer fronts can become plain white someday, making the furniture suitable for a guest room or a first apartment.
That desire to extend the life of the furniture is why many of the pieces tend toward traditional and classic designs, Campbell said.
Parents are looking for timeless furniture that will remain useful long after their offspring have left childhood behind.
Even baby furniture is designed with longevity in mind. Many cribs convert to toddler beds, then day beds or full-size beds, and they’re made in grown-up styles such as sleigh beds and slat beds.
Changing tables have given way to regular dressers topped by removable changing pads, which attach to the back of the furniture and can be replaced by a hutch when the child is out of diapers. And some manufacturers make nightstands, mirrors and other pieces to match its infant furniture, so pieces can be added as the child grows and his or her needs change.
The expectation that the furniture will last for years, combined with kids’ increasingly refined taste, has resulted in youth furniture that looks much like furniture marketed for adults.
Even venerable Stickley has a youth collection, including bunk beds in its signature Arts & Crafts style.
That’s not to say youth furniture is just all about form. Function is still paramount, as the AHFA survey showed.
At the top of the wish list: “storage, storage, storage,” said Kristin Hawkins, a spokesperson for Broyhill Furniture, which makes several youth bedroom collections and will be unveiling another in the spring. The company’s consumer research found comfort was the priority for teens when it comes to their bedrooms, followed closely by organization.
But Hawkins noted that the two often go hand-in-hand – a room that’s cluttered because of inadequate storage space isn’t conducive to relaxing and entertaining friends.
Consequently, Broyhill and other manufacturers have concentrated on maximizing storage, particularly in unused areas such as under the bed.
After all, kids need a place to stash all their sporting equipment, video games, stuffed animals and trinkets.
Their taste might be growing up, but they’re still kids.
Tips on selecting youth furniture from the American Home Furnishings Alliance and Andrea Berryman of Cribs to Kids:
Before you shop, consider what your child needs and why. A younger child might want bunk beds or a trundle bed for a sleepover, for example. But if Grandma comes to stay now and then, bunks with a double bed on the bottom might work best. Other possibilities: a table for art or science projects, extra bookshelves for collections, an armoire for additional storage space and a rocker and lamp for reading.
Find out whether the furniture is made of solid wood or particleboard. If a crib is on your shopping list, shake it to make sure it’s solid.
Keep safety in mind. Look for automatic drawer stops that keep drawers from falling out, steel bolts that keep joints secure and provide extra support, smooth surfaces that won’t splinter, and use of nontoxic
stains, lacquers or enamels. Avoid moving parts that could pinch little fingers.
Ask what coordinating pieces the manufacturer offers. You can outfit a baby’s room with just a convertible crib and a comfortable chair, Berryman said, but you’ll want the flexibility to add pieces such as a dresser and nightstand later.
Look for crib runners that are nylon, not plastic. Also, look for runners that aren’t hidden; otherwise, Berryman said, the whole gate will need to be replaced if a runner breaks.
Choose a child’s mattress as you would an adult’s, by lying on it. It’s not a bad idea to bring the child to test it, too, Berryman said. Consider a mattress with vinyl on one side for a bed wetter (it can be flipped over when the child is older) or one encased in vinyl on both sides for a child with allergies.
If the child is old enough, let him or her participate in selecting the furniture.
