Kids Furniture

Kids' furniture

The origin of furniture dates back to the pre-historic age when man started settling down after a long era of living as a nomad.

Pieces of furniture can be classified as those belonging to the eighteenth century Classical era (characterized by its seriousness and orderliness) and that which comes from the Romantic era (characterized by its flamboyant style, complicated designs and extravagance).

The latter symbolizes a similar ostentation and passion in the existing sentiment of the people. The Oriental furniture, such as Asian furniture, in contrast to its European counterpart, is entirely different.

Whatever may have been the earliest origins of furniture, it is true that elegant furniture is an adornment that can enliven even the most mundane surroundings, be it of a household, an office or those of a hotel. It is the joy of an interior designer, or even a housewife, to experiment with the myriad of options in furniture available today. Nevertheless, this indispensable component of our lives is often taken for granted. More often than not, we treat it merely as an item of utility, for its functional and practical value. No doubt, in the olden days, this was how pieces of furniture were looked upon a chair was meant to sit on, a flat surface was needed to eat food on or write on while a bigger flat surface was used for sleeping.

KIDS FURNITURE:

There was not much difference between furniture used by adults and that used by children. Moreover, people did not have the resources or the ingenuity to visualize a different set of furniture items for their kids. Nor were children as responsive to or aware of the various possibilities that exist today. But, in the contemporary scenario, it is common to see furniture particularly that designed for kids, to suit their age and temperament. Furniture is also customized depending on whether it is to be used in homes, schools, libraries or even the children's ward in hospitals. This could be attributed to the rising awareness amongst people, increased purchasing power of today's parents or simply a wish to give the best possible to their children.

Furniture and equipment for infants, toddlers and young children include cots, bunk beds, prams and strollers, walkers, high chairs and playpens. There is a different range of furniture for older kids. Study tables, chairs, playpens, wardrobes, dressers and baby rocking chairs belong to this category. It is not just the variety that is different. These come in a multitude of designs and colors. Embellished with pictures of animated characters, princes and princesses, dinosaurs, racing cars, stars, moon and planets, tables in the form of trees and chairs in the form of delicious fruits these pieces of furniture delight a child as they also fuel his creativity. They come in a host of colors from the lightest pastel shades to bright reds, yellows, blues and purples and shapes.

Kid's furniture items are designed not only to make the room look attractive but also to make life a lot easier for them and their parents. Prams, bouncinettes and walkers effectively engage an infant or toddler's attention and amuse him for hours together. It is a blessing for parents as well. With kids furniture, it becomes easier for a mother to feed her demanding child by simply strapping him up in the high chair. With baby cots, having walls on three sides, becoming the norm than exception, parents no longer have to be paranoid about the baby falling off the cot in the middle of the night. He can be left unattended as this will also serve to make the baby more independent. More importantly, it is a child's right to live in harmony with nature. For this reason, kid's furniture items are instrumental in bringing joy, vivacity and sparkle in their routine lives. Amidst the academic, social as well as parental pressure to outperform their peers, the least we can give a child is the latitude to live in a soothing environment one that makes him feel at home with his surroundings. Getting involved with kid's indoor games and other adventurous pursuits serves to cement the parent-child bond.

Children's furniture is easily available at regular retail outlets and shops. With online shopping gaining momentum as well as popularity, with reasonable prior knowledge and some research, these can also be bought online. There are a host of sites on the Internet that sell kids furniture.

Since children's furniture can be an investment, we must be prudent before buying or designing it. The first and foremost thing to be taken into account is the fact that this furniture should be made in such a way so as to allow for the inevitable growth of a kid. For instance, a bed that looks attractive but is large enough to accommodate an infant of not more than two years is a dead investment as it would be useless in a couple of years. Here, a good idea is to have expandable furniture so that it can keep pace with the child's growth as well as varying tastes.

Another important point to be considered is that, since all children are predisposed towards being rough or careless about their possessions, the pieces of furniture should be made of a durable material. An extremely important thing to be noted here is that the paint should not be of a toxic variety, particularly if there are infants in the house, as they tend to chew on the corners of things. Nor should the furniture have sharp edges, also for the same reason. The material used should preferably be lightweight wood and not metal or leather. It should be light enough so that it can be carried by the child himself while playing or making room for other things.

Basic care should be taken to ensure that the furniture doesn't lose its luster over time. It should regularly be brushed with a soft dry cloth. Use of a damp cloth should be avoided as the dust, when wiped by a damp cloth, tends to scratch the furniture. It should also be kept in mind that environmental factors can play havoc on the furniture the sun's Ultra-violet rays can discolor it. Therefore, it is important to use blinds or curtains. Appropriate care should also be taken to protect it from termites and other insects.

In addition to all these considerations, it must be remembered that, besides the utility aspect, kid's furniture is also vital in giving the child an inexplicable and vital sense of belonging. Therefore, it encourages him to take care of his very own prized possession.