A popular trend in designing for children is furniture that transitions to accomodate kids' needs as they grow. Investing in furniture that your kid can only use for a year or two is a hard sell to parents, but promising them longevity can be a great incentive.
The Achille bed (which I'm guessing is named after Italian industrial designer Achille Castiglioni and not a reference to the ancient Greek warrior Achilles) was designed by Frenchman Adrien Haas. As you can see, in its first incarnation it is a toddler size bed with a 4.5' mattress and a toy box/play surface at the foot. Later, slats replace the toy box and another mattress is added to extend the bed length to 6'.
You can't see from these renderings, but there is room at the top of the bed to hold books or other small items. Another aspect of Haas' design is the cocoon-like head area to create a feeling of safety and coziness.
The Achille bed is not quite in production. It is one of the projects on L'EDITO, a French "coproduction" site that is similar to Kickstarter and the Achille is awaiting more investors. The expected retail price is between €750 and €1000.
What do you think of this design? Would it work for you?
See more: Achille Bed on L'EDITO
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don't see the point. this doesn't have railings so only way it functions as a toddler bed is to be shorter.
Very smart - and I think pretty easy to imitate for a DIY project...
I think a mattress on the floor is the most practical toddler bed option, unless you have pest problems.
Yikes, I can't imagine that ugly thing sitting in my daughter's room...not that I like princessy furniture or anything.
first thought: coffin.
So what is the point of a toddler bed? Especially in this case when it's just a short bed? What's wrong with just graduating to a real bed? Or as someone mentioned, putting the mattress on the floor if it's a falling out issue?
I agree - I never had a toddler bed. Everyone I know goes from a crib to a real bed. Anything else seems like a waste of money
Oh dear, the bed looks like it comes straight from Addams Family.. truly horrible.
I think it's pretty neat.
That said, the whole odd sized mattresses part seems kind of annoying. Granted you could start with a crib size and go to a twin (single?) but all you're saving is the cost of a bed frame.
I think the actual bed looks pretty cool (it's definitely looking more "boat" than "coffin" to me at least) but why not just put your toddler in a twin bed and not have to buy two mattresses?
I'm another one in the "I don't get it" camp. What benefit is gained by making the bed shorter? What advantage does this have for a toddler over a regular twin bed?
It reminds me of a coffin and without rails, it's not really a toddler bed. Plus by the time your child hits their teens, one would think you could at least invest in a new bed for them.
I agree-it's a useless item. If a child can sleep on a toddler bed, they can sleep on a twin bed. Rails can be added to almost any twin bed.
i'm seeing awesome more than aweful... mainly because i'm picturing a huge galaga or pacman graphic on the side. but yes... the short mattress is odd... and yes, a easy DIY, but about $300 in walnut plywood.
Yep, useless. I only opted for an IKEA junior bed (5 inches longer than a toddler bed) because we truly have no room for a twin. This doesn't save any space. No railings, either. It's not any lower to the ground than a twin. If you have enough room for something that huge, you might as well just use a twin bed.
I love it! Perhaps the wood could be a lighter color. Do kid beds have rails now? I never slept with rails. I don't know anyone who did. Usually it was from crib to twin bed.
I second or third the coffin comment....this "bed" from the name to the design is a disaster... I bet this is some kind of AT joke
Well, it does have built-in toy storage. But it's not like the kid won't still need toy storage when they're 8 or whenever they need to graduate to the full size bed.
I am pretty sure I went straight to a twin size bed myself... just because it would be unlike my parents to have bought such specialized furniture. I seem to recall that they might have put chairs up against my bed when I was young so I wouldn't roll off, but I don't know if that was a real danger. Do little kids really roll that much?
re rolling kids: when I was a kid we had metal things that hooked on beween the mattress and boxed spring to keep up safe when we first moved into our 'big kid' beds. I was so scared of my 'big girl' bed and having a whole bedroom to myself when we moved to a larger house, my parents also let me keep my toddler bed mattress on the floor under my bed, and then we would push my bed against the wall, so on one side I was blocked by the wall, and on the other I had a mattress to fall on. Then in the morning we'd reverse it and I'd make up my pretty white eyelet lace bedspread and arrange my 14 dolls on top.
I don't recall ever actually falling out of bed. I'm sure I was most scared of being alone- I had shared my room with my younger brother up until then (I was not quite 5 when this moved happened.)
I think it looks OK... but if it were my bed I'd probably hit my head on that wooden canopy several times a week.
Stop, already. This isn't a mommy blog. Why every other post about kid-stuff?
Does anyone else cringe at those corners?? Neat modular design and all, but sheesh... My toddler would walk/run/jump/fall into those corners immediately.
Im with the double (or twin) mattress just slightly off the floor; not as pretty but less emerg trips.
Oh, and could we please go back to having the family posts seperate. Im tired of the complaining of those unable to not look past what doesn't interest them.