I knew nothing about cribs... That is, until my friends, Laurie and Michael, enrolled me in helping them with their nursery. They are having twins in June and are looking for all the help they can get. They are getting it, but they have also been hornswoggled by me into starring in my next episode of Mission: Organization as a hapless couple having twins in a one bedroom apartment! So, the top cribs we found after a lot of looking around were #1 The Arts and Crafts Crib by Pacific Rim Woodworking (nearly impossible to find), and #2 The Dick Crib (yes, Dick) by Bratt Decor. The good about the Arts & Crafts is that it is simple: made with mortise and tenon joints out of solid maple, and finished with totally non-toxic tung oil and beeswax. The good about the Dick is that it, too, is simple, and a bit more stylish with solid ends. Both cribs have removable sides that allow them to become co-sleepers or daybeds. Problems? Only the price. I found the Arts & Crafts ran from around $741 (shipping included, 4-12 weeks) to $974 (shipping included, 2-3 weeks), while the Dick goes for $700 (shipping included). So, if you still want cribs for $100 - $300 go to Ikea for the Gulliver or Babies R Us for a largish selection, otherwise, enjoy something really well made and have LOTS of children (and definitely hand it down!). MGR
If anyone has more on cribs, please comment below.
I think you've pinpointed a real void in the market. At our retail store (www.edgemodern.com) we've had a lot of requests for contemporary cribs, but I'm at a loss to find anything at a reasonable price point. Many of our customers rave about David Netto Designs (www.davidnettodesign.com) -- he makes a beautiful crib, but it ain't cheap. (Tradeoff: college education for child or modern crib?) As a side note, Dwell Bedding is coming out with a new line of baby linens that should bring even older cribs up to date . . .
Stokke (www.stokke.com) makes a pretty cool crib "system," but it, too, isn't cheap. But at least it is designed with components meant to make it last for a while. That could help soften the blow of spending that much cash.
That said, we were all about IKEA for baby furniture. I just can't make myself spend any more.
The Gulliver from IKEA is pretty cheap looking in real life. We got the floor model of the closed out model which featured a bright blue panel and plain wood railings, similar to their current KURA, raised platform, child's bed. It converts to a toddler bed. Why they discontinued this very nice scandanavian modern series in favor of the chintsy Gulliver I'll never know. However if the Gulliver changing table is any indication, the crib is probably sturdy enough to last through one kid and then some. We love the changing table and it was only $30. It matches our decor and is completely functional for it's purpose.