Kids' bedrooms newest luxury market
Categories: Toddlers, Preschoolers, Teens & tweens, Money & Work, Life & Style, Kid Decor & Style
According to an article in the Detroit Free Press, kids' rooms are one of the fastest growing luxury markets, bringing in almost $10 million a year for retailers. Fueled by shows like "Trading Spaces" Boys vs. Girls" and the well-publicized lifestyles of celebrity offspring, kids are looking for that show-stopping personal space - and their parents are indulging them.Have you seen the Pottery Barn Kids catalog lately? There isn't one single room in my house that's as nice as the nurseries in that envy-inducing tome. I feel like I need to go work in a soup kitchen after I leaf through one, just to remember that very few people actually live that way.
Smaller businesses are capitalizing on the craze, as well. Apparently, one Michigan firm specializes in nothing but "lavish" kids' rooms, and the clients aren't limited to teens. Even toddlers are getting in on the act, with custom-painted murals and expensive cribs.
What exactly constitutes a "luxurious" touch? According to the article, they range from the minor (vivid paint colors) to the outrageous (leather floors!).
In my day, having a double bed when you were under the age of 18 was considered a luxury. What's next? Diamond-studded toothbrushes? Cashmere diaper covers? Fur-lined onesies?
And you? Are you a luxury lover or is your style more spartan than starlet?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ninainindia 9-29-2008 @ 10:39AM
Why would anyone give a child a double bed? It's completely ridiculous.
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Sabrina 9-29-2008 @ 11:44AM
How about "I wish, but couldn't afford that stuff if I tried." That would be my vote because I *do* want my kids to have cute/fashionable/whatever. Just can't always afford it. The upside? Learning to think outside the box and get a little creative is a lesson my kids are learning early.
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Joy 9-29-2008 @ 12:08PM
My youngest son went right from a crib to a double bed but that's only because we'd gotten a new bed and we had it. Also, all my relatives were out of town and we needed a place for company when we had it so it just made sense. It wasn't for "luxury" it was just because we had it and needed it for another reason.
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Beth SG 9-29-2008 @ 5:38PM
Our daughter (1st and probably only child) is due in late November, and we're working on what's shaping up to be a VERY cute nursery (if I do say so myself ;-) ) but we're doing it on the cheap.
Hand-me-down crib and dresser, yard sale changing table ($2) and toybox ($1), Craig's List glider ($50 - most expensive thing in the room - other than the kid!), etc.
We figure that we'll redo it in a few years, to give her a "big girl room" and I'm sure we'll do our best to indulge her tastes/interests, but we'll do it on a budget again.
I don't think there's any reason that "cute" necessarily equals "expensive."
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Courtney 10-01-2008 @ 3:17PM
I'm not terribly creative or artsy, so looking through a catalog and seeing a nice room all put together is really satisfying. I only wish that it didn't cost so much. Honestly, my kids' rooms are the nicest in the house. Not teaching them great values, but they are nice places to spend time with them.
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Monica 10-07-2008 @ 2:47AM
The luxury kids market is taking off... children are inspired by what they see on TV and in the media.
I remember being a young girl watching Ricky Schroeder in Silver Spoons... That kid was living the life of luxury! I wanted almost everything he had. It's really not all that much different.
Courtney I am with you . . . creating nice play area or kids room for your children makes it so much easier to spend time with my children in their personal space! :)
http://www.lilsophisticate.com
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