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Baby & Kids’ Furniture Stores, Beds & Playground Equipment in Cape Town
13 Shops that stock childrens’ bedroom pieces and nursery room décor
If sleep time is shared with your little one and the moment has come for you to reclaim your bed, then you’re likely in need of a furniture store. So without further ado, here’s our guide to where you can find the kind of second-hand items, first-hand bunk beds and eco-friendly pieces that kids will love.
Eco Furniture Design Store
This boutique online wood furniture store sells beautiful pre-made and customised pieces at affordable rates. Plus, the Cape Town-based shop’s environmentally friendly approach means that the beds, bookcases and more are made from reclaimed wood, like Oregon pine that has been left over from home builds or meranti from cabinetry. Though many of the husband and wife team’s creations are aimed at big people, a big part of the duo’s business centres on producing tailor-made home additions – meaning they can create whatever childrens’ furniture your heart desires. You can order online or pop into their Woodstock storefront. Best of all? The pieces have a second-hand price tag attached to them, which is the icing on this already sweet cake.
Best for: High-quality, customised pieces at a modest rate. Ask for CapeTownMagazine.com specials!
Shop 1 Salt Circle Arcade | 374 Albert Road | Woodstock | Cape Town | +27 (0) 21 838 2441 | www.ecofurnituredesign.co.za
Kids Cove
The clean design and hardy materials used to build Kids Cove’s creations make the boutique a great option for both nursery and kids’ furniture. This friendly shop has any array of items that you can browse through online or go and check out for yourself at the showroom in Tokai. You will find kids’ beds, cots, bunk beds, storage boxes, desks and chairs. Kids Cove also lets you choose from a range of non-toxic paint colours which have names as pretty as the furniture itself: Snow Pea, Moody Blue and Fuschia Fizz. Prices are fair considering these are unique, well-made pieces that are as practical as they are stylish.
Best for: That special, long-lasting piece for your little one that you don’t mind spending a bit more on.
Shop 3 | KFC Centre | Corner of Tokai and Main roads | Tokai | Cape Town | +27 (0) 21 713 3138
Red Apple
A household name in Hong Kong since 1981, Red Apple is an online wholesale furniture store that has an extensive range of tweens’ and kids’ furniture. Carrying mostly beds, chairs and desks, the company prides itself on its speedy and efficient service; though, what truly stands out is the slightly gimmicky, 80s feel of its pieces and the comprehensive room sets it offers. Expect colourful, geometric items that have a similar look to IKEA’s goods. This online store also has items likely to take a new tween’s room up a cool notch: think colourful curved chairs.
Best for: Whole bedroom sets for both tweens and children.
Homestore.redapple.za.com| +27 (0) 11 613 2872
MR Price Home
This well-known national brand stocks both bigger childrens’ furniture items, like beds and side tables, and smaller must-haves, like lamps, wall stickers and mats. Although the selection lacks personal touch, as these are mass-produced items, the chain-store pieces come with a price tag that is generally one of the lowest you will find. The bedroom sets (down to the rubbish bins) have matching themes and seasonal add-ons: think marine-themed bedding for summer and novelty hot water bottles for winter. And if you’re going for the big and bright look for your kids’ room, then Mr Price Home might be right up your happy alley. Check out the online store or pop into one of the shops around the city if you’re looking to have colourful, cookie-cutter pieces in your tyke’s room.
Best for: Shoppers with little time that are looking for inexpensive smaller pieces with a magazine-like feel.
Stores located throughout the Cape | +27 (0) 800 212 535
Home-Dzine.co.za
This DIY site is all about creating a completely customised space for your little one with your own blood, sweat and tears. The platform is a goldmine for bedroom advice, baby room ideas or interior decorating inspiration, and it’s easy to trawl the various themes via the Pinterest-like posts. What is handy is that on top of an uncomplicated step-by-step guide to creating things like a simple wall-mounted kiddie dressing table, you will be linked to stores from which you can buy the needed material. The price tags vary, but you will generally be saving quite a pretty penny by going the self-building route. Occasionally this comprehensive local blog shows you where to buy completed pieces of furniture.
Best for: Those who enjoy hands-on projects and have time on their hands.
Home-dzine.co.za |
Character Planet
You won’t find bigger items, like beds, stocked on the virtual shelves of this online store, but for reasonably priced, themed items like Barbie bedding, Thomas & Friends towels, The Smurfs curtains and Hello Kitty rugs, this shop is a treasure trove. Although it claims the similar magazine-feel that MrPrice has, this site’s motifs focus on everything from popular cartoon characters to much-loved sports teams, and the themes extend to everything from curtains and duvet covers to soft towels and pillowcases. With frequent sales on the site, you may well find a duvet set for under R350. The handy guides on the site also help parents match rugs or curtains to the little tykes’ bedding, which makes it easier to zip through the ordering process, make a purchase and deck out a child’s room without even getting into the car.
Best for: Parents who want cartoon characters or a specific theme in their child’s bedroom.
CharacterPlanet.co.za | +27 (0) 11 402 4663
Nest Designs
South Africa’s answer to IKEA, Nest offers a very wide range of kids’ furniture that demands personal assembly. You will find everything from beds and bedding to playground items and desks. The designs are fairly uncomplicated and offer a neutral background that you can build on (with colour if you choose). And just in case the variety of options confuses you, this build-it-yourself furniture store offers a room design advice service to help you tailor-make your little one’s space. Assembling the furniture should be pretty quick with the 1, 2, 3-esque guidelines. The company also has adorable play tables, tents and play equipment. The extensive line is slightly pricey, so beware if you’re on a strict budget.
Best for: Those looking for modern kids’ or tweens’ furniture, and those who are prepared to put in effort and time to assemble (which is quite negligible).
NestDesigns.co.za | +27 (0) 82 747 5443
Mini Me
This longtime second-hand Brackenfell-based consignment store prides itself on the quality of the “gently used” products that fill its floor space. Expect cots, car seats and brand-name pieces mainly for under ten-year-olds. The wide selection of price ranges is ideal for those who have a budget to keep within. What’s more, this well-stocked store often has deals on known brands. It’s also good to know that Mini Me constantly buys second-hand items: keep this in mind if you decide to part with that cot a few years down the line.
Best for: Finding great deals on good quality items.
Shop 52C | Brackenfell Shopping Centre | Old Paarl Road | Brackenfell | +27 (0) 21 982 6993
Lifson Bedding
If you can afford to invest in high-quality bedding for your little one, then it is worth popping into the Lifson outlet shop in Woodstock and giving a few of the down and microfibre pillows and duvets – they have for cots and kids’ beds - a squeeze. The luxury linen brand is considered an industry leader by many, and its top-of-the-range products are used in various hotels and game lodges in the Cape Town area. You can choose the common cotton fibre filling, down or a feather duvet (filled with ethically sourced feathers). If you are more of an online shopper, then please note that, aside from cruising the aisles at the physical storefront, you can also buy bedding through the Lifson online shop.
Best for: High-quality linens.
5 Ravenscraig Mews | 8 Ravenscraig Road | Woodstock | Cape Town | +27 (0) 21 448 5703
Treehouse Online
Treehouse Online, a cyberstore that stocks made-to-order kids’ furniture and creates bespoke customised pieces, has a good-sized array of classic creations embellished with simple, tasteful flourishes. Expect to find Victorian four-poster beds, kists, cots, changing tables and sleigh beds. The shop can alter old favourites according to your specifications and has broken down its website into various sections to aid you in manoeuvring around the online store. The somewhat costly virtual store also offers classic white bedding and linen adorned with stitched flowers.
Best for: Those boutique bedroom pieces that will give the room a slightly classic look.
5 Argo Road | off Hillstar Avenue | Wetton | Cape Town | +27 (0) 84 841 3666
Kids Living
This hip Green Point-based kids furniture store has everything from bookcases and wardrobes to baby car seats and high chairs. The warehouse-sized shop’s immaculately stylised showrooms can help you to get an idea of how certain pieces can work together - just don’t let your little one take a nap on one of the show beds! The tots-to-teens store also often runs specials on its many name-brand products, many of which are sought after in Europe and beyond. If an item isn’t on sale, then expect to pay slightly higher prices for the trendy pieces. And if you’re one of the online shopping parents who love their imports, then you’ll be relieved to know that you can find fun overseas brands like Stokke, Baby Bjorn and Bugaboo at this Cape Town store.
Best for: Those who enjoy slightly more exclusive, imported goods.
15 Hudson Street |Corner of Waterkant and Hudson streets | Green Point | Cape Town | +27 (0) 21 418 0615
Kidbuddie
This Knysna-based company (it delivers across the Western Cape) has been supplying tots and kids with doll houses, slides and other go-to playground items, like see-saws, for a couple of decades on both a private and public scale. The outdoor jungle gym specialists customise pieces too, so you could have their team make your little angel’s Barbie castle a reality! What truly makes this organisation special though is its consideration of every detail, down to the type of rope that goes into your little ones’ play area. The company also respects the paramount importance of safety and will talk you through this if you call them.
Best for: Families that have the space for a jungle gym.
Vigilance Drive | Industrial Area | Knysna | +27 (0)44 382 1093
Wooden Elements
Another option for those of you that have a backyard is Wooden Elements, a Kommetjie-based provider of hand-crafted wood-only jungle gyms. Besides popular slides, play parks and towers, this hands-on, family-run store also creates edutainment pieces, like the popular Indi Spinning Balance Board, which is a simply designed playground addition that helps with balance and coordination. Wooden Element also makes doll houses as well as accompanying interior doll house furniture. Prices are higher end as you’re buying an item that is built to last. Side note: this team contributed to building the play park at the V&A Waterfront, so you can check out their work if you find yourself dockside.
Best for: Families wanting wooden jungle gyms and novelty playground furniture.
Kommetjie | Cape Town | +27 (0) 78 111 7695
Photo Credits: Home Dzine; Eco Furniture; Kids Living and Treehouse Childrens Furniture.
by Ondine Mond
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Need something for yourself? Have a look at our guide to 2nd hand furniture stores across Cape Town.
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