The exact weekend after we wrapped up our big bathroom makeover, we hightailed it out of town. It wasn’t that we were over staring at our new bathroom (we actually found ourselves going into the room just to ogle our newly spruced surroundings) but it was more like we needed a self-imposed “vacation” after such hard work. Especially my main tile man John. He really deserved a nice little weekend getaway. So we drove five hours up to the family beach house in scenic Rehoboth, Delaware (we know it’s weird to go to the beach in the dead of winter, but we love how quiet and sleepy the off-season is… and we always seize the opportunity to play a lot of board games, eat some great home cooked meals, and watch hours of Law & Order and rental movies that we’ve been meaning to see for months). We usually also make time to swing through the outlets ($9 shoes? yes please!) and this year we even got to grab some cute baby girl clothes on the cheap.
John also initiated the “nursery chair search” since he reasoned that we might find something comfy and perfect for the corner of our modestly sized nursery while at the beach since the area is pretty much brimming with home decor shops, thrift stores, and even salvage places like this one that we always drop in on. At first we didn’t have much luck when it came to finding something soft and cushy to stick in the corner of our nursery for late night feedings and general baby gazing, but we did find a pillow that looked just like Burger…
Not to be deterred, we found the strength to put down the funny little chihuahua accessory (although somehow we think our little girl is going to be obsessed with her furry big brother so a pillow in his likeness would always be welcome in her room) and continued our search. After dropping in on about six to eight places without any success (they either had inflated beach-front price tags or stiff uncomfortable chair options) we found ourselves walking into the All Saints’ Parish Thrift Shop. And that, my friends, is where we hit the motherlode.
But perhaps we should explain what it was that we were looking for in a nursery chair. You see, at first we had looked into gliders, and while many moms swear they’re the best thing about being a parent, we’re actually surrounded by people (John’s two sisters and one of my good friends) who have regular ol’ chairs in their nurseries- and they all love the cozy and inviting options they chose. No regrets among any of ’em. So after looking at a bunch of gliders that didn’t really do it for us from an aesthetic point of view (or boasted an $800 price tag when they did) we quickly moved on to the idea of a comfy chair and ottoman combo. I guess this is another one of those personal mom decisions that differs for everyone, but I knew as long as I could put my feet up and sink into something comfy I’d be a-ok.
Plus we’re pretty good at evaluating how we’ll use our house, and we knew that I would do the majority of my nursing on the sofa with the help of a Boppy. Since I work from a small desk in the den (which is also where our only TV lives and is strategically placed right off of the kitchen) we recognized that between checking the blog, watching some tube, and generally hanging out with the beanette in her first few weeks and months, beyond midnight feedings I probably wouldn’t be spending much time in the nursery chair (I definitely didn’t see myself walking back across the house into the nursery every three or four hours for feedings). So it really helped to realize that we’d use the chair in the nursery probably once or twice a day, but it wouldn’t be my primary nursing location (which made paying $800 for a chic little modern glider or even a big overstuffed chair seem like more of a waste the longer we thought about it).
And of course as paranoid and clueless first-time parents-to-be, we like to do our research to put our nervous minds at ease. So we made a few calls to all those sisters/friends who had babies in the last year and asked what they liked about their non-gliding nursery chairs. Everyone kept saying the same thing: just get something comfortable and add an ottoman. And don’t go armless (aka: be seduced by a sweet slipper chair) since it’s nice to have some “chair boundaries” to keep the Boppie or your grip on the bambino a bit more contained (so you’re not straining to hold your arms in a certain position while the chair provides no support whatsoever). Of course we realize that many of you out there might have a different “must have” chair criteria, but we felt good with the comfy and supportive shape/no-lack-of-arms advice that we got from our friends and family so that’s what we went with. I guess that’s one of the signs that we’re getting ready to be parents: we did some research and made a decision that seemed right for us. And with that knowledge, we confidently embarked on our chair hunt to end all chair hunts.
Which takes us back to the All Saints’ Parish Thrift Shop. We walked in and immediately saw the most cozy and enveloping egg chair. The bucket-like construction hugged us like no other chair we tried (and we must have sat in literally 30 chairs that day) and although it hardly looks plush and inviting (pictures don’t do it justice) this baby practically conforms to your body. So much so that although John wasn’t convinced by my blissed out expression while I sat in the chair, once he took it for a spin himself he declared that he never wanted to stand up again. Victory! Plus the small scale size is perfect for our smaller-than-average nursery and it’ll be even more heavenly when we give it a little love to get it looking brandy new again. Especially when we add a fresh coat of paint, a soft little lumbar pillow and a nice ottoman for even more bliss-inducing comfort (if that’s even possible). And the price tag? Twenty beans. Sold!
The only issue we had with the chair was that it was vintage. The shopkeeper assumed it was actually an original from the 60’s/70’s thanks to the shape and the construction, so naturally we had a major lead paint concern on our hands. Not to worry, we knew we could use a soy-based wet stripper to remove the paint if it did contain lead, and we actually had a strong suspicion that the chair was painted way after it was made (we thought it was probably left au-naturale for a while and then painted white within the last ten years with more modern lead-free paint). But when it comes to our baby bean, nothing but the cold hard facts can ease our nervous-new-parent minds… so we headed to Home Depot and grabbed a less-than-six-dollar lead test kit called Lead Check.
After carefully reading the directions we learned that all we had to do was snap the lead stick two times and shake it a bit (we heard some goo get released, almost like snapping a glow stick) and then rub it for about 30 seconds on an area of the chair with a bit of a paint chip (just so in case the paint was “sealed” with some sort of poly that didn’t have lead we could still access the paint beneath it and get a true read).
So I gently rubbed side to side on a few different chipped areas of the painted chair- and a small dribble of yellow goo came out which I massaged into the chair with the tip of the test stick for around 30 seconds a pop. We even checked the legs, which appeared to be unpainted but you never know (you can reuse the stick in a bunch of different places as long as it doesn’t indicate that there’s a lead reaction, at which point the test is dunzo).
The directions explained that varying amounts of lead could be detected by this method, so a soft pink hue on the chair or the tip of the lead stick would indicate trace amounts of lead while a brighter pink tip of the stick or mark on the chair would warn us of higher concentrations of lead. And lookie here- not even a smidge of pink. In fact the tip of the stick and the chair stayed soft yellow- the exact same color of the goo when it doesn’t have any reaction at all. Happy happy joy joy. No lead!
Of course we still plan to give our chair a nice fresh coat of no-VOC paint (along with those stark black legs while we’re at it) but for the time being we can’t bring ourselves to break out the paint because we enjoy sitting in the chair so much that the whole waiting-for-it-to-dry thing might kill us. Seriously, when the house is quiet and one of us is wondering where the other one is, we can always be found sitting in The Chair. Sometimes even in the dark with our feet up. It’s the most comfortable thing in the world, I’m telling you. Pictures just don’t do it justice.
And just to be sure that our $20 steal was up to the breast feeding challenge, we actually had John’s sister come over and nurse her three month old baby boy in our chair (of course we closed the door while she put the chair to work and we fed her lunch afterwards to show our true appreciation). The verdict: she proclaimed that it was very cozy and even mentioned that the arm support was perfect. And she’s a mom of three so her endorsement means everything to us.
So in the end we definitely could never have guessed that we wouldn’t end up with an overstuffed arm chair or a glider in our nursery but we’re so excited about our comfy and supportive $20 thrift store find.
And yes I was jealous of John while I snapped these pictures because he was the one enjoying the bliss that is our new nursery chair while I slaved away taking photos…
Stay tuned for updated pics of our new chair once we get the chance to paint it (and add a plush little lumbar pillow). Until then you can find me sitting in the nursery with the lights off and my feet up. Life is good when you’re pregnant.
But enough about our groovy vintage lead-free twenty dollar chair. Do you guys have a favorite place to sit in the house? Do you have any cheap-o thrift store scores that you’re dying to brag about? Does anyone else vacation in Rehoboth? Did anyone purchase that adorable chihuahua pillow that we sadly put back on the shelf? Spill the beans.
Psst- Wanna see our nursery progress from the very beginning? Here’s our painting post, our big shopping spree, our crib hunting rundown, and our curtain-making tutorial.
Laurie Jones says
I cannot believe you past that pillow up!! Good for you two for taking a babymoon!! Hope you had fun!
Krista D. says
Living South-Central Pennsylvania as I do, I’ve been to Rehobeth numerous times, but never realized it was such a thrift store mecca! I can’t wait to go again now!
I love the chair you guys picked out – it looks perfect in BGP’s (baby girl P) room. I went with a glider for our nursery, but was able to score one for only $75 on Craigslist. It’s one of the few baby items that I STILL use every. single. day. – my kids are 3 and 2! They both loved the swaying motion to help put them to sleep, and now they both pile on my lap before bed so I can read them a few books and sing them a few songs. I hope your chair brings you as wonderful memories as mine has.
Rebecca Foxworth says
I can’t claim to have found our favorite second-hand find. Six years ago we moved into a home with a ginormous living room. Five years ago, we still had tiny little couches floating around in it. Then my mother called from a yard sale…she found a white leather sofa being sold for $100 by a couple converting their family room to a bedroom for unexpected twins…did we want it? Imagine our surprise when she showed up with an off-white (thank goodness…goes well with our cream, tan, brown, and red great room) sectional that exactly matches the shape of our living room. 22 feet of creamy light leather which we never would have chosen for ourselves but would choose again in an instant for its kid- and dog-friendly properties. As an added bonus, the end closest to the television has a chaise! Shortly after we got it, a family bout with the flu found all four family members plus the dog stretched out and sleeping on the 22-foot marvel. And an invitation to friends to come soon for a movie-night prompted the husband to give our sofa the once-over and ask, “But…where will we SIT?” Oh, ha-ha. The best thing about the couch? My mother never asked me to reimburse the $100!
heather s. says
I’m surprised by the chair choice – while you say it is comfy and has arm support it doesn’t really look like it would. Sorry, not a fan of the chair/ottoman choice but as you say – everything is subjective so enjoy. :)
I do, however, love the look of some of the white furniture outside of the store!
Megan says
Love the chair! (and the pillow you had the willpower to leave behind!)
No babies for us yet, but we do have a comfy chair with a (free) story! My grandmother originally purchased a big comfy recliner for my grandfather roughly around 1990. He didn’t care for it much but all of his sons and sons in law fought over the chance to sit in it at every family gathering. After he, and later my grandmother, passed away, my dad won the battle for the recliner and it went to my parents’ house. Seldom used in a corner of the bedroom, when I moved out they let me take the chair.
Now, 20 years, two apartments and two houses later (and in remarkably good condition), it sits in our living room and is STILL the most comfortable chair we have ever owned. So much so that my sweet (60 lb) dog takes advantage of my love for cuddling and, although not allowed on furniture as a rule, finds her way onto my lap when I sit in it!
Lisa in Seattle says
My favorite place to sit is the recliner we bought some years ago when I was having surgery and couldn’t lay flat for 10 days. It’s huge (it looked fine in the cavernous store, but when we brought it home it scared all the other furniture to death) and ugly as a homemade fence, but *man* is it comfy. Last year I lived in it for almost a month. Now my husband wants to buy a Stressless chair, but the price tag makes me hyperventilate.
Sam says
Just my two cents, I love the look of the chair but…. head support becomes really important for those late night feedings. I don’t know how many times I fell asleep nursing, my little girl ate every 2 hours for many month, and I don’t think I could have functioned without it.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sam,
We were actually advised from two separate people that chairs with too much head support can encourage you to fall asleep while breastfeeding (as you mentioned) which terrifies me as a new mom to be since I don’t want to drop the baby! So in our case we actually intentionally avoided it!
xo,
s
Kristi says
Great choice! Snagged a similar style chair at Target 4 1/2 years ago for $6 and have breastfed 3 babies in it. (Yeah, we’re pretty busy around here.) So comfortable and no arm rests to bump your lil’ beans head like I’ve found glider arms to do.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the endorsement Kristi. Three babies in 4.5 years definitely sounds like you’ve been busy! And a $6 chair is an amazing steal!
xo,
s
Amanda says
Aww I like it! And especially the price. It will look so cute with a fresh coat of paint. Is that the ottoman you’re going to keep? By the way, I love that woven ottoman, but I am so cheap that I have a hard time shelling out even $40 for one (I think that’s how much they are at Target). I can’t wait to see what you do with the chair!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amanda,
Yup, we’re definitely planning to keep that ottoman since we already owned it from when it used to live in that room back when it was the third bedroom. We think it’ll definitely come in handy since we can stash a bunch of toys inside of it (the top is hinged). We actually got it 50% off at Michael’s a while ago so that’s one place to look. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Carole says
Looks comfortable and stylish!
On the subject of nursing pillows, here’s one that I liked even better than the Boppy:
http://www.mybrestfriend.com/
It’s easier to sit all the way back in a chair because the back wraps around your back, and the sides are not as chunky as the Boppy. It also has a built in back support. You could take the cover off and wash it, too.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the recommendation Carole! We’ll definitely check it out.
xo,
s
Bailey says
What a cool chair! I don’t have any kids yet, but my mom still has the wooden rocking chair that she had in each of my brother and my nurseries. It still has teeth marks from the oldest kid standing on the side of the chair to peer into mom’s lap at the younger sibling. It holds so much love and memories for us through our childhood that today my brother and I have a silly joke that to see who actually gets the rocker for our own future nurseries- the first one to have a kid gets that chair!
ally says
Good for you for not buying into the baby hype. You don’t need everything the advertisers would have you believe! We got a glider, but you’re right, I only use it at night and would be just as happy with something stationary. We didn’t get a “nursing glider” so I don’t sit as far forward on the chair as would be comfortable for trying to stand up while not waking up a sleeping newborn. But it still works for us.
LauraC says
Good for you! If you love it, that’s all that matters. When I had our daughter, I was seduced by the comfy, wonderful chair in the BabiesRUs nursing room, but just didn’t want to shell out $500 for something I wouldn’t want to keep after our family was done. So I got a cheapo glider from K-mart ($80) and was sure I’d take it back because how could an $80 chair be comfortable? Well . . . I loved it. Not to say it was $500 comfortable, but WELL worth the 80 bucks. I nursed our daughter comfortably in it for over a year. We still rock in it before bed, and I expect to nurse her brother in it soon! Now, it is ugly, and I hate the fabric, but it does “go” with the nursery decor (green and light brown). Oh, and another advantage to not liking the fabric, was that I didn’t care if it got spit-up on it! I hope you enjoy your chair as much as I have mine. Oh, and the advice you got regarding arms – bullseye! Arms are a must-have! (I tried a boppy once or twice and didn’t like it at all, so never used mine, but I think I’m just weird in that department.)
anu says
good for you guys for not folding to the glider pressure! we went for a rocker from room and board that was on clearance and haven’t regretted it at all. i do have to say that one thing that one thing you *might* miss is having somewhere to rest your head with that adorable egg chair. something to think about – it seems that you guys are flexible and realize that you can’t know exactly what you’ll need until bgp arrives!
i second the my brest friend recommendation – way better than the boppy for the first months.
Keeley says
I live in Delaware (about 90 minutes north of Rehoboth) and my husband and I go to Rehoboth all the time! We dream of having access to a “family beach house”, but we’ve rented a few times and we’ve also just done day trips. We shop the outlets all year, we eat Grotto Pizza, and I highly recommend that you got to Saketumi (on Rt. 1) for sushi. They have great happy hour specials (half price sushi – and you can still eat my favorite sweet potato tempura, even though you are expecting)! Please check it out next time you’re in town. Thanks for showing Delaware some love!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh that sounds amazing Keeley! Thanks so much for the recommendation. Sushi is one of my hugest prego cravings and I love veggie rolls like sweet potato tempura since any raw fish are off limits for now!
xo,
s
Lesley H says
Loving your chair/ottoman choice! We had a chair like this as kids and fought over who got to sit in it so I get the comfy factor! Looks like a great cuddle corner – enjoy it. Can’t believe you passed on the Burger pillow…so cute!
Annie says
I’m impressed with your find! We got a pottery barn glider off craigslist and my mom recovered it, but all in all it was def more than $20!
I’ve been searching for a sheepskin/lambswool little blanket or rug for our bean and was wondering where you found yours. I hear that they’re great for staying warm in the winter/cool in the summer. And no matter where the babe may be sleeping they recognize their little lamby!
Madelaine says
So very jealous that you have a place to go in Rehobeth! I have only been once, but it was enough to fall in love. My family (as in my mom and her sisters and on down the lines) thought about pooling money to buy a place that we could all use. It may still happen, but a few things like weddings have gotten in the way!
I don’t have kids, but have sat for friends many times. Will you be able to get out of the chair with the bean easily? That looks like it might be difficult to get out without disturbing the bean or oversetting the chair. Love how the room is coming together!
YoungHouseLove says
Good question! We’ve done lots of sitting and standing with Burger in our arms (and as we mentioned we even had John’s sister Emily come over and test-drive the chair) so we’re confident we can easily get up and sit down with baby in hand!
xo,
s
amelia says
cute chair…you make it sound so comfortable i’m tempted to go out and find one just to test it out! Looking forward to seeing it all painted with a pillow! i have to say, i loved the burger pillow you found – must have been hard to leave behind!
Ellen says
Sorry, but I have to agree with some of the other posts. I don’t think that chair is ideal for breastfeeding. I think a chair with padding and arms would be better. For one, the arms would give you extra support, since sometimes it takes a while for the baby to finish, also there are multiple positions that you can do while breastfeeding.
I got a small rocker recliner and had a boppy it worked great, I had the support to help me hold the baby and my arms did not get tired from holding the baby. I think I would be more nervous if I didn’t have the arms on the chair.
Trust me, I know you don’t want to fall asleep, but comfort is key especially the early morning feedings and having that extra support with the arms gives you more security, especially if you are out of it.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Ellen,
Thanks for your concern but we’re extremely sold on our purchase. Especially since John’s sister and mother of three gave our chair a big thumbs up after using it to nurse her 3 month old little boy! To each his own, right? We’ll certainly be sure to post how our chair works out for us after a few months of use- and as we also mentioned it won’t be the primary nursing spot in our house since we picture a lot of time spend on the sofa during the day so we’re excited to share an update once the bean is here!
xo,
s
Lauren says
I also can’t believe that you guys passed on that pillow!! I have my eye on a similar pillow (but it’s a beagle) But I can’t justify a $70 pillow!!
http://www.target.com/Bailey-Pillow/dp/B002M014PG/ref=br_1_115?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&searchView=grid5&searchNodeID=3151061&node=3151061&searchRank=target104545&searchPage=5&searchSize=30&id=Bailey%20Pillow
Anita says
Great choice! Can’t wait to see it with a fresh coat of paint!
We don’t have children, but I can speak about the falling asleep style of chair. My husband and I bought a microsuede, overstuffed chair w/ottoman from an overstock/discount store a few years ago and it’s been nicknamed the Sleepy Chair. I swear, they soaked the fabric in sleeping pills before it was made, because it only takes 5 minutes in the chair before you are nodding your head. It’s awesome for nights when you can’t fall asleep! It will be the opposite of awesome when we decide to have children..
Toni says
I bought a glider, second hand for $30, for my second baby and I don’t like it. I find myself nursing on the couch over the glider, so the glider now has to go! my favorite place to feed the baby is side lying in bed. I often go back to sleep during those late night feedings and everyone is happy. Otherwise I nurse on the couch with My Brest Friend, imo it is way better than the Boppy. It is a little firmer and I like the belt which keeps it firmly in place.
tammylee says
I think you should have bought the pillow. It is too cute and would have made a great little back support pillow in your new chair! :)
Grace Hester Designs says
We used the IKEA Poang chair which actually sinks you in as you sit on it so I had two pillows to support my back. That way I was sitting more straight up and it was easier on my back for nursing since I tended to slouch. Add a pillow under baby (did not get a boppy for my first daughter but yes for my second) and it was just perfect. The added bonus was that the tension bounce in the Poang made it easy to sit back after nursing, rest against the head rest with baby in arms, and rock-bounce gently by using body motion.
Now if I were to do it all over again, I would invest in a glider but that is because I spent so much of my night feedings in the nursery that the glider would have gotten alot of use. But your insight into being mobile as to where to nurse in the house is 100% spot-on!
Kelly says
Good idea not to go armless on the chair and for choosing something that is your style! However, if you plan on having your baby sleep in her crib at night you will be spending a ton of time in that chair – night feedings every few hours for at least a couple months. You might want to get a cushion or something for your head/back. I know you don’t want to fall asleep in there (although you’ll probably change your mind about that once you have the baby) but being relaxed and comfortable is so important for both of you. Good luck!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kelly,
We definitely plan to add a pillow for comfort and a pop of fun color after we get around to painting the chair. Stay tuned!
xo,
s
Sophie says
Love that you guys found something right for you so cheap! I’ll agree with some of the above posters, the head support thing would’ve been a dealbreaker for me – but to each his/her own, right? If I didn’t sleep while nursing, I would’ve never slept! BUT, I didn’t have a glider or chair (just used the couch) and we’re just fine. I agree – the Brest Friend is awesome.. and it really beats the boppy.
I know you guys haven’t lived here for awhile – but any good ideas on where to go thrifting in NYC?
YoungHouseLove says
We loved going to the flea markets (there’s a great one in Hell’s Kitchen) and walking around Chinatown and St Mark’s Place to find random little holes in the wall with secondhand stuff. You can also google “NYC” or “Manhattan” and “thrift store” and see what comes up. Happy hunting!
xo,
s
Jamie says
Sherry – I’m sure you weren’t expecting me to be the one to weigh in on the breastfeeding pillow issue but here goes – I’m pretty sure my mom (http://www.janakicostello.com/Janaki/Home.html) sells the My Brest Friend, and not the Boppy – but I’m not positive about that. Let me know if you want me to put her in touch with you for any questions, etc. I think she probably also knows people in your neck of the woods if you need a recommendation for any baby-related needs.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Jamie! We’ll definitely be looking into it since we received so many recommendations from everyone!
xo,
s
Beth says
I give My Breast Friend a hefty thumbs up, too. I did almost all of my nursing with it. You can even walk around with it while nursing. I took it in the car on trips, too. Love the nursery! And, yeah, you don’t need to do any baby proofing for the first year. My little one didn’t start walking until she was 12 months. Now, at 19 months, she is rearranging the furniture!
cassie says
Congrats on finding something you love! The thing I’ve learned with having kids, is those type of decisions aren’t the end-all, be-all…You can always make changes as your needs become apparent and evolve. Your beanette will be loved, that’s what matters most! :)
And I noticed you painted the vent in the nursery…how do you like it? I paint all of mine. Now white ones stick out like a big ol sore thumb to me!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Cassie,
The vent was actually already painted to match the walls when we moved in so we have just continued to paint it to match whatever wall color we have going on in there. We like how it blends in and it definitely still functions well so we’re happy with it! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
jbhat says
I love Love LOVE that chair. I think it’s adorable. I too wondered about the head support, but it sounds like you have addressed that. (For the record, I have dozed off dozens of times whilst breastfeeding, and haven’t ever dropped either baby. It’s a fairly light sleep, I think, and the slightest movement startles me awake anyway.)
You guys continue to delight and inspire.
Natalie says
Our family vacations in Fenwick Island, DE, but we go to Rehoboth for the boardwalk and Grotto’s Pizza!
Kristen A. says
My boyfriend and I are constantly in Rehoboth Beach to visit our friends who have a house there. We prefer the off-season, although a few of the restaurants we like are closed :(
Thanks for posting the links to the shops you went to. We’ll definitely be checking them out next time we head down!
Jenifer says
I am really loving your nursery. (I’m so excited every time I see a new post on it, even though we don’t have any kids yet and have been trying to remedy that.) The colors are so calming, and now it has this awesome chair to relax in. You guys always make the best finds.
I just have to say that the line about the chair hunt to end all chair hunts cracked me up. I’m a bit of a Lord of the Rings geek, and recognized it from there right away.
Keep up the great work. I can’t wait to see more.
Laura in LA says
My parents have a chair on their outdoor patio that is the exact shape of that one & it truly is the most comfy thing ever. It’s something about the way the back makes you sit up straighter I think. I would buy ten more like it if I could find them.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks for the endorsement Laura! It’s hard to explain how cozy and enveloping it really is because pictures don’t really do it justice!
xo,
s
Loriana says
The chair is adorable and y’all got such a good deal on it. I’m also loving your nursery choices, and how outside the box you guys went only because people go towards pink or blue you know the deal. I was curious if you guys are going to buy a dresser or changing table etc. Or going to create certain storage compartments into the closet to store all the baby bean’s goodies?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Loriana,
We’ll definitely be bringing in a dresser and popping a changing pad on top if it as well as using the closet for a lot of hanging and concealed storage. Stay tuned for those details soon…
xo,
s
sara @ it's good to be queen says
Love. It. 20 bucks?!! that’s awesome.
I have 3 boys and I’ve never even had a chair in the nursery. Sometimes I wish I had, but I really just nurse on the couch so I can be out with everyone and not stuck away by myself. :) I do have a nice chair in our bedroom if we have company over and I need to nurse in privacy. Good job on finding what works for you! And it’s adorable. :)
Andrea says
As a parent of a one-year old, and also with a small nursery, I also felt the pressure to buy a glider rocker last year because that’s what everyone does. We ended up with an Eames rocker (floor model, on discount) and could not have picked a better chair for our space and needs. It’s small, has no cushions, but is extremely comfortable for both parents. So, I applaud you making your own choice for your needs.
However, I will mention that babies do love to be rocked and giggled, a lot. Especially newborns. So, if you don’t have a rocking chair in your home, you may want to invest in a swing or vibrating/bouncy seat (or both) for those colic-y moments. Just a tiny, well-intentioned suggestion from someone who’s been there. Looking forward to seeing the rest of your purchases.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the recommendation Andrea! We actually already have a little swing and a bouncy seat for her (thanks to all the recent babies in our family we get lots of hand-me-downs) so she’ll definitely get to enjoy being rocked and bounced around when she’s fussy. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Angela says
I’ve never used the other pillow mentioned, but I LOVE the boppy. I nursed my daughter for her first year, and have a new little boy (3 months old). I highly recommend bringing it with you to the hospital. At least put it in the car, it makes learning how to breastfeed MUCH easier!
I agree that to each his own on the chair idea. I know you’ve said you are a little shorter, Sherry, so that might make this work better for you. I think it seems like it would be a little uncomfortable, but you are much better off seeing how this one works and splurging on another one if you just can’t make this one work.
We splurged on a leather recliner. I rationalized it by saying that nursing for a year saves $1200-$1400, so hey, I earned that chair! :) It was expensive (maybe $600?), but I am SO glad. All our other pieces of furniture in the room were handmedowns or handmade by my husband’s grandpa, so we had some budget to play with. Those gliders are horribly uncomfortable (to me anyway), we’ll use the leather recliner in our finished basement later. Plus, my son is a spit up champ, so it’s awesome to just wipe the spitup right off the chair. So if your chair doesn’t work out, I suggest a swanky leather recliner!
Barbara says
First – Love the chair – it’s worth $$ too…that’s a vintage Eames era chair. I’m so jealous.
Secondly: While I appreciate that people want to give you advice upon advice about how you should feed, clothe and raise your baby, it is YOUR baby, and yours alone. People need, sometimes, to not be so critical in their advice.
I’m just sayin’…
Colleen says
I know exactly how comfy that chair is! We sat on some at this shall we say, quaint, motel in West Virginia! They were out door chairs just like that, with little tables attached but they were wrought iron. We considered asking the Motel managers if we could buy two and drag them back to NJ! I am so Jealous of your inexpensive comfy chair! Good luck with it!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for backing us up Colleen! Isn’t it the most amazingly comfy thing? I think people attribute the non-padded seats to something rigid and harsh but it’s so enveloping and cozy that you never want to get up! Especially with a plush little lumbar pillow and an ottoman. Heaven!
xo,
s
CasaCullen says
ahhhhh, i love that pillow! i wonder if they had any to match tiny yorkie zola?? (link below – chic in her tutu, hahaha!)
too cute y’all and yes, she’s gonna just LOVE the burger man, that’s for SURE!
http://www.casacullen.com/2010/02/what-to-buy-now-an-adorable-tutu-from-tutus-2-tiaras-.html
Jessaca says
I love that you went the nontraditional route. It’ll be a great chair for the nursery and for whatever else that room might someday become. Last weekend, my husband and I went to look at sectionals (yes, I know, a man couch!), but we couldn’t help trying out the chiropractor-approved Stressless recliners. They come in small, medium, and large to fit your body. They’re amazing! The price tag, however, isn’t: $1200. I’m starting a chair savings fund now. They’re that good! Check em out: http://www.ekornes.com/us/stressless/stressless_recliners/
erin says
Adorable! Love the faux fur throw. Why couldn’t you have done the nursery before I had my son? :)
On the issue of nursing…as other have mentioned go with the breast friend. There is a reason why lactation consultant recommend it. 100x better than the Boppy. Boppy gets a lot of undeserved hype. I found that when my son was a newborn he just fell into the Boppy hole and it made nursing a disaster. Sure the Boppy is way more stylish and cuter, but when you are dealing with all the other challenges of nursing, the last thing you carer about is cute:)
YoungHouseLove says
We just changed our registry from a Boppy to a Brest Friend! Thanks for the advice everyone!
xo,
s
Cat says
My grandmother has that chair from a million years ago! I’ve got to make sure she saves it so someday when I have my own bambino/a…
Thanks for the fun find!
Sally says
Hi, I love that chair. We too have a baby arriving in May and we too decided on the chair and ottamon, I found a great chair at my local thrift store too. I’m having problems finding an ottamon – where did you get yours??
Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sally,
We actually got that woven storage ottoman a while back for 50% off at Michael’s (the craft store!) of all places. It was definitely a random find but it was in the basket section. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Erin says
So cute! I love how each mom has their own “chair style”. I also hated gliders so I bought a comfy mama-bear sized lay-z-boy styled recliner in expresso. It matched our son’s nursery and boy, did I spend every single day for the first 2 weeks, and then almost every single night living in that chair for a year. Cannot count the number of times that I slept in that thing- best $ spent on the room! So if it’s comfy and cozy to you- that is all that matters :)
I also loved the Boppy for nursing. In fact I couldn’t nurse without it- and I kept an extra in the car for any outings we took. I used the boppy to nurse at a park, in a fitting room- I would just stuff it in the bottom of the stroller and be content in knowing that baby and I could nurse anywhere (well- covered with a blanket that is :)
Michelle says
That’s hysterical! We have 2 yorkies and I found a yorkie pillow similar to the Burger pillow and just HAD to have it for my future children’s room (I’m not even pregnant). I just thought it was too cute to pass up! :)
Holly says
Hey guys!
I totally believe that the chair is comfortable. When I was living at home I got a papasan chair to go in my room. It was the most comfortable thing ever! It was very hard to get in and out of, but it was a different design then the one you got. It tilted back farther.
I just finished nursing my son (he is a little over a year old). I did all of my nursing on the couch or bed. I never nursed in our rocker. We got a glider rocker that matched our nursery perfectly (sage green color) from Craigslist. We got the rocker and ottoman for $80 I think.
Do you not planning on rocking the baby to sleep or do you have a rocker in another room? That was the main reason we wanted a glider.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Holly,
After we learned that John’s two sisters and a friend of ours didn’t have a rocker in their house (and they all had kids within the last year) we realized that some babies love to rock and others are just fine without that motion. We actually compromised and got a hand-me-down swing and a hand-me-down bouncy seat so we can soothe her that way if she wants some movement, but I still plan to nurse her in stationary spots like the sofa. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Becka @Studio222 says
I love that you didn’t go with the standard gliding rocker. I don’t want to when we have kids. But I agree that having boundaries is nice. I was holding my friends newborn for about 20 minutes the other day in a chair with no arms and my biceps started a-burning!