You could buy a fancy, souped-up theme bed for nearly $4,000... or you could just hack one yourself. Savvy dad Eric Strong didn't want to spend thousands on a new bed for his young son, who had outgrown a regular crib. Promising his son "the coolest bed ever," Strong came up with an epic Ikea hack that resulted in the ultimate kids' bed: a lofted mattress, a ball-and-pulley play system, a secret chamber with a lookout window, and one seriously sneaky trap door escape. How does it work? The project started with three pieces of Ikea furniture: The Kura bed, the Trofast storage system and the Besta shelving unit. Strong bought two of the Kura beds, taking one apart to use its pieces for siding, panels and other elements that would make up the ultimate bed. Without drawing up plans, he assembled the bed's separate elements -- slide, bed frame, secret hideout and all -- spending 1-2 hours per night on the project over the course of two months. Then, he snapped the elements together in just four hours.
The result is a dream bed that not only looks incredibly sleek, but also brilliantly fun to play in. The secret door is triggered by a bookcase handle, of course... ...and it leads to a secret room with color-changing LED lights (also from Ikea). Kids can play with the epic chute system, which sends balls downstairs... ...or climb out the secret back entrance! Altogether, the ultimate bed cost about $850 to build, Strong told HuffPost. The only non-Ikea materials he used were some plywood slats, whiteboard covering for the slide, and odds and ends from the hardware store. Since Strong didn't draw up plans and merely relied on his creative juices, he thinks that anyone can hack an Ikea bed. Inspiration from the passionate online community of Ikea hackers makes it easy to create custom desks, closets and even sinks out of regular furniture pieces. And the best part? You'll feel like a DIY superstar when you avoid the frustration of purchasing something more costly.
"You don't need any special expertise (to hack)," Strong said. "Just lots of patience. And it's worth it." Watch Strong's full video above for more. For a more adult-style Ikea hack, try this DIY colorblock desk:(Sign up for our FREE newsletter to get clever kitchen tricks, gardening secrets, and more delivered straight to your inbox!)Waiting for baby to arrive is one of the most exciting and stressful phases of life. Apart from worrying about how labor might go and hoping for a healthy baby, many of us also obsess over the best options for baby’s nursery—and for good reason. Between carcinogenic formaldehyde in furniture and worrisome flame-retardants in pajamas, it can be a real challenge to create a nontoxic nursery. And while it’s easy to spiral into a cloud of anxiety over how many dangerous particles might be hiding in the air, there’s a better way to spend those fleeting 9 months: Eliminate the biggest offenders, replacing them with the organic- and nontoxic versions, regularly open the windows to air out the room, and try to relax into parenthood.
(Find more ways to clear airborne toxins with 7 Plants that Purify Indoor Air.)(Find more ways to clear airborne toxins with 7 Plants that Purify Indoor Air.) (Sign up for our FREE newsletter to get clever kitchen tricks, gardening secrets, and more delivered straight to your inbox!) Invest in an organic mattress Cribs made from particleboard can release formaldehyde into the air. And since baby will touch the bars with her hands and mouth as soon as she’s able, the finish can also be problematic if it contains VOCs. Your best bet is a solid-wood crib, such as Ikea's Sniglar Crib, which is made of solid beechwood. If you prefer a white crib, check out the Gulliver crib from Ikea, which is also finished with a non-toxic sealant. (If you already have a crib, and are unsure of the finish, you can always seal it with AFM Safecoat Seal.) Related: Banish These 12 Household Toxins From Your House Despite attempts by the EPA to reduce the amount of problematic chemicals applied to carpets, it’s still up to each individual manufacturer—which means that you and your baby could be inhaling unsafe particles from the rugs and carpets in your house.
It’s possible to choose greener options, but you may need to ask the manufacturer for details. The bright, cotton, and flame-retardant-free rugs from the Land of Nod are a fun choice. Or you can allow the beauty of your hardwoods shine through and simply let baby play on a washable soft blanket. The glider will be your second home during the early months with baby, so you want it to be comfortable—and safe. Many upholstered furniture pieces are treated with flame-retardants, so you need to specifically look for companies that avoid them. We like the handsome Wren Swivel Glider from Room and Board. Its high back lets you rest your head comfortably while nursing, and the clean design lets it transition to the livingroom after it's no longer needed in the nursery. Related: 9 Thyroid Damagers Hiding Out In Your Home Choose a sustainable swaddle One of the easiest ways to go low-toxicity in baby’s room is with paint. Look for zero-VOC paint to ensure that there are less chemical compounds in the air—which have been linked to respiratory illnesses.
(And remember, using zero-VOC still gives the pregnant ladies an out when it comes to manual labor!). Benjamin Moore’s Natura Paints are great if you want cream- or white-colored walls. (Read more about The Best Eco-Friendly White Paints.) Or try the array of non-toxic paints from the Real Milk Paint Company, which are made from 100% organic material, and are so environmentally friendly they can be used as compost for your lawn when you’re done with them. (They behave a little differently than standard house paints, so be sure to read up on how to use them before breaking out the rollers.)Naturepedic Organic Cotton Lightweight Classic 2-Stage Crib and Toddler Mattress Add my images & videosThis item ships for free.* Shipping:This item may take longer to arrive. Choose a SquareTrade Protection Plan Details SquareTrade 2-Year Furniture & Baby Gear Protection Plan:Decline Protection Gift wrap is not available for this item. Gift givers, please note that this item may be shipped in the manufacturer's original packaging, which may reveal what's inside.
This item is sold in our stores. Please check your local store for availability. FREE Shipping on ANY purchase of $29 or more. Surcharges may apply on heavy/large items. - Free Shipping (See Details) Naturepedic No-Compromise™ Organic Cotton Lightweight Two-Stage Crib Mattress No matter what stage of development, your little one will always need a comfortable place to rest his or her head at night. With this Naturepedic No-Compromise™ Organic Cotton Lightweight Two-Stage Crib Mattress, both you and your growing child will be able to rest easy. Place the firm side face up to support your infant during the early months, then flip the mattress over to let your toddler enjoy cozy relaxation on the cushion firm side when he or she gets older. Filled with soft organic cotton material and Wavesupport™ technology, this mattress is sure to put baby in a peaceful state, making it easy for him or her to get some much-needed shut-eye. Baby will drift off to sleep with ease thanks to the soft organic cotton filling and easy-to-clean polyethylene surface
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Shipping Methods:This item ships via Standard Shipping only This item is sold in our stores Orders placed for Store Pickup will receive online pricing and promotions In-stock status is approximate and may not reflect recent sales Not all items are carried at all stores. Please click the "Select a store" link to check product availability Packaging:This item may be shipped in the manufacturer's original packaging, which could reveal the contents of the box Sweepstakes & Free Sample DisclosureNext »I bought 2 of them As firm as a cloud Lightweight, firm, waterproof, 2-Stage Crib/Toddler Mattress ProsEasy To CleanGood SizeWell madeConsBest UsesInfantsNewbornPreemiesToddlersI would buy this product again! ProsEasy To CleanGood SizeWell madeConsBest UsesInfantsNewbornToddlersOrganic Mattress ProsGood SizeConsBest UsesInfantsNewbornHappy with purchase ProsEasy To CleanGood SizeConsBest UsesInfantsNewbornToddlerssupport and ultralight ProsGood SizeWell madeConsBest UsesInfantsNewbornPreemiesToddlersLove this mattress!