When Radish Lab moved out of the Made in NY Incubator program in June and into our first office, we had little but our equipment and a couple of measly pencil holders and desk lamps. Our lofty, bright office had a beautiful view, but otherwise was an empty box. We knew we wanted to create a bright, creative, collaborative space that people would like to spend time in. We also knew that the cost of our new space, plus the cost of building a business, would leave us with a modest budget for making this happen. With some crafty Craigslisting and sourcing, we managed to put together the beginnings of what we think is a pretty rad space. We saved a lot of money without sacrificing design — something we do every day for our clients. Wall Pops Dry Erase Monthly Calendar Decal | , Price: $99.78 for 3 We are whiteboarders here at Radish. Nothing breaks a creative block like having a brainstorm session and drawing on a wall. Our development team also uses them a ton for working out code details, and we love having a physical calendar that we can reference at a glance.
These humongous (4×8”) Whiteyboard whiteboard stickers are easy to apply and visually unobtrusive. And while $100 might seem expensive for a sticker, it’s cheaper than any whiteboard that size you’d find somewhere else. They work just like a regular whiteboard and clean easily with a brush or some whiteboard spray. We bought three of the same simple wall calendars to create a set. HON Filing Cabinets | Source: Craigslist, Price: $150 for 4These HON filing cabinets usually retail for upwards of $300 each. They’re super sturdy and the real deal. We found a set of four. If you’re in New York, be sure to check for used filing before shelling out the big bucks. You’ll save a lot of money and do the environment a favor. We also used two of these cabinets as a divider between our seating area and our desk space. IKEA Branas Basket in Rattan | Source: IKEA, Price: $116.91 for 9 [$12.99 each]These sturdy baskets offer us some privacy in addition to storage. We love that they bring some natural texture into the room and that they’re truly utilitarian.
IKEA Plants and pots | Source: IKEA, Price: $150 for 6 plants and 2 potsA selection of what we bought: We were so excited to get some greenery in our sunny space. You can spend hundreds of dollars per large plant at specialty stores, and we wanted lots of life so we went the IKEA route. They’ve got a great selection and it doesn’t break the bank. We use our TV to share designs or digital concepts within the team or with clients when they come in. New flatscreens can run as high as $2000 a pop. If you live in a big city, we guarantee someone who is more TV savvy than you is selling a pretty new model so they can upgrade to something fancier. We bought a simple wall mount from Amazon for around $30. The folding chairs we bought from Ikea had holes in their backs and we decided to hang the extras on the wall to reduce clutter. These super sturdy hooks that people who don’t live in the city use for practical things like hanging tools and ladders can be used by us city folk for interior decorating.
IKEA Pluggis 7-piece storage set | Source: IKEA, Price: $8.99 We tucked the ugly cords of our TV away using a self-adhesive cord hiding strip and an easy-to-mount IKEA storage bin. This keeps our shared area neat and tidy and we never have to look far for the remote. We loved the stylish legs on this dining table and its size is perfect for a small office. It serves the purpose of a conference room table without feeling like one. Not to mention its price is just right. We wanted something light and modular for extra seating. Office furniture has a tendency to be super clunky and, well, ugly. While these chairs maybe aren’t something you’d want to spend all day sitting in, they’re great for quick meetings or pulling up for a chat. Plus, we loved the color and the price! We think this clock is boldly designed and does a pretty solid job of keeping all of us running on schedule. We wanted something stylish to tuck our office yoga mats into and this woven basket from West Elm handles the task perfectly.
One day, we promise to honor Eames and have the real deal in our office, but until we’re rolling in a bit more dough, we opted for these replicas that share the same vibe. They’re comfy and can handle the wear and tear the office gives them. While you could go and pay $600 for a new coffee table from on of the big-box retailers, we’re fans of getting better deals on Craigslist. We promise, people are always liquidating great furniture options. We were lucky to find this table in our neighborhood, for the cost of a nice lunch out. Yeah, everyone has this pillow. But IKEA’s Stockholm collection is sleek and graphic and we couldn’t resist. Perfect for napping on Friday afternoons. We’re kidding — maybe! This sofa retails for close to $900 from IKEA new, and we scored with this Craigslist find. Persistence and detail help when looking for really good Craigslist deals. Know what you have in mind. Do you want a leather sofa, do you want mid-century styling? Are you looking for a particular model?
Knowing these details plus having the patience to wait for the right find to surface is all part of experience. We’re hoping this leather sofa withstands at least a couple of years of team brainstorm sessions and client meetings. There are some amazing finds on Ebay and some of our favorites are textiles and rugs that come straight from a dealer. We saved a least a couple hundred dollars buying this colorful area rug straight from Turkey. Nothing we bought cost more than $350, with the exception of our office chairs, which we had to buy new. /shop/desks/deskChairs?productId=10028229) for around $1700. The total cost of furnishing our sunny, creative space? Around $4,500, and close to half of that went to desk chairs. Not bad for a startup! Our weeSpring picks are data-driven, based on the feedback of tens of thousands of parents like you — and then subjected to an added level of testing by our editors. Halo Bassinest Swivel Sleeper The Bassinet is a swivel co-sleeper that has a ton of features: 360-degree range of motion, convenience, closeness and comfort for everyone.
It sits beside your bed and its swivel design allows you to pull your baby right up close — or scoot her away so you can climb in and out of bed. The height is infinitely adjustable, so even if you have a tall bed, you’ll be able to easily scoop your baby into your arms for nursing or snuggles without getting up. Other bonuses: a night light, built in music with a white noise option, two levels of vibration and a nursing timer. The Catch: Some parents feel the mattress could be of better quality. The Lotus Bassinet is one of our all-time travel favorites and lots of weeSpring parents use it during those first few months at home, too. It’s super lightweight, easy to transport (folds into a backpack), and a snap to set up (it takes 15 seconds – seriously). The height is right at your bed level, and the ClearView mesh sides provide visibility and breathability, ensuring you can rest easy, too. Free from PVC, lead, phthalates, formaldehyde, and heavy metals, this safe, top quality sleeper is a registry and travel must-have.
babyletto Hudson Convertible Crib babyletto hits the mark with this modern, stylish crib with clean lines and neutral color options. Made with sustainable, sturdy wood free from chemicals and with a non-toxic finish, this crib gives you the peace of mind you’re looking for when choosing a place for baby to lay their head. It converts from a crib to toddler bed (it even comes with the rail) to daybed, and is reasonably priced. The Catch: A few parents mentioned it was a bit time consuming to set up. A compact (oval!) crib that will expand and grow with your little one from infant to toddler and beyond. Parents love the rounded corner design that saves space while being beautiful and stylish. With locking wheels on the bottom, this mobile crib to easily slips through doorways and around the house. A pricey purchase, but most weeSpring user say it’s worth the money. The Catch: It doesn’t work well with non-Stokke accessories, and they tend to be pricey. Ikea’s cribs are solid wood, sturdy, and relatively easy to assemble — not to mention highly affordable.
As one mom put it: “Excellent quality for a ridiculously good price.” Parents love their simple lines and small footprint. Most models come equipped with a conversion kit to convert the crib to a toddler bed, so you get even more bang for your buck. The Catch: Ikea cribs come with Ikea instructions, so… Lotus Travel Crib and Portable Baby Playard This super lightweight, easy-to-set-up (just 15 seconds!) travel crib actually folds small enough to fit in the overhead compartment of an airplane, and it’s got backpack straps so you can tote it wherever you go. It converts to a rocking bassinet so perfect for at-home use from the earliest days, and it’s side-zip means it also can be used as a play area for an older toddler. The Catch: Parents complained about the excessive amount of velcro tabs needed to secure the mattress. Babybjorn Travel Crib Light As if traveling with an infant isn’t overwhelming enough, figuring out where they’re going to sleep while away from home can be a real challenge.
Enter: BabyBjorn Travel Crib Light. Super lightweight, a cinch to set up and take down (we’re talking a matter of seconds, here), and is suitable for kids from infancy to age 3. (You can check out our video demo here.) And the best part? As one weeSpring parent noted: “Baby slept great in this while traveling–almost better than at home…” The Catch: Baby is very low to the ground in it making it hard to lower baby into This playard is the “Cadillac” of them all! Sleek and modern but durable and built to last, the 4 Moms Breeze is truly a breeze to set up. There is no trick to set up, like having to lock the sides first. You just push down in the center and it pops up and is stable. Folding it up is easy as well – just one step. The bottom is well-cushioned but not overly so and the frame is metal, not cheap plastic. It comes with a removable bassinet which is also simple to snap into place and has its own sturdy support system underneath. Combine that with the fact that it is simple to put into the included travel bag, and it’s a must!
