Life

Can We Please Talk About How *Perfect* Bed Bath & Beyond's Children's Line Is?

by Cat Bowen

Decorating your kid's room can be a ton of fun, but it can also be hugely expensive. Sometimes it's not until you've tallied everything up that you realize you've driven your budget right off a cliff. But now, thanks to Bed Bath & Beyond's new children's line Marmalade, you can deck out your kids room without draining your bank account.

The new private label furniture line, from the store famous for affordable luxury and fantastic coupons, is a first for the brand. While they have ventured into other private label lines with brands like One King's Lane and Bee and Willow, this is their first exclusive furniture brand for children. The line features durable, well-made, affordable furniture with an eye toward classic modern lines and styles. Whether you're looking for a whimsical sloth rug or a sturdy twin bed, Bed Bath & Beyond's new children's line, Marmalade will surely have it.

When the retailer began delving into the world of private label home goods and furniture, customers weren't sure how the quality of the goods would stand up to other similarly-priced pieces from traditional furniture stores, but the reviews are pretty great, with comments like, "I don't normally buy furniture online unless I've seen it in person. I took the risk with this item and was pleasantly surprised."

Personally, I have one of their headboards, and I could not be happier. It's upholstered and oh-so-soft — not to mention sturdy. It looks spectacular in my bedroom, and I can't recommend their furniture highly enough.

This particular set has everything: beds, nightstands, dressers, play furniture, and even coordinating rugs. It's modern enough that kids will love it, but classic enough that you don't have to be worried if it's going out of style in the next few years. The quality is such that your kids could potentially be in this set until they head off to college, and even when they come home after that. It's completely gender neutral, so if you have a boy and a girl (or however your kids identify) sharing a room, it's completely appropriate from all angles.

The bed comes in a twin, a full, or a queen size, which is great, because some kids — like mine — prefer to be in a bigger bed. It also allows them to grow with the furniture. As a 6-foot tall woman, I respect that. (I stopped growing at 14, so it didn't take all that long to grow out of my twin sized bed.)

The way Bed Bath & Beyond's Marmalade works is seamless. Almost everything is in a neutral color palette, so it can be customized with bright textiles or wall color. However, just because it's neutral does not mean it will go unnoticed. It is strikingly good looking, and everyone will want to know where you got it.

The moon at the top of this bed spins. I can just picture this being used in a "coming of age" movie where you see the little kid spinning it, then the preteen, then she comes back after college, confused and unsure of herself, and lays across the bed, once again spinning the little moon. It's a tableau.

It's also just really cool.

My favorite piece in the collection is the castle bookcase ($250). It's a deep marine blue with gold gilt doors, but the top almost looks like it could double as a wine rack when it is no longer appropriate for your kid's room, and to be honest, I think that's genius. I am here for it. And I am sure that once you see this collection, you will be, too.