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Happy springtime!

check out our great IN-STORE sale events below April 7th to 24th

Romina & Silva Rail Event

The top of the line furniture collections from Romina and Siva Furniture are all on sale through 04.24.17.  Romina features solid beech wood construction and exquisite finishes and detailing.  Silva offers beech wood construction with simple refined styling and elegance.

• 15% OFF all Romina and Silva Products

• FREE - toddler rail ($175 value) with purchase of any Silva or Romina Crib

• FREE - adult conversion kit (up to $375 value) with purchase of any Silva or Romina Crib plus a Silva or Romina Dresser

• FREE - toddler rail, FREE adult conversion kit and FREE Crib Mattress (up to $750 value) with purchase of any Silva or Romina Crib with matching Dresser and Chest

• 30% Deposits and 3 months to pick up

• 12 Month Financing available

• 5 year accident protection available and recommended on all furniture purchases

• Sale  ENDS 04.24.2017

Willa Crib Sale

One of our favorite cribs is on special clearance pricing.  The willa metal crib is a stunning and affordable crib yet simple and refined.  Just lovely

• Willa Crib - was $499

• Sale price $399

• Free pick-up in store.  Shipping direct to home $50-$100 depending on radius to store.  SHOP NOW

Oliver Package Sale

Huge savings on this incredible Package from Franklin and Ben

• Crib + Dresser + Toddler Rail

• $899 while supplies last

• 12 Month Financing available

• 5 year accident protection available and recommended on all furniture purchase

• IN - STORE or Purchase online

This is instore ONLY event

Devonshire Wing-Back Glider

The Lovely modern wingback glider with a tufted back has taken our store by storm.  This is the perfect scale chair and style for most any nursery, be it modern or traditional.  We adore this chair and have worked out a special event pricing on it.

• Take $100 off ANY Devonshire glider ordered between 4/7/2017 and 4/24/2017
• Add an ottoman and receive an additional $50 discount for a total of $150 off the pair
• Choose ANY active fabric combination (including options for contrast welt - upcharges might apply).
• Special order combinations ship in 5-6 weeks.
• Cannot be combined with other offers
• Discount not transferable to other products or on previously completed orders

Amsterdam Recliner/Glider Sale

The Amsterdam Recliner Glider from Storytime Series is our number one glider/recliner.  It features an inside the arm release mechanism for the recline which makes engaging the recliner much easier than those chairs you have to reach around to engage.  The Amsterdam also features a plush blown hollowfill back for a highly comfortable seat during long hours rocking a new baby.

• Take $125 off ANY Amsterdam recliner glider ordered between 4/7/2017 through 4/24/2017
• Add an ottoman and receive an additional $50 discount for a total of $175 off the pair
• Choose ANY active fabric combination (including options for contrast welt - upcharges might apply).
• Special order combinations ship in 5-6 weeks.
• Stock chair (natural with white contrast welt) is available for immediate delivery while supplies last.
• Cannot be combined with other offers
• Discount not transferable to other products or on previously completed orders

Four Seasons Slip-covered Gliders

Four Seasons seating makes some of the most spectacular seating options available in the US today.  Chairs feature fantastic warranty on construction.  Options for machine washable covers allow easy cleanup of spills and stains.  Over 250 fabrics.  Option for Down Filled cushions and standard resilient seat at no additional charge.

• Take $125 off ANY Slipcover Glider ordered between 4/7/2017 and 4/24/2017
• Add an ottoman and receive an additional $75 discount for a total of $200 off the pair
• Choose any active fabric combination (including options for contrast welt) - up-charges for fabric grade might apply
• Special order chairs ship in 10-12 weeks
• Cannot be combined with other offers
• Discount not transferable to other products or on previously completed orders

Renowned artist, Clay Rice, will be at the Charlotte Showroom Monday March 20th from 3:00pm-6:00pm.  There are limited number of sittings for these incredible Silhouette Portraits.  Each appointment is 5 minutes and the personalized hand cut portrait goes home with you that day (2 copies in fact).  Mr Rice is well known and produced some 900,000 portraits over his 32 year artistic history.    Don't miss this unique opportunity to memorialize your child's sweet face for all time.

Details:

• Monday March 20th 3:00pm-6:00pm
• BFPK Charlotte - 800 Clanton Road, Charlotte NC 28217 
• By Reservation ONLY 704-323-8000
• $42 for two copies of portrait

It has been a tumultuous first few weeks of the new Presidential administration.  Celebrations and Demonstrations abound, but the one thing we can all agree on is the historic nature of the past few weeks.  Every year we celebrate the founding Presidents and the legacy of our Commander in Cheif.  President's Day is a celebration of the great men past that have held the highest office in the land.

check out our great IN-STORE sale events below 

Win a Tuo High-Chair

The hottest new High Chair around is the Tuo Convertible highchair by skip hop and we are giving away 4 this Saturday 2/18/17

• Make ANY purchase (no matter how small or how large) in any of our stores or Online this Saturday and be entered to win

• One Tuo High-Chair will be awarded to a customer from each location and on website for a total of 4 FREE Tuo Highchairs.  

• Winners will be contacted by Monday 2/20/17 

   

In-Store Only Sale

Lots of great special event discounts for President's Day Weekend - through 2/22/17

• 20% off all Little Unicorn Products

• 20% OFF all Liz and Roo mix and match bedding

• 20% OFF all Jellycat Plush

• 20% OFF all ARTWORK

• Maybe some other special instore specials that cant be posted on line as well  (wink.wink.nudge.nudge)

   

Romina & Silva Rail Event

The top of the line furniture collections from Romina and Siva Furniture are all on sale through 02.22.2017.  Romina features solid beech wood construction and exquisite finishes and detailing.  Silva offers beech wood construction with simple refined styling and elegance.

• 15% OFF all Romina and Silva Products

• FREE - toddler rail ($175 value) with purchase of any Silva or Romina Crib

• FREE - adult conversion kit (up to $375 value) with purchase of any Silva or Romina Crib plus a Silva or Romina Dresser

• FREE - toddler rail, FREE adult conversion kit and FREE Crib Mattress (up to $750 value) with purchase of any Silva or Romina Crib with matching Dresser and Chest

• 30% Deposits and 3 months to pick up

• 12 Month Financing available

• 5 year accident protection available and recommended on all furniture purchases

• Sale  ENDS 02.22.2017

Willa Crib Sale

One of our favorite cribs is on special clearance pricing.  The willa metal crib is a stunning and affordable crib yet simple and refined.  Just lovely

• Willa Crib - was $499

• Sale price $399

• Free pick-up in store.  Shipping direct to home $50-$100 depending on radius to store.  SHOP NOW

Pali Furniture

A new addition to our storefronts, Pali, features quality production on classic Itallian designed collection.  Soft-close drawer glide systems and stunning finishes

• All Pali products on sale in store

• FREE - adult conversion kit (up to $199 value) with purchase of any Pali Crib and Dresser

• FREE - toddler rail and FREE adult conversion kit (up to $299 value) with purchase of any PALI Crib with matching Dresser and Chest

• 30% Deposits and 3 months to pick up

• 12 Month Financing available

• 5 year accident protection available and recommended on all furniture purchases

• BUY ONLINE or IN STORE - ENDS 02.22.2017

Tillen MONSTER doorbuster Package Sale

Huge savings on this incredible Package.  Full Room package purchased on special warehouse sale from manufacturer.

• Crib + Dresser + Chest + Hutch + Nightstand + Changer Tray + Toddler Rail

• $1889 while supplies last  (originally $3364)

• 12 Month Financing available

• 5 year accident protection available and recommended on all furniture purchase

• instore or Purchase online

Oliver Package Sale

Huge savings on this incredible Package from Franklin and Ben

• Crib + Dresser + Toddler Rail

• $899 while supplies last

• 12 Month Financing available

• 5 year accident protection available and recommended on all furniture purchase

• instore or Purchase online

Glider and Recliner sale extended through 2.22.17

It's a New Year and time for a NEW CHAIR - great sale on seating extended through February 22nd, 2017

This is instore ONLY event

Devonshire Wing-Back Glider

The Lovely modern wingback glider with a tufted back has taken our store by storm.  This is the perfect scale chair and style for most any nursery, be it modern or traditional.  We adore this chair and have worked out a special event pricing on it.

• Take $100 off ANY Devonshire glider ordered between 1/11/17 and 2/22/17
• Add an ottoman and receive an additional $50 discount for a total of $150 off the pair
• Choose ANY active fabric combination (including options for contrast welt - upcharges might apply).
• Special order combinations ship in 5-6 weeks.
• Cannot be combined with other offers
• Discount not transferable to other products or on previously completed orders

Amsterdam Recliner/Glider Sale

The Amsterdam Recliner Glider from Storytime Series is our number one glider/recliner.  It features an inside the arm release mechanism for the recline which makes engaging the recliner much easier than those chairs you have to reach around to engage.  The Amsterdam also features a plush blown hollowfill back for a highly comfortable seat during long hours rocking a new baby.

• Take $125 off ANY Amsterdam recliner glider ordered between 1/11/2017 and 2/5/2017
• Add an ottoman and receive an additional $50 discount for a total of $175 off the pair
• Choose ANY active fabric combination (including options for contrast welt - upcharges might apply).
• Special order combinations ship in 5-6 weeks.
• Stock chair (natural with white contrast welt) is available for immediate delivery while supplies last.
• Cannot be combined with other offers
• Discount not transferable to other products or on previously completed orders

Four Seasons Slip-covered Gliders

Four Seasons seating makes some of the most spectacular seating options available in the US today.  Chairs feature fantastic warranty on construction.  Options for machine washable covers allow easy cleanup of spills and stains.  Over 250 fabrics.  Option for Down Filled cushions and standard resilient seat at no additional charge.

• Take $125 off ANY Slipcover Glider ordered between 1/11/2017 and 2/5/2017
• Add an ottoman and receive an additional $75 discount for a total of $200 off the pair
• Choose any active fabric combination (including options for contrast welt) - up-charges for fabric grade might apply
• Special order chairs ship in 10-12 weeks
• Cannot be combined with other offers
• Discount not transferable to other products or on previously completed orders

Renowned artist, Clay Rice, will be at the Greenville Showroom Saturday February 4th from 10am-1pm.  There are limited number of sittings for these incredible Silhouette Portraits.  Each appointment is 5 minutes and the personalized hand cut portrait goes home with you that day (2 copies in fact).  Mr Rice is well known and produced some 900,000 portraits over his 32 year artistic history.  Mr Rice will also present an open storytime from 10:00am-10:30am.  Don't miss this unique opportunity to memorialize your child's sweet face for all time.

Details:

• Saturday February 4th 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
• Open Storytime from 10:00am - 10:30am
• BFPK Greenville - 3620 Pelham Road, Greenville SC 29615
• By Reservation ONLY 864-284-0920
• $42 for two copies of portrait

We are pleased to announce a wonderful New Year Sale on the TOP OF THE LINE furniture collections from Romina and Silva furniture.  These European produced furniture collections feature the highest quality construction details and finishes.  If you can imagine it... it is possible.  Romina Products feature solid beech wood construction, hydraulic self closing drawer systems and stunning finishes.  

In-Store sale for the New Year:

• All Romina and Silva products are 15% off.  
• Additional incentives include FREE toddler rail if purchasing a Crib.  
• Purchase of Crib and Dresser - receive FREE adult conversion kit ($250 value)  
• Purchase of Crib, Dresser and Chest (or similar pieces) receive FREE toddler rail, FREE Adult Conversion Kit and FREE crib mattress (up to $700 value).

• Sale is in-store only.  Sale ends January 9, 2017

Call stores for quotes and availability:

• Columbia 803.788.5880
• Greenville 864.284.0920
• Charlotte 704.323.8000

BROWSE SOME PRODUCTS:

Every year the team over at Pantone evaluates design trends and color on a global scale and hand us a prediction of the "Color of the Year".  In years past we have seen the bold 'chili pepper red' become a trend in bunk beds at the same time as that color was announced.  In 2010 we saw 'turquoise' take hold and soft goods including bedding for nurseries and kids' rooms all got decked out in bright and fun turquoise patterns and designs.  This year the good folks chose a lovely shade of green - "greenery"

What can we expect to see in the world of Kids' Stuff from "GREENERY"

Well a powerful and bold color like "Greenery" is not likely to be found as a primary finish on furniture goods.  However, A muted version is available from Romina Furniture to bring the feeling of this vibrant color into furnishings.  Bringing the intensity of this color down a bit for large scale items might be a good approach.  Pantone's choice of this palette is evocoative of nature and spring and rebirth, concepts and ideals that are perfect for decor in any kid's room.

In reality we are more likely to see this color brought into bedding and artwork designs throughout the industry.

No matter how you choose to bring this vibrant new color way into your life, you should expect it to bring some fun and energy to 2017..... which we could all use

Nuna baby gear products have taken the US market by storm and everyone wants to know the who, why, and how of this amazing new brand that seems to have just popped up. I was lucky enough to attend the first Nuna USA summit this past week, along with another 10 retailers from all over the US. We were joined by the President of Nuna USA and several of the Global team members to discuss this amazing brand and their drive to provide the most well engineered and tastefully designed product in the world.

Who is Nuna?

Nuna is not the little up-start that they are often thought of. The brand is a division of one of the largest car-seat and gear manufactures in the world, accounting for nearly 1/3 of the entire global production of infant and children' carseats. The Nuna brand is just one portion of this global powerhouse. As a manufacture for more than thirty years, they decided to take their significant knowledge and expertise and roll out a brand of products that merged high fashion, the ultimate in safety, and simple clean design. Most gear producers take a solitary focus and run with either high design or safety or fashion. These products are usually touted as 'best of this' or 'best of that' but never excel in all three arenas. Nuna is different. Nuna thinks that you can achieve the safest and most reliable products without sacrificing the design of the product.

The people that make up the Nuna team are surprising. Because the team was hand picked from a roster of professionals steeped in history in infant gear manufacturing, design, engineering, and marketing. The team roster reads like a who's who of the industry. As an example, the Global Textile executive has a 15 year history choosing and programming the fabric selections of Graco (one of the largest US producers). She left for the opportunity to create something dynamic and different than any products on the market. Her story is amazing, and we hope to bring you some more information and possibly an interview about her process in the future. As an example of the dedication to the product, she told us a story of the long process of perfecting the exact color of the fabrics on the Pipa Carseat by actual hand dying fabric swatches until the perfect color is reached. What looks like just a tan colored fabric takes months to years to facilitate because the fabric is tested and produced to be free of toxins and chemicals (oeko tex certified) and the color study takes equally as long. Then the fabrics actually have to stand up to the rigors and stresses of ruff-n-tumble lifestyles. Lastly the textiles have to feel good. This is no easy task and Nuna is excelling.

The resources they have available are some of the best. Testing safety and security is vital for gear products. There are so many different standards globally that manufactures struggle to address all the different international, national, regional and even province or state requirements. NOT Nuna. They own their own testing facility including a full fledged crash simulator. By the time the products go to independent lab testing for certification they have been tested and improved and retested multiple times. Every buckle, strap, adjustment and clip are there to create the safest and most highly engineered products around.

Elevating The World of Nuna Baby Gear

When you touch and feel the product you know you are seeing something different: A high chair that holds 225 pounds easily but has the visual of a sleek modern barstool, a nursery swing/bouncer that can double as your 10 year old's gaming chair, a carseat that installs in seconds yet withstands the harshest of testing standards and elevates safety approaches that the rest of the world is quickly copying to catch up to. Touching and feeling these products speaks volumes about the commitment to safety and quality. Many of the products have also been awarded the most prestigious design awards on the globe including the coveted RedDot. There really is not a single brand of baby essentials on the market that is more flushed out with quality, safety, aesthetics, and taste than those of Nuna. We are proud to be a partner of this amazing line.

Every parent under the sun goes through this horrible period somewhere between 18 months and 4 years wherein their lovely, sweet, and perfect baby finds out 'potty words' get noticed. I remember a two year old cousin stomping around the room one Christmas singing "Sh*t, Sh*t, Sh*t, Sh*t, Sh*t, Sh*t, Sh*t, Sh*t....." What in the world is a parent to do with this?

Ignore it?

Well this just might be the best approach if it seems like an isolated incident of mimicry and development. Very young toddlers will pick up on sounds and words and try them out. Often it is just part of the development of the skills used to incorporate language into their daily lives. New words, fun sounds, and constructions that have a good 'mouth feel' make for common repeated phrases and words. The newly tested word will be abandoned shortly for a new one and your life will move forward.

A side note on this: To this day the phrase, ‘Mecca Lecca High Mecca Hiney Ho!’ plays over and over in my brain.... damn you pee wee herman!

Redirect it?

Sometimes that lovely 'mouth feel' of a word can get stuck and becomes a bit of a habit. The little mirrors, that are our children, pick up on some of our worst behaviors. When handled appropriately a simple redirection can accomplish quite a bit of good. Three and four year olds often want to be oppositional and test limits, but, for the most part, like to please their parents. If you can time the discussion correctly (NOT right after the child drops an F*bomb in the grocery store which reinforces the behavior) you can redirect the behavior. It needs to be communicated clearly that their choice to use that word wasn't the right behavior and is dissapointing. This should be done at some time after but not so far down the road they cannot remember the actual behavior. Like maybe in the car on the way home.

Punish It?

At a certain point all kids will do stuff just to push your buttons and the limits of the relationship. It is completely natural and part of their development. You want your child to question the rules in life. You want them to grow and thrive and test the boundaries. How else would we have ever made it to the moon or invented the iPhone or thought to put bacon into a chocolate sundae? HOWEVER, part of pushing boundaries and testing the function of the world is to suffer a few consequences in breaking the "rules". Jumping out of a tree to see if you can fly (ill-advised behavior, by the way) has the consequence of hitting the ground. AND the foul-mouthed kindergarten student is going to have some pretty major consequences for you as a parent and your child too. Set realistic limits and clear consequences of the behavior. Time outs, loss of favorite toy, loss of desert, loss of story time, etc. If all else fails, pull a Lifebouy like poor ole Ralphie.

Tell us about your favorite "potty mouth moment" in the comments below. We would love to hear about it. At least we can all laugh together, out of earshot of your 'foul mouthed toddler' :)

Every once in awhile our industry takes an about face.  It appears that 2016 is one of those years.  The design trends for kids' rooms are super strong and really drastic shift from the past few years.  Everything feels new and fresh and there are lots of great options for just about anyone's taste.  The largest trends are in finishes (washed and beautiful grain revealing stains), structural finishing techniques, Coastal Cottage designs, and a return to the ultra feminine and soft looks of yesteryear.

Finish Reigns Supreme in Design Trends:

Your basic dark espresso finish seems to be just about done in.  This super-dark stain is quickly being replaced with rich tones of cherry, brown, caramel, chocolate and other wood tones that are a bit warmer. The flat simple gray painted furniture is just not cutting it any longer.  We are seeing the gray finishes continue to be a force but the finishes are richer than a year ago.  Grays are multidimensional finishes now with rich undertones rather than just a simple gray paint.  Gray stains that show the wood grain are leading the pack.  This trend is evident from the fantastic new finishes Romina and Silva have just released (washed gray, oiled gray, flint).  Stella Furniture also has a beautiful gray with lots of depth on their Trinity Collection, called Chateau Gray.

White finishes are also moving away from the everyday bright white paint so traditionally present in nurseries.  Everyone wanted that sharp bright white color, often citing the 'purity' of the color for nurseries.  However we are seeing more dynamic white finishes coming on strong. Whites are getting creamier and in some cases are, like the grays, becoming stains that the grain shows through. Again Romina and Silva are leading this trend, but Dolce Babi has released two incredible groups with alternatives to the traditional white.  Lucca is a scraped white and is spot on on multiple trends including the 'coastal cottage' and structural finish trends (see below) The other Dolce Babi Collection is Angelina featuring a rich cream and stunning pearlized finish that is leading the pack on feminine grace.

Structural Finishes in Design Trends:

Wood is truly a gift and amazing things can be done with it in constructing furnishings.  The newest in design trends with respect to wood is allowing the grain pattern to not only become visual but tactile as well.  'Scraped' finishes are the end result of some new technology in wood work.

Wood grows with an annual ring pattern, as you know from 2nd grade biology.  Well these rings represent softer and denser wood grains.  Our wonderful manufactures have found that using certain tools and machines on the surface of the wood, they can selectively scrape or carve out the softer pieces and leave the denser grain intact.  This same thing happens when a piece of wood floats around the beach being tumbled by the surf.  The sand and water selectively remove the softer grained wood from the surface and the resulting flotsam is rough and detailed.  This 'scraping' technique is now becoming commonplace in the furniture industry, releasing the glorious patterns of grain and natural beauty of the wood into a physically tangible structure.  These beautiful finish techniques are throughout both nursery design and big kid's furniture.  Some highlights: the new driftwood finish from Dolce Babi on both the Naples and Maximo collections. Highlands Driftwood and Highlands Espresso from New Energy for big kid youth furniture also has some of this fantastic finishing. But the runaway star of the show is from Romina.  They have taken their absolutely beautiful Beech wood product and worked it like no other.  The finish is velvety soft but hand carved and scraped with deep grooves.  The scraped wood is then finished in two different colors to accentuate the details and the result is stunning beyond words.

Coastal Cottage Design Trends:

The Coastal Cottage design approach  is reflective of a shift from the ultra modern looks of the past few years.  Designers are looking for comfortable and accessible looks that compliment a return to home design that is 'homey' and 'warm'.  This goes hand in hand with the finish story above but is all about the bed and dresser design.  Paneled headboards, metal elements, shuttered doors, simple silhouettes and rich warm finishes are what set this look apart.  Two new introductions are clearly designed with this aesthetic in mind.

The stunning Lucca collection from Dolce Babi takes it's cues from what one would expect to see in a coastal town in the Northeast.  It reminds me of something you would find in an old home on the coast of Maine; weathered finishes, metal accents and graceful design. Lucca offers both nursery and youth collections.

The second introduction is from Stone and Leigh.  Stone and Leigh (the youth division of Stanley Furniture) has recently launched and brought their interpretation of Coastal Living to youth and nursery design.  The "Driftwood Park' collection features paneled headboards in both cribs and beds, a metal cup pull and two warm finishes.  The entire collection reminds one of something from the beach communities of the South East.

These relaxed looks are not just for water adjacent homes.  The relaxed comfortable design and warmth of these groups make them an accessible design for any home.

Ultra Feminine and Blinged Out Design Trends

Softer colors, feminine details and lots of sparkle are certainly making a return to nursery and big kid room decor. Girly stuff never really disappeared, but it certainly wasn't mainstream. Most color trends start in fashion and work their way down to home decor over time. The ubiquitous chevron pattern and the predominance of turquoise/aqua colors all started in fashion before hitting the furnishings world.  Pantone recently named a light pink and light baby blue to the colors of the year .

These softer colors represent a shift from the rich coral and aqua palettes that have dominated kids' rooms and nursery decor over the past few years and are a welcome change.

We expect to see more soft hues in a variety of fabrics make their way to both kid's rooms and nursery decor. We are seeing pinks paired with soft creams, fabrics with a bit of a sheen, and lots of sparkly knobs.

Angelina from Dolce Babi and Kids is a perfect example of this trend in furnishings.  The delicate carved flowers and details throughout the line appear to be the antithesis of the sleek modern looks that were so prevalent over the past 5 years.  For older kids and teens this collection offers twin and full beds with reversible upholstered and tufted headboard.  The finishes on this collection are cream or pearl and tie in beautifully with the delicate feminine design of the collection and the trend away from bright white for girls.