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Credit: Tiffany Luong
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The Kids Bed Style That Will Be Everywhere Next Year

Laura Fenton
Laura Fenton
Laura Fenton is the author of The Little Book of Living Small. She writes about home design and sustainability, and is a regular contributor to Apartment Therapy. Her work has been published in Better Homes & Gardens, Eater, New York Magazine, and Real Simple.
published Dec 21, 2022
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Kids’ room trends and furniture fads come and go fast–especially in these days of Instagram inspiration. But we’re calling it, the kid bed trend for 2023 is 100-percent vintage-inspired. Whether it’s a classic Jenny Lind, an antique bobbin bed, or an elaborate canopy, the look that will prevail is a throwback to more traditional decor. Sleek is out, homespun is in. Here’s why is the heirloom bed is on trend and how can you get the look at home:

Credit: Tiffany Luong

Old-school is comforting.

“I think people are craving the warmth of nostalgia,” says mom and architect Holly Mumford, the founder of Hereabout Home. “The details and craft of a more traditional piece provide so much personality and that uniqueness is so fun for a kid’s bedroom.”

Credit: Courtesy of Gill Crawshaw

It’s a style that has staying power.

Gill Crawshaw, who writes about family lifestyle at A Baby on Board points out that more traditional styles for beds are popular because unlikely to go out of trend any time soon, noting that today’s families are keenly aware of investing in pieces that will last for sustainability reasons. “This means there’s more potential for passing them down between family members, and on to other families when your children are older,” she says For her own daughter’s room, Cranshaw opted for the vintage-look Minnen bed from IKEA.

Credit: Photo: David Duncan Livingston, courtesy of Courtney B. Smith

Vintage is convenient.

It’s not just the retro look, actual vintage furniture is hot. “I predict we’ll be seeing more vintage pieces in kids’ rooms next year,” says designer Courtney B. Smith “With extended lead times for many retail and to-the-trade pieces, vintage offers a ready-now alternative. Beyond that, vintage pieces add a warm patina that looks and functions wonderfully.” Plus, twin beds are pretty easy to find and generally affordable. Mumford recommends painting a secondhand bed a fun color in high-gloss paint for a fresh update. 

Credit: Crate & Kids

Quality counts

Lauren Maat launched her company Audwell based on a hunch that there was a market for high-quality kids furniture, and it paid off with repeat sellouts of her juvenile furnishings. “There’s a shift in what people are looking for when it comes to kids’ furniture, specifically, we’re seeing a greater draw towards the heirloom-quality that traditional and often vintage pieces offer,” says Maat. “While trends will come and go, quality craftsmanship and classic pieces will always be in style and can complement any home aesthetic from modern to rustic.”

What’s Old Looks New

Leave it to the latest “it” designer, Beata Heuman, to make a totally traditional bed look cool. Heuman’s daughter’s room, which graced the cover of her book, features a fabric canopy that would be at home in an English country home but somehow also feels totally of the moment. Plus, it’s totally DIYable: Use extra-long curtains mounted on a ceiling track.

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