Insitutional cribs have a no-nonsense design and construction that I find very refreshing. No tole painting, no decorative finials, no frills. Of course, part of the appeal comes from the fact that I don't see the inside of a daycare center or hospital every day. You don't hear of many caterers dreaming of having a commercial-grade kitchen in their house. [Although, oddly, the houses of every Polo corporate employee I've known do look like the stores. Go figure.]
One thing I especially like is the acrylic sides, which give a clearer view in--and out. You could line a few of these up, and let the kids entertain themselves. Or if you only have one kid, you could get this crib with one mirrored end and one clear one, and he can grow up with the eerie feeling that someone's always sitting right next to him. Staring at him, copying him. Just waiting for him to let down his guard...
Anyway, it's a compact crib (26 1/4"W x 43"H x 39"L), which is about 2" narrower and 14" shorter than a full-size crib, so it'd work well in a small space. [As would the mirror; really opens things up.] Another appealing factor is the price: at Busy Kids, these cribs are all $225-275.
Compact Mirrored Adjustable Floor Crib, $224 [busy-kids.com]
Previously: God bless you and your sweet $300 maple crib
Stainless steel and plexiglass crib
