When the in-laws were singing the praises of Takashima-ya's new baby boutique, they kept coming back to the crib. It has these wonderful Plexiglass portholes, said my father-in-law, are you sure you don't need it?
Sure enough, it was the bamboo laminate crib from the French firm Castor & Chouca that, when I started looking for bamboo cribs in 2005, was the only bamboo crib in the entire bamboo crib market. [Since then, of course, Celery has launched some fine bamboo ply designs as well.]
Castor & Chouca's designs are modularized miracles produced locally in France using eco-friendly materials and techniques. Thanks to width and length extenders that work like dining table leaves, the 1,2,3 Soleil bed converts from a bassinet or changing table to a crib, then to a toddler bed or daybed, then to a writing desk.
There's a changing table platform and a Plexiglass bassinet to purchase separately, but otherwise, the pieces and the memory foam mattresses are all included. There's a little wheeled platform to turn the bassinet into a wagon. Basically, you'll be converting the C&C furniture from one use to another even after you've paid it off on your cred it card.
In going after the most rarefied end of the crib market, the company's pursuing extremely limited distribution; Takashima-ya is the only retailer in the US at the moment. And they have stuff in stock. So yeah, crib that ships tomorrow and lasts forever, from just $2,675, or about 1.5 Ooba Units, comparably equipped.
Castor & Chouca, Paris [castor-chouca.com]
oooh, I had totally forgotten about the portholes. That is one smokin' hot crib. a bit spendy, but high stylin'. We're planning on kid number two, and I totally want to have that crib, but I think I set a precedent for cribs by making our first. now the decision is either to make another one for kid two or just reuse the one I made for kid one.
After our son chewed the hell out of the rails on his crib I was pretty firmly committed to the less than $150 rule that has served us so well. But this is NICE. If we have another I will look at it longingly, at least.
hello. do you happen to have any photos of the playhouse that was at takashimaya as well? i have been looking and cannot find any on the web. thanks.
[Here's a post about it with one picture I took. It's by David Mann, who also designed the store itself. -ed.]
Love the design - definitely considered it for our baby...but, after much (obsessive) research, I've come to the conclusion that there isn't a better, safer, more beautiful and eco-friendly (and not mention a lot cheaper than the above) crib out there than the Kalon crib I saw featured on daddy types. We just ordered ours and can't wait for it's arrival - along with the arrival of our baby (hopefully one will arrive sooner than the other)!!
http://kalonstudios.com/crib.html