Cool Kids Furniture

Furniture for this theme

On rafts, in dugout canoes, rowing boats, sailboats, tugboats, pirate ships, steamboats, fishing vessels, coracles, gondolas, vaporettas, galleons and men o'war mankind has, since time immemorial, navigated the waterways of the world to explore and trade, visit, migrate and tour. We think Christopher Columbus was amazing but the remains of 5,000 year old Phoenician boats have been found as far afield as Cape Town. It is an ancient adventuring spirit which drives us to pit ourselves against the mighty rivers and oceans of the globe. A colorful history indeed.

Stimulation:

Paddling in the shallows, collecting shells, sea glass and driftwood or building sandcastles and moats on the beach are occupations and opportunities for dramatic play and just plain fun. The pleasurable activities of swimming, sailing, water skiing, fishing and generally 'messing around in boats' of course take one from childhood to adulthood, quite seamlessly.

Color Scheme:

Infant: Yellow, light orange, white, pastel blue and turquoise

Toddler: Blue, green, turquoise, white, red and orange/yellow

Child: Red, blue, turquoise, white, yellow and orange/yellow.

Teens: Shades of turquoise and white, yellow and orange, red and navy blue.

Comforting and Reassuring:

Sleeping in a boat bed, playing on a rocking mermaid, whale or boat, cuddling up to a furry fish(!), turtle, dolphin or a silky mermaid, hearing bedtime stories about seafaring children and their pets are all very calming and comforting.

Feng Shui:

Wind, water and wood abound, as does the sun and sand, so the elements are well taken care of and can all be depicted in murals, toys and furnishings.

Budget vs Time and Talent:

Sky, water, sunlight, sailboats seagulls, sand, buckets and spades, lighthouses, fish, star fish, turtles lots of colors and forms to choose from. Once again check the website for a suitable mural or if you decide to go it alone, first try out several designs on paper and when you find one that you really like, transfer (draw) it straight onto the wall unbroken by doors and windows. Simple boats with billowing sails on the tossing waves, some big and close up, and using perspective, some smaller and far in the distance, some tiny ones using paler, toned down colors.

A huge yellow sun and a couple of wheeling seagulls on the main wall (and one or two elsewhere on other walls). A pretty lighthouse on a promontory or rock completes the picture. Don’t forget to use a very simple version of the same treatment on uninteresting white closet doors.

The boat bed, night table, lamp, rug, rocker, chairs, table will bring in the other colors, so don’t go too dark with the paintwork on the background.

You might want to try a sunrise or sunset color scheme using soft yellows, orange, pink. Do work it all out beforehand using beautiful sunset photographs to help you. Lets start with the sky again, this time with sponged white and yellow clouds, with a reflected grey blues or sunset colors underneath. Two thirds of the way down the walls start the blue/green/turquoise for the sea with reflections from the sky. Consider either sandy yellow on the floor to denote the beach or continue with a turquoise carpet for the 'sea'.

Click here for Nursery Rhymes and Songs related to the Boats & Bouys theme