When Hubby's parents mentioned to us they still had the cot Hubby and his brother had been raised in we were more than happy to take it off their hands. It is a metal cot with 2 sides that drop down and may have even been used by their older cousins before them (so at least 45 years old)
Now before doing anything I checked the current safety standards for cots in Australia. This cot meet all current regulations other than the year it was made. This means it cannot be sold or purchased for use, but we did not buy it so no issues there
The cot has a wire base and we were surprised to find out that it takes a standard size mattress so that is all we have to buy now along with bedding which I am sure I can get second had or make up from bedding we already have.
The paint was chipped and because we were not 100% sure of the age we did not want to take any risks with lead paint so we spent $100 and had the cot sandblasted.
Then Hubby started painting. It was not really practical to spray paint due to the paint wastage so Hubby painted it by hand, plus since he is off work it was a good use of his time. He ended up using up paint we already had (the same paint used for the antique door knob and knocker) which is why the cot ended up high gloss black but we had plenty left and did not want to waste money buying more.
We are really happy with how it turned out and now that the paint smell has gone and the paint is really hard it is great.
We also acquired a few other bits and pieces that I have not really sorted through yet so that will be a surprise when I go back for a proper sort through.
We are really focused on second hand for this baby as we believe there is no need for much to be purchased new when it comes to babies. There will be a few things though as both my Nan and my Great Aunt have already asked what I would like them to knit for our baby who will be in NZ for next winter. I was thinking some singlets would be good.
Suggestions anyone?
Cot looks very good. It will be very happy to see old things used by us. Old things are always good than now a days. They will be stronger for ever...
ReplyDeleteThanks Weekend Windup We are making a concerted effort to have a low consumer baby.
DeleteIt looks great Fee! And nice to see hubby well occupied since you're not on the farm anymore :)
ReplyDeleteIt was a good project for him Liz. Now I just need a few more projects for him to get through the next few months.
DeleteHow nice to use a family cot and what a great result for some time and effort, not to mention one less useful item kept out of landfill.
ReplyDeleteIf you plan on having another child , I would recommend "Phil &Ted" pram, they are a New Zealand company and I am sure you could pick up a really good one secondhand and reasonably priced from Gumtree in the Brisbane area.
I was a private Nanny for 12 years and found them to be fantastic! If you want a good review of why I love them just ask me to email 😊
So refreshing to see new parents to be, being sensible about baby things.
ReplyDeleteBabies don't know what they sleep in or wear or anything. All they know is they want to be fed, changed and held. Buying new everything fulfils the parents needs not the child's.
The only thing I wished I had purchased new was a pram, but I didn't know I would be going on to have 3 children. We ended up going through 3 second hand prams in the end! But we didn't buy a quality second had one in the first place, Margaret suggested well.
Well done! It looks great!
Oh well done folks - looks splendid. Yep, that cot is pretty much exactly what I had as a child too so roughly 50 years old would be right.
ReplyDeleteFiona the cot looks amazing....how fabulous to have such a treasure still in the family...goes to show the old stuff was really made to last. I think your baby will love to know he/she is sleeping in the same cot that daddy slept in....I just love vintage things...well done you for putting so much effort into upcycling and creating a home full of so much care and love for your bub.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful family treasure and how exciting it is for you both to reuse it.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful bed. Not sure the health nurses would recommend it because it's not up to safety code. I ran into that in this area and had to change the bed.
ReplyDelete