Babyology review – affordable real-life makeovers for children’s rooms and family spaces from Fantastic Furniture
When it comes to furnishing a family home, it’s all about affordability and durability. We let a few members of our influencers panel (and one very lucky writer) run riot in Fantastic Furniture, gathering goods to give their children’s rooms and homes that extra flourish – without breaking the budget. Come and see our room makeovers, and find out what we really thought of what we found at Fantastic Furniture.
When it comes to a descriptive title, Fantastic Furniture has the market cornered. Australian owned and operated, Fantastic Furniture’s range has almost every corner of the house covered. That includes Australian made sofas and mattresses and bedroom furniture for kids and adults.
Jo from iCurvy, who’s known for her on-point styling, decided to tackle her toddler daughter’s play space. She wanted bright and bold storage, so naturally gravitated towards the Buzz Storage Units, which she found to be high quality, and easy to put together.
Jo says she did have some concerns that she and her husband would end up in a flat-pack hell of their own making when putting together the shelving.
“The flat-pack instructions were so easy to follow. Hubby and I were more than prepared for the ‘flat-pack argument’ but it never came. Five shelving units and five storage boxes assembled in nothing flat!
Jo was concerned the units might not be finished in a way that would allow different configurations, but was pleasantly surprised.
“I was nervous that corners would be cut in the finish of the product, which meant that I could not install some units on their sides, but to my surprise, every edge was finished to the same quality – which even means they could be installed upside down if that’s the configuration that worked! It shows the thought the team has put into the design – versatility has been maximised through smart design.”
Another big plus was the price: “Unbelieveable value! To be able to create the look of bespoke inbuilt shelving and a bench seat for only $200? Incredible!”
Overall, Jo gushed about her Fantastic Furniture experience, from the service of the friendly staff (who even packed her car), to the value for money. She loved that many Fantastic Furniture products are Australian made: “It’s important to be supporting our local manufacturing facilities, not only to keep local jobs local and support the economy, but also to ensure goods meet Australian Standards, and are manufactured ethically.”
We also let one of our favourite ex-Blockheads, Katrina Chambers loose in her local Fantastic Furniture store. We adore Katrina’s style, and her beautiful home, and she was easily able find some furniture that would suit her space perfectly.
She snapped up a set of mid-century inspired Pop Chairs to adorn her dining space, praising their quality and affordability. Katrina’s also pleased that these sturdy seats will stand the test of time in her boy-dominated house.
“They served the purpose well and are a practical seating arrangement for a family of boys, as well as being easy to clean and wipe.”
Katrina did mention the chairs were time consuming to assemble, but would be happy to recommend Fantastic Furniture for its value for money and on-trend style.
One of the things Fantastic Furniture is well-known for is its incredible range of children’s beds. My sons have been begging for bunk beds forever, so they loved coming with me to choose a set.
I’ve always been wary of bunks for smaller children, but knew as soon as I saw the Cubby Twin Bunk that it was perfectly suited to younger kids. It’s quite a low bunk, and I can easily reach the top to tuck my eldest in.
The staff couldn’t have been more accommodating, taking me through all of the bunk options (and there were lots). But my boys were set on the Cubby.
Even though this was a larger piece of furniture, and I live in a regional area, it only took a week to arrive. I charged my husband with the task of putting it together, and he was genuinely surprised at how easy it was. He says the instructions were super easy to follow, and the result is a very sturdy and stylish set of bunks.
I can vouch for the affordability of this product, which looks like it cost a lot more than its sub-$500 price tag. The Cubby suits a space-poor area, because it’s incredibly compact, with an inbuilt ladder.
The finish is high-quality, and everyone who has seen it in my son’s room thinks it’s gorgeous. It goes without saying I’ve happily recommended Fantastic Furniture to my friends – most importantly because it has the holy trinity when it comes to our family’s purchases – style, quality and affordability.
We managed to pin down jet-setting Cheree from Oh So Busy Mum, so she could try her hand at some Fantastic Furniture kids’ room styling. Cheree decided to try out the Willow Single Bed, which is a beautiful nod to children’s beds of yesteryear.
“With young kids, I wanted a strong bed that will last until it’s time to upgrade in the teenage years. The metal frame is sturdy, strong and has no movement in the frame. The single mattress from Fantastic Furniture fits the frame perfectly without any gaps or spaces. The paint is smooth and thick, it would be very hard to chip.”
She loved that the frame suits either a vintage or contemporary setting, and says the curved frame is safe for kids. Once again, the affordability blew her away. “For a modern bed [the price – $199] is perfect for the budget conscious family. You can find the same style elsewhere for upwards of $300. I have purchased four of these beds simply for the price and quality of them.”
Cheree says she was able to put together the bed on her own, with no trouble, with clear, easy instructions making it a cinch. Having bought from them before, Cheree says these latest purchases only cemented her thoughts on the store.
“You don’t have to spend a fortune to have a modern look and quality furniture. Being a long time Fantastic Furniture customer, I have always been 100 per cent happy with the price, product and service. I couldn’t be happier with the beds and my kids love them.”
Nicole Cubbin from Little Eats Sydney took her three and five-year-old daughters to explore her local Fantastic Furniture store, and they had a ball! She admits she wasn’t expecting the experience she had at the store.
“Fantastic Furniture would not have been my first choice when looking to furnish our newly built home. However, with kids’ rooms and a spare bedroom to furnish I thought it could be an affordable option to investigate. When looking at furniture online, it is difficult to ascertain quality. Like clothing, everything tends to look better online and you can often be disappointed when it arrives. However when I visited the Moore Park store I was pleasantly surprised. The store was bright and well organised. I was particularly impressed by the kids’ bunk beds and the range of items from simple metal to wooden frames.”
Nicole was keen to source furniture for her spare bedroom, keeping with a sleek, modern theme.
“I was very impressed by the bedroom package deals. We ended up purchasing the Metropolis Queen Bedroom Package, which was not available in store, however the sales assistant was able to show us the finish in another item and plenty of detailed photos.”
Once again, the furniture packed a punch, without a price tag to match.
“Being able to furnish a whole room including bed, side tables and large tallboy for around $1000 is great value. Of course there were cheaper and more expensive options but the sleek finish of the Metropolis range was perfect for our home.”
If you’re keen to explore their great value bedding and furniture, head to your nearest Fantastic Furniture store.
(Our influencers were not paid for their comments. They received furniture of their choice to the value of $500 as part of a sponsored post for Fantastic Furniture.)