apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

It's a baby terrarium! Just needs a spot of foliage. I kind of LOVE it.

I am not sure if I like it. I am torn - like - not like.... It reminds me of the vladimir kagan cosleeper that was being sold on wright20 last month

That doesn't look safe. There is no place for air to come in if the baby happens to get its face up against the plexiglass or wood. Also looks like it would be awkward to pick up or, more importantly, lay a sleeping baby down inside of it.

Looks cool, but not very practical.

Was he inspired by the zoo? I hate it - not only does it look like a cage, I'd be concerned by lack of airflow, not to mention the mattress looks like a pillow, not a firm mattress with a tight fitting sheet.

I wouldn't want to have to constantly clean that plexi.
I assume the plexi slides open? How does it only slide from the outside and not the inside?

hmm actually it seems it doesn't slide...do they seriously use those clamps, all four of them, every time they want to get into it? that is just stupid.

tough audience. i love that you can see so clearly out from inside the crib and that it seems large enough to actually lay in it with the baby (that may be an illusion).

as for cleaning the plexi... baby may be to inert now, but it'll clearly be an eyesore later on without constant attention. but just 'cause you can't see the goop on your more traditional rail crib don't mean it ain't there. maybe having to keep it clean will mean it will actually stay cleaner.

That totally creeps me out.

looks like something for a pet store, not a nursery.

Why do people think this is safe? Those walls are solid!! No air flow like a regular crib with slats or the walls of a pack n play - makes me very nervous that the baby would end up with its face pressed against the wall/glass.

This is scary. It looks like a houdini trick. also makes me think of those booths on 42nd street with women inside them and pervy dudes outside them. I won't even get into my confusion regarding how it opens / closes and functions as a crib.

Looks like Skinner's baby box.

It wouldn't be difficult to drill some holes a couple of inches above the mattress for airflow. Might look cool, too.

I'm also creeped out by this -- very baby-as-horseshoe-crab-in-terrarium. I would be similarly very concerned about the lack of airflow, particularly given how deep those sides are! When we were choosing a crib, my husband wouldn't even consider the ones that have solid head/footboards because they didn't have slats on all four sides for maximum air circulation. I suppose you could try to address this by drilling holes in the plexiglass side without compromising the overall design, but I'm afraid that wouldn't save it for me. Even if I could breathe and not get overheated, would I want to sleep in a plexiglass case? Um, no.

Coincidentally, it also reminds me of the new "Ledge" on the top of the Sears Tower which opens today. Not sure that's a good thing.

Your child as science experiment...

I find it pretty unattactive and I have to agree with the other Suzie Safties above that about the air flow thing. I would worry more about rebreathing air than I would about smothering aginst the sides though so I'd take a cue from the latest research on SIDS and clip a fan onto the top or something.

I appreciate the creativity that went into it though. It's a definite conversation starter. Just not my style.

I believe the front comes off when you remove the clamps.

Drill some holes for some air and I am down!

Enough with the creative baby cribs. Just spend $300 and live with it. Don't they go into a toddler bed at 3 years anyhow? Or just put them on the floor with a mattress like the Monessoris do. All that labor and love for a fish tank. Oy.

I agree--don't get creative with cribs, folks. Build some fabulous high chair, or bookshelves, or play kitchens. Leave the thing that you keep the kid unsupervised in alone--don't find out that your design doesn't work when your kid winds up dead or injured by your handiwork.

one word...teething?

I really don't like this crib. First, how could you be certain that your homemade crib is safe. Next, it seems that it would be hot and stuffy. Finally, I'm trying to figure out how you could gently place a sleeping infant into this contraption without having to undo the fancy clamps and lower the door...

I usually refrain from leaving negative comments on Ohdeedoh, but this is really, really bad. I'm seriously worried about the baby's safety. Like, I'm kind of having a panic attack thinking about it. Aesthetically, it looks like the incubator my daughter slept in in the NICU.

I like it but I have to agree that there may be an airflow problem. The plexiglass should probably have some small pencil size holes in them to let the air flow thru. You know small enough to not be able to stick a pinky finger thru. Other than that I think it looks great.

I don't like it and just don't see the point. In fact, it's scary.

I really don't like it. It looks like those tanks in the reptile section of a zoo. As if the baby will be an animal on display.

How will he lean over and pat the baby/replace pacifier/use-your-soothing-method-of-choice in the middle of the night?

Does this person have a baby already? I can't imagine any parent thinking that undoing clamps to get at the baby every time is a feasible idea.

Sleeping in a box? As an aesthetic statement?

I think this is horrible... talk about giving you nightmares...

If you click through and read what the maker says you will find that the clamps are permanent for the cribs year(s), only to be removed at the toddler bed stage.

You know, this guy put a lot of work and love into this crib. I am sure he will ensure that the crib is safe for his child. I understand if commenters do not like its style, but some comments are really mean.

Hmmm, not mean, just honest. The creator put it out there to be judged.

My 18 month old would have that plexiglass panel kicked off and be making a run for it. Seriously. I can imagine him lying down, legs toward the glass and giving it his all-out. Bye-bye clamps. And while I agree with the poster who said seeing the dirt glommed on might in fact make the dad keep it cleaner...well, a little dirt didn't hurt any kid. But it can hurt a parent's souls when their friends drop by and the baby's been crying for hours and the last thing on their mind was to windex the crib, but there it is looking horrid. Its just one more daily thing to do on top of a mountainous task list.

Can't say I'm a fan either, BUT amazing art and design never comes without controversy. So good on him for trying something totally creative!

Blah..after reading through his posts I can see that he says the mess on the plexi is not a problem for them, and only requires a quick wipe once a week. He also gets a little facetious is stating they don;t feed her in the crib, etc. Well, my son would have the outside of the thing a disaster of sticky fingerprints in no time, fed near it or not. But alas...the difference between boys and girls, or every little one actually, is always evident.

hey all, thanks for commenting, even if you obviously hated the crib, and even if you were freaking out over something that was clearly stated somewhere, but that you seem to have overlooked or not read.

I really could care less if someone hates the crib's design; the Donald Judd furniture we have that inspired it is pretty severe, no doubt, and not for everyone's taste. And as long as the first thing out of your mouth when you see a regular crib is, "How can you put your baby in a cage??" then you're entirely justified to say this crib looks like a terrarium. Shout it from the hilltops.

The one thing I have to call out, though, is questions of safety: in the four years since the crib project started, the crib's safety and compliance with safety regulations has been the first and last test of every design decision.

In that same time, over 2 million cribs have been recalled for deadly design, unsafe materials, and faulty manufacture, and every single one of them had been government-certified and carried the JPMA's stamp of approval. So yeah, after reporting on government regulations and the crib industry for the last five years, I feel comfortable enough with the regulations to build my own kid's crib, but also cynical enough to not just trust some store-bought crib because some company tells me it's safe.

Early on, I'd planned for this crib design to be a product, or actually a kit/DIY design for someone who wanted a safe, minimalist crib that was cheaper than the Netto/duc duc/Nurseryworks options. I pretty much nixed that plan a couple of years ago, though.

As much as I encourage people to get very familiar with the safety characteristics and standards of their kid's furniture, I don't want to see half-assed attempts at crib-building. And there's really not more than a handful of people who would actually want minimalist cribs badly enough to make their own. If they hand some photos, the CPSC testing manual, and several thousand dollars to their local cabinetmaker, though, that's up to them.

And seriously, the plexi smearing is really not a big deal. I swear.

I just want to say I think it's beautiful, and I love the clamps.

I am so glad that Greg responded to this. Honestly you people can be so mean. You all need to chill out and take a look at yourselves. I am sure you will all find issues with your own parenting decisions that need to be worked on before you hand out insults to other parents. That's just my two bobs worth!

Um, the comments weren't mean--they weren't, for example, speculating on what mental illness causes someone to build a terrarium for their baby. They simply said that the crib looked like one. There aren't any insults being cast here, only criticism. No one needs to take a look at their own parenting before finding someone else's design decisions lacking.

I love this crib. I think it's creative, simple and different. I don't get all the terrarium comparisions either esp as a traditional crib looks like a small cage! I say kudos!

Wow. All I could think of was "monkey exhibit at the zoo". And that light - "Tell me vhat yoo know!! Did you steal ze binky?!?"

I'm all for clean, modern lines - somehow this just strikes me as "prison chic".

I like it! Very modern, very minimalist. I'm loving the plexi glass look!

With all the safety hazards of the mass produced cribs and crib mattresses out there now, I would be more wary of using one of them than a handmade crib with meticulous attention to detail and safety.

I think it is beautiful. But I also think it is cold (even for minimalism) and reminds me of an observational cage used in a testing facility for primates. While it isn't for me, I DO appreciate how different it is from your standard crib design.