FURNITURE FOR A LIFETIME

Finally, children’s furniture that grows with you

BY AMANDA BLACK | PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOLGER OBENAUS

Shopping for children’s furniture is rarely an easy task. If you’re bringing your little ones with you, herding them along while also trying to shop for something safe, cute and affordable can seem like an impossible juggling act. Thankfully, Maxtrix Kids Rooms in Mount Pleasant took all of those things into account when it opened its flagship store back in 2016.

Husband-and-wife owners Anne and Stephen Jensen started Maxwood Furniture back in 2004. As new parents to Max, they discovered a lack of high-quality, safe kids’ furniture that also looked nice. That’s when they launched their first brand, Maxtrix. In every decision they’ve made since, the couple has put their customers first, listening to their needs and designing their products in response. And it’s worked: Maxtrix is the largest children’s furniture system in the world.

But the focus on customer satisfaction isn’t the only thing that sets the company apart from competitors; much of Maxtrix’s success can be tied to its innovative product. Just as every child relishes the opportunity to create something completely new every time they open a box of LEGOs or building blocks, Maxtrix has taken that idea and applied it to furniture. According to Anne Jensen, you can make up to 40,000 different combinations— and it all starts with a hardwood bed frame.

Crafted with maple, birch and aspen, Maxtrix beds are built to withstand 800 pounds of weight, which is more than two times what U.S. safety regulations require. To ensure that the bunk beds and lofts are safe, the legs are reinforced with a patented steel mechanism called a Rock Lock Leg Bolt. What’s more, for in-store purchases, local customers have access to a seasoned assembly team that will come unpack and construct everything for a low fee.

Safety isn’t everything when it comes to buying furniture for your home; how it looks and fits into your ever-evolving lifestyle is arguably just as important. Slides, curtains, princess castles and ladders add what Jensen calls the “fun factor.” But as any parent knows, “What your child wants today is not what they’re going to need or like tomorrow,” she says. “Your little girl gets a princess castle today, but in just a few years, she won’t want to be a princess anymore. You can take our pieces from toddler to college.”

Thanks to Maxtrix’s unique system, whatever you add to the bed can be removed or reimagined. Maybe your child needs a homework nook; lofting a twin bed creates room below for a desk, play area or storage.

As Maxtrix families grow, the company has fielded requests for new needs. That’s where the latest line comes in. “We’re not just a solution for five-yearolds,” Jensen says. Needing space-saving solutions for vacation homes, hunting cabins and guest bedrooms, the company designed an XL Maxtrix line with twin XL, full XL and queen bed options. “We have a queen bunk bed that’s been tested with up to one ton of weight,” she says. Loft it and put a twin bed below for a fun lounge space with throw pillows.

Possibly the best part about having such a well-respected brand headquartered in the Lowcountry is that locals get access to the storefront as well as to the experts who design the furniture. The front of the shop features an airy, colorful retail space, while the back is where the company designs new pieces and answers customer service calls. “We’re here as a resource to the community,” Jensen says. “We love helping families.”

Aside from its innovatively designed products that grow and evolve as your family does, too, Maxtrix hosts fun in-store events, like book readings, seasonal parties and after school activities. “We’ve got everything parents need,” Jensen concludes.

Amanda Black is a writer and editor living in Charleston.

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