minor details

design for walls

Andreas Golinksi was one of many designers that took part in Unduetrestella, an installation art show geared towards the belief that contemporary art introduced to children can be seen a game, light, sound, noise, music, designs on a wall ... if we just open their eyes to it.

Here is an example of Andreas' idea for design on walls, in his piece called House of My Dreams. (via)

lets celebrate with some noguchi

It's only fitting that my 1,000th post be about Isamu Noguchi's Playscapes. I had the amazing opportunity to play on the grounds all day on saturday with my daughter, niece and nephew. It was topped off with a jazz quartet playing in the background and fresh apples from the farmers market just a stones throw from the playground. The park I'm referring to is Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia .... which houses Noguchi's only playground to be completed in his lifetime. Such a peaceful and wonderful space for both big kid and small!  

 

 

bringing ideas together

A Green Garden - A Giant Birdsnest for breeding new ideas. Awesome.

breathtaking

My dear friend, Stefan of The Apartment, just finished an amazing residential project just off Central Park. It's for a family of 4 and the two boys rooms are pretty amazing. The place itself is pretty amazing. It's on the 61st floor overlooking the park and is combined of 3 apartments gut renovated to make 1 huge dwelling. You can see the rest of the apartment HERE. Bravo Stef! Photography by the wonderful Michael Weber.

creating fantasy

When it comes to the work of Russian Designer Maria Yasko, one thing comes to mind - fantasy. I really admire her Icelandic Tree shelf from the Vjunok/Bindweed series. It could play very well in a kid's space. She also did another space based on the Moomin books, by Finnish illustrator Tove Jansson, called Moomin Valley. Below is an example of the children's playspace. Quite a fantasy!

an amazing use of space

H2O Architects had a problem to solve for a client. Their family was expanding but their home could not. With a new baby on the way, they recreated space within space and HERE is what they came up with. Bravo!

The arrival of a new child in the family pressed a young couple to think about a way to divide a room into two parts. The idea was to provide a personal space to each child. The project answers to this request of separation by adding a third space making the partition. The creation of a “multiple-use furniture” in the middle of the space allows to add some depth to the primary basic partition. It afford passages, secret storage, bed, office… in a funny way. The specific blend generates a concentrated typology of spaces and situations in perpetual renewal. The new partition is porous creating steps, cavities and niches which suggests many possibilities for appropriation (climbing, hidding, drawing, etc…). Many uncharted and intermediate spaces led by the furniture allow for the invention of any kind of practices and uses. Let’s play!  

anthropodino

I think the best way to describe Ernesto Neto's interest was found in the program for his latest installation at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City - "architecture as a kind of second skin with which we surround ourselves." 

My daughter had a school holiday yesterday so we met up with lovely Lynn of Appaman and her cute little mini then headed uptown. I was blown away with the size and structure. Although it seemed more like an indoor playspace than an art exhibit, I was impressed with his use of color, texture, materials and the inviting hands-on appeal. It's up through June 15th and I would highly recommend this one! Click HERE for more information on this current show, Anthropodino. (first two photos are by James Ewing) 

 

house for the little ones

French designer Matali Crasset  just completed La Maison des Petits for the arts centre 104 Centquatre in Paris, France. It's venues like this that completely inspire me. 

The venue aims to provide a public space where children can exercise their creativity. The space is divided into distinct areas for children of different ages and abilities and furnished with free-standing, mushroom-like structures. A circular seating and play area in the centre of the room features an inner, cushioned play-area for babies and toddlers and is surrounded by stools so parents can sit at the same level as their children. When covered, this area becomes a large meeting table or platform for activities or performances. The canopy above provides diffused, coloured lighting. A large, orange structure acts as the central hub of the venue, housing facilities including a nappy-changing unit, kitchenette, shower-room, electrical services and equipment storage. The interior wall is made up of three parts: at the lower level some panels are articulated, allowing them to become inclined seating, shelving, sound and light deflectors or a small ladder; the middle tier acts as storage and the upper, perforated level offers acoustic dampening. (Photographs by Jérôme Spriet.)

little green riding hood

This ModernChild exclusive from wovenplay is simply beautiful. It goes smashingly with Bruno Munari's book by the same name.

the tube

De Buis is art piece consisting of a series of steel tubes. These create a playground for elementary school De Paradijsvogel, designed by Kaptein Roodnat, in the Netherlands. I really like substituting the traditional chunky play structures for a minimal approach such as this one. I think this style stimulates a child's imagination a lot more. (via)

i heart lmnop

Jenny over at LMNOP has really stepped up the game. She hand picked amazing moms from all over the world and is doing a daily piece on all of them. She is extending Mother's Day throughout the week. I am honored to be in such amazing company! Thank you so much Jenny! Check out all the kick ass mom interviews HERE.

 

mom

Things that I now understand and truly value about my mother :

1. She was a very young mother who at age 19 welcomed my wonderful sister...I came just three years later. She gave sacrificed her 20's to raise her daughters and has never second guessed that choice.

2. She made sure that we always were involved in our community.

3. She is the best hostess I have ever met. The woman can throw a party like it's nobody's business.

4. She knows all the lyrics to Vanilla Ice's Ice Ice Baby....still.

5. She never knew her father but tells me that I got a lot of his genes. She smiles when she speaks of him while recalling the stories she has been told.

6. She is an only child who loves her mother unconditionally.

7. She and my father ran off and eloped and kept it a secret for months. (they were 18)

8. She is an amazing listener. 

9. She put up with a very rebellious, creative and strong willed child for many years and continually supported and loved (me) unconditionally.

10. Next to my father's mother, she is the strongest woman I know. 

11. She has a very healthy sense of humor.

12. We traveled a ton growing up. She helped carve my sense of adventure.

13. She showed me when it was best to be selfless and when it was right to be selfish...for the goodness of your soul.

14. She always knows when I need a fresh new pair of Chuck Taylor Converse shoes. A new pair always seem to arrive right when the current pair is about to fall off my feet.

She is my mother...who tells me every time we speak just how great of a mother she thinks I am. I learned everything about being a mother from her. I am blessed everyday that she is my mom. I am so very proud to be her daughter. I have only myself been a mother for just under 5 years now and if I can be just half the mother that she is to me...then I'm in amazing shape. 

I love you mom. Happy Mothers day  -  juni

Happy Mother's Day weekend everyone...see you on Monday.

store it

I'm looking for a shelving system for a client's nursery. I really like this number from Atlas Industries.

make learning beautiful

In the past few days, I have come across some pretty amazing schools for children. It's so wonderful seeing educators and designers working together to create amazing environments that make children excited to learn. 

The first one is the Erika-Mann Elementary School II in Berlin. Designed by the amazing Baupiloten, who are a group of students at the architectural faculty of the TU Berlin who carry out building projects under the guidance and supervision of architect Susanne Hofmann. Notice the II behind the name of the school? Baupiloten designed the first one in Wedding , Germany. Read my post on it here.

They sought to lighten and cheer up the heavy and authoritarian air of their old school building from 1915. They developed a playful concept based on a fantastical world of the Silver Dragon. The farther into the building one moves, the stronger one feels the presence of the Silver Dragon whose spirit changes, moves, glows and shimmers. The different spaces are called Snuffle Garden, Snuffling Room, Chill Room and Dragon’s Breath, each starting with a clean white background and offering freedom of expression in the form of flexible furnishings. (via)

     

   

The second and third schools I found while browsing the latest issue of MILK. The Benetton Group, in partnership with the town of Ponzano in Italy, created the Ponzano Children nursery school. For 9 months - 6 year olds. 

In planning an educational facility aimed at excellence, and conscious of the ethic and social role of its corporate culture, Benetton Group placed great importance on social interaction, research and the wellbeing of the community and therefore appointed Reggio Children as the pedagogic consultant for the new school. The centre was designed by Alberto Campo Baeza, an internationally renowned Spanish architect, in co-operation with architect Massimo Benetton. Commenting on his work, Campo Baeza says, “Our aim was to create a nursery school that not only functions impeccably, but is also able to offer a series of diverse spaces; a living building where children can dream and be happy”.

 

I am very happy to see my favorite children's flexible environment maker, Feelgood Designs, made their way into the classrooms.  

Lastly is the Green School, which is located at the Kul-Kul Campus in Bali, Indonesia. 

Green School’s campus spans nearly ten hectares on either side of the Ayung River. One of our iconic structures is a stunning bamboo bridge that spans the river and is emblematic of what we aim to achieve at Green School: connecting learning with creativity; environmental responsibility with scientific knowledge; respect for self with respect for the many cultures represented in and around the School. Our students learn in elegant, curved structures constructed from 98% sustainable materials, and Green School counts among its power sources the extraction of biogas from human and animal waste, as well as a hydroelectric vortex generator that is under development which will be the largest of its kind in the world. Our students are not just learning about Green, they are living it.

I am blown away by the design, impact and beauty of these schools. 

beautiful walls

Ami Suma makes walls talk. I especially like the mural work she did for Natsume.

 

 

lmnop 6

The latest issue of LMNOP has come out and again, I continue to be impressed with Jenny Lacey's curation and eye for design. In this issue, there is section of well-considered toys, coloring books, meal time goods, reading books, chalky tees, Hanne Larsen's amazing NYC loft with her four children, homegrown threads and a show and tell section by Janet and Stu from Three Potato Four. 

If you find your way over to page 20, you'll find my contribution. I wanted to challenge myself and take a highly designed and playfully sophisticated child's room and cheat my way to achieving this designer look for a lot less. I hope you enjoy it.

Also check out LMNOP blog.... for when you just can't wait for the next issue to come out! They dish a hearty dose of great design for children and babies.

You can download the current issue here. 

   

 

play = art for your walls

I am heading back from the UK tonight so I will start my Kids.Modern recaps on Tuesday. In the mean time, check out this fantastic source of inspiration for a kids wall from Eltono. This public space artist did a show in Torino titled Coriandoli where in he created a Confetti Graffiti wall. How amazing would this be to do in a kids room? You would probably need to remove everything from the room first but this would be such a memorable moment for you and your child to create such a personal piece of art for their walls. If removing everything and doing an entire wall is not an option, then go for the individual print idea as well. (via the amazing pan-dan)

 

subtle modern mixed with traditional

Coordonne has a pretty amazing textile collection for kids. One of my clients is very traditional in her style but we agreed to meet half-way in our approach to her nursery. That's why I really like the Lullaby collection. From a distance it looks traditional but when you look closer it's got a rather funky little golden print. (via decopeques)

 

gimme more

The amazing duo over at KOKO Architecture created a Danish and Finnish wonderland for the mini's over at the More North Scandinavian Art and Design Gallery in NYC. I really love the use of birch and modern play of nature through-out the space. Bravo!

 

play room

Located in a old warehouse turned family loft in the center of Brussels, is a pretty dope playspace. (photo by Van Leuven Bart) Did you notice the ceiling?

nest

“Questioned by their father architect, these children issued to want to nest like birds very far from the ground, with crossed of 2 main branches. On a simple principle of frame and oblique levels, the father drew the diagram of a “livable” unit where all the traditional functions of the room of child are present…. In this family of artists, by principle, the walls of a room are at the beginning immaculate, like a virgin fabric on standby on a rest. One counts on the successive or combined inspiration ones and others to animate them.”

What a wonderful and creative space. Taken from the amazing book L'art d'installer les chambres d'enfants, Alta Marie-Claire. (via mon cabanon)

a lovely place to sit

Everything in this picture makes me happy. The child desk and chair, the book rack, the map ..... unfortunately someone beat me to the purchase punch.

a stunning bunk

Somewhere in Manhattan is home that doubles as an art gallery and a family home. It's uncertain which of the two this bunk bed is situated in. I can only imagine by the looks of the kid's room below, that the bunk bed is just on display. Do any of my readers know which gallery this is? (photographer : Verne / OWI)

UPDATE : The incredible Andy pointed me to the gallery in question - Salon 94. He also has some close-up pics of the Carlo Mollino Alpine Bunk Bed here.

creative keys

Ok, so perhaps I should add a new tab titled "inspiration." This one and this one would certainly make it in there. (photographer Hendrikx Diane / OWI)

come fly with me

I love this playspace! The owners decorated and designed their home with as little budget as possible. Everything is second-hand, inexpensive or homemade. (thanks for the tip tina!) (photographer: Hendrikx Diane / OWI)