minor details

timeout

If you are in NYC, then go grab a copy of TimeOutNY and check out the Designer Challenge on page 28 (Issue #735). I, along with some very talented designers, was asked to take an ordinary household object and turn it into some great. I had the trash can challenge. I took 7 Ikea trash cans and turned them into a wall-mounted shoe rack. However, this same approach can be turned into a toy cubby as well! I call this The Oscar Rack (for my friend in the trash can down on Sesame Street) Photography by Diana Sonis.

You can check out the challenge HERE.

 

mom trends nyc

The lovely Nicole Feliciano, of Momtrends, just recently launched Momtrendsnyc. It's got everything for the urban NYC parent! 

She asked me some very in-depth questions not too long ago and just posted our interview! Check it out HERE.

the modern indoor treehouse

Do you remember the sneak peak from a few months ago? Well, I am very excited to show you the complete pics of that play space, or more over, the indoor modern treehouse! I had a lot of fun working on this space. 

What do you do for a NYC tot who needs an indoor modern treehouse? Well, I suppose this would be it........ I hope you enjoy it! (simply click on the images for a larger view)

 

come on down

If you're in the NYC area on Saturday, then stop by Madison Rose Maternity where I will be offering free design consultations for your next nursery, kids room or playspace. I will also have a few pieces of vintage and modern pieces up for purchase such as an original Ooba Nest Bassinet, the ChildChild Chair by Maartje Steenkamp, several vintage Casalino Chairs from the 70's, vintage Bertoia Child chairs and much more.

If you are interested in a consultation, then email madisonrosematernity@gmail.com to see what time slots are still available.

Sat , Sept 12th

12pm - 4pm

313 Court Street

Brooklyn, NY 11231

sneak peak - the modern blue bedroom

I wanted to give you just a peak into the bedroom that I'm working on for one of the cutest little boys in Brooklyn. My clients wanted to give him a big boy room that he could enjoy for years to come and needed to have a modern yet playful vibe. He's into robots, cars and blue..... just the typical things that every boy loves. I can't wait to show you the other side of the room. I hope you like it. More to come......

  

sneak peak - the modern indoor treehouse

I hope that everyone is enjoying July and getting some sunshine. I have missed my little blog but I've got lots of things to share very soon. One thing is a project that I started last month and just completed on friday. Here is a little sneak peak ...... more to come soon. Cheers -jenn

in the press

That's right kids, our room was featured in the current issue (June) of Cookie Magazine. Such a pleasant way to end the week!

hack

I love the Uten Silo Wall Organizer but don't love the price tag. On a recent trip to IKEA, I stumbled upon this white magnetic board and these black magnetic boxes and hooks. Add a single coat of high-gloss white spray paint and voilà, an instant art corner organizer for the mini.

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. 

   

 

cooper-hewitt national design museum

I hope to see you tonight! Posting has been slow this week and I'm headed to London tomorrow for the Kids.Modern Show. I'll be back next week with a ton to share. Cheers -Jenn.

I will be speaking along with Cookie Magazine's home editor Kiera Coffee, Jan Elani and KoKo Architecture on designing modern spaces for children at the Copper-Hewitt National Design Museum. The lecture will take place Thursday, Feb 12th at 6:30pm. You must register for the event and can do so here. I am thrilled and honored to share space with such great movers of well-considered design for children. I do hope you can make it. There is also an amazing exhibit running through April that is worth checking out as well. It's called Wall Stories : Children's wallpaper and books.

Designing the Modern Kids' Room with Cookie Magazine

Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum

2 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128

Thurs, Feb 12th at 6:30pm

$10 for members

$15 for non-members

viva la 2008

What a wonderful year it's been....and I am so thankful for all my readers. Without you this little blog would be pointless. It started with the simple idea of creating my own little visual reference library.  Made up of thousands upon thousands of my forgotten bookmarks. At the close of the year, it's turned into something far greater than I could have ever hoped. So thanks again for stopping by and please, make yourself at home. 

One last thing, because of you, I was nominated for a Homie : Best Kid's Design Blog of 2008 over at Ohdeedoh. Go over and cast your vote. I am honored to be in the same seat as some of my favorite blogs as well!  (It's also kinda great that one of my rooms is front and center in the Best of October posts over at Ohdeedoh as well)

Enjoy the rest of your 2008 and best of wishes for your 2009.

Cheers - Jenn

 

wrapping up

My posting has been a bit nil since last week. I've been wrapping up a project that has taken a wonderful amount of time in order to complete by the holidays. I thought I would give you a little taste of the project. The direction for the playroom was Princess and the Pea meets Enchanted Forest. The room is 75% complete and I could not be happier....and so is a little 3 1/2 year old!!! 

I'm off now to do a bit more wrapping....of presents. Merry Merry everyone!

         

LMNOP five gift guide

Issue five of LMNOP has just come out and it's just in time for the holidays. (I put together a little gift guide over on page 29.) This issue is also packed with an amazing gift guide and as well as great photography. Jenny and Ian have such a wonderful eye. It seems as though they have found their calling..... they even started a blog!

 

my past contributions to LMNOP can be found here and here

design*sponge

What a great way to start an afternoon. I am doing research for a client and one of my go-to websites for inspiration is Design Sponge. I was so honored to see my Sneak Peak front and center. Thanks so much Joanna and Anne. Welcome D*S readers....take your shoes off and stay awhile!

a minor play space

This was a Play Space that I designed back in July/August of this year. The goal was to accommodate a wide age-range of children and their caregivers who lived in a 130-unit co-op building in Brooklyn.

do drop in ...

If you are in the NY area this weekend, stop by the Cookie Living Show House where I will be doing 2 free hours worth of Design Consultations this Saturday from 11:30-1:30pm. On Sunday from 1pm-2pm, I will be giving a free presentation and Q&A on “Designing Your Kid's Room and Child Proofing Tips." Bring the whole family as there are plenty of things to keep everyone's attention! Check out the press so far on NY1 and the NY Post.

For the consultation, you can rsvp to: rsvp@cookiemag.com and in the subject line put : Oct 18, Ward. Directions to the Cookie Living Show House, in Battery Park City, can be found here.

introducing merle's room

Here are the first shots of the CookieLiving room that I have been working. A few pics are from my iPhone and some are from the lovely Tina. Today it opened to the public and I am very thankful for everyone who helped me along the way! A majority of the items are handmade or vintage with a few brand spanking new items.... like the OTT Hooks from byproduct and Boodalee's Throw Pillows. A special highlight for me was a lovely visit today from Oliver Jeffers. he was kind enough to leave a little chalk drawing on the desk. If you're in Battery Park City over the next three weekends, please stop by and take a look. You can view more pics and get info about the items in the room here. Make sure to go upstairs and check the amazing nursery that Koko Architecture designed....simply beautiful!

a huge thank you

I am so flattered that both Cookie Magazine and the lovely Joanna Goddard (aka A CUP OF JO) thought my daughter's room was nice enough to blog about. Awe shucks guys, I'm blushing!

cookie living + minor details

Head on over to Cookie Magazine's Cookie Living Show Home any fri-sun from October 10-October 26. There are going to be a ton of events and really great programs. I will be doing individual design consultations on Saturday , October 18th from 11:30am-1:30pm. Feel free to bring a picture of a room that you might need some advice or direction with....or if you have an inspiration pic for a space and don't know how to make it happen...I will be available to help your tackle those design woes. Make sure to RSVP to rsvp@cookiemag.com with the subject line "Oct 18, Ward". I will also be doing a baby/child proofing program on Sunday , October 19th from 1-2pm. Best of all....it's free.

Make sure to stop into the kid's room that i have been working on. Here is the concept behind it : One staple in Minor Details design philosophy is to spark a child's imagination. With Merle's room, inspiration came from the pages of a book*. Most of the furniture is handmade, re-invented or vintage. With this approach a greener message is achieved. The motivation behind the color palette was to provide a gender neutral path for any child who enters. By adding a ton of books, vintage marionette puppets, and milk-fueled highway wallpaper, it was our hope to create an environment where curiosity leads to creativity. Welcome, please make yourself at home.
*The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers

See you then!

a little project part deux

I'm very excited to share the latest piece of furniture that I built for the Cookie Magazine project that I've been working on. I took this wallpaper, made a few recessed cubbies, under mounted lights, man-handled a jigsaw and this is what the final headboard looks like! Up next is a bookcase turn eames-esc side bench with a secret hiding spot for your child's diary......

a little project

So I've been doing a ton of hands-on design projects as of late ....making a custom headboard for a child, turning an old bookcase into a low open sideboard/bench, custom art work, upholstery, lighting...... whew....i've been busy. One little project was this hanging light. I took an old lampshade, ripped off the fabric, bent in the sides, added a hanging cord and spray painted it high gloss yellow. Kinda fun, no?

slow posts but warm smiles

Hey everyone, just wanted to let you know that I have been super busy working on projects as of late. I've got tons of goodies for you all in my virtual queue and I can't wait to post all about them. What I can tell you is that I've been asked to take part in interior design project with Cookie Magazine. The room that I am designing involves inspirations from Oliver Jeffers The Incredible Book Eating Boy, custom furniture and accessories from Minor Details, Eco Highway wallpaper from Graham & Brown, crazy vintage finds for a kids room, bold colors and dope design! The space will be on view in NYC in the month of October. More information coming soon! In the mean time, go check out Tina and Joanna's blog .... they've got the best posts in town.

LMNOP four

I know I said that I would not be back until tomorrow but the latest issue of LMNOP has come out and I could not help myself. This issue is fantastic. It's filled with amazing finds, great features and dope photography. There is a great piece on Chicago with kids as well. Make sure to hit page 17...... it's my contributing piece on Paris!

 

a residential update

Things are coming together for one of the residential playspaces that I am creating for a little boy. We are in the home stretch. As I mentioned before, the wallpaper is up! This week, the rug, tee-pee, train set, cooktop, table, chairs and custom-built cabinets were installed. Only a few more things to go. I'll keep you posted!

a new service

I've been collecting vintage children's furniture for a while now. With a creative background in the film, television and print industry, I understand the need to find that special prop that will "make" the shoot. So, in addition to all our other services, we are now renting out our children's prop collection to stylist and photographers in the New York area. And yes, the collection will continue to grow!

etsy + minor details

I LOVE searching through Etsy...so when they asked me to be a Featured Buyer and take part in the Handmade Kids series, I was honored. I gave some of my picks for the family friendly home. If you have never tried an Etsy stroll, I highly recommend it! Check out my piece here. Also, be sure to check the new Handmade Kids features regularly!

stay tuned

This fossil wallpaper just made it's way onto the wall of a playspace I'm doing in a private residence for a little boy. We are 50% complete with the room makeover and will be uploading pics soon!

a petit facelift

When asked to help create space, the last thing I think about is IKEA. Don't get me wrong , there a little nice bits here and there that don't "look" IKEA. It's affordable and they just opened one right down the street from me. Everywhere I go, I am always on the hunt for something I need for a client. I will randomly walk into hardware stores looking for that special hook, walk into a restaurant and look at how things are made or a into store for inspiration. So in my long stroll through IKEA, I stumbled upon this cat/dog bed. A bell went off. A client of mine has been wanting a lounger for her 4 year old. It was too pricey to custom make one and all the other lounge chairs for kids were just not her style. Here was my solution. (the 4 year olds favorite color is blue and my client LOVES anything Damask!)

the minor details.....

So a client had a problem with a open staircase...in a townhouse with an 8 year old boy, 6 year old girl and a year and half year old. She wanted to make this flow as child-safe as possible. She wanted to know how to stop an 8 year old from sliding down the bannister and how to stop a year and half year old from falling straight down onto a marble floor, should he ever fall over the bannister. My solution? Well, to build a custom piece to suit the space. After much thought, myself and master woodsman Samuel Murray came up with this idea to create furniture piece that would take up the entire space without causing too much visual noise. With a nod to the classic bent curves of the interior of an original Airstream meets an old rail car... this is what we came up with (a before and after):

LMNOP issue three plus me

Jenny Lacey, mastermind behind the on-line kids magazine LMNOP has come out with issue number three. The drive behind this issue is to celebrate animals. Packed with amazing photography by Ian Macpherson and styling by Lacey, number three does not disappoint. I am very happy to be a part of this (an introduction colulmn on page 12 and in the editor's welcome) and future issues with contributing stories. I am currently working on my story for the next issue and I'm thrilled to be on board! So head over to the site and get the latest issue of LMNOP. You download it here.

a peek inside

I'm blessed to have so many people come to my little blog everyday. I thought I would go personal with this post and give you a peek inside one of the rooms in my home that is far cooler than my office... my daughter's bedroom.

new portfolio tab

Just a heads up - there is a new category tab in town and it's our portfolio. I get a lot of emails asking about it so I thought I would make it easier for you to check out our work. While I was at it, I thought I'd share a few stories about some past clients below. Enjoy! Coming soon - a commercial indoor and outdoor playspace.

(photo : jennifer ward)

a reading nook

I was reading Cookie Magazine's Nesting blog and this piece on readers' book nooks reminded me of a space that we did for a client. We created a playroom in a space that had two nice sized closets. Most playrooms don't have many places for grown-ups to sit, unless it's in your living room. We decided to remove one of the doors and build a shelf at the bottom for a child or an adult to perch. Along the sides of the interior walls of the closet you will find lines of books to read. We saved the other closet for well, being a closet! Here is the before and after.

(before photo : jennifer ward / after photo : seth smoot)

before and after

I have gotten a few emails about some of the rooms we have done. One is the orange and brown nursery that we did for twins. We took a very small home office and turned it into a peaceful resting place for a baby girl and boy. The clients wanted a gender neutral space but knew the girl would eventually take over the room. Her twin brother would take space in their older brothers room in about 2 years. The clients live in a gorgeous brownstone and have an amazing collection of art and appreciation for modern classics. It was a perfect fit! The cribs are the classic Oeuf with matching dresser. The mobile is the Birds of a Feather beauty, lighting from Urban Outfitters, and the paintable wallpaper is from Brewster Wallcovering. The 3 drawer storage unit is Componibili and the rocker is. Not shown are the Ooba bassinets and Bloom clear plexi/ orange loungers that are currently in mom and dad's room!.

(before photos : jennifer ward / after photos : seth smoot)

spunky sprout + minor details

The lovely ladies over at Spunky Sprout have teamed up with Minor Details for Design Consultation services for their online customers. I am so thrilled about this opportunity. They have such a wonderul collection of fresh and modern pieces for children. Go check them out...and spread the news!

new portfolio pics part two

Thought I'd share our latest portfolio pics. Here was part one. Photography by the super talented Seth Smoot.

new portfolio pics

as we approach the launch of our new logo and website, we just wanted to share a few pics from our portfolio section. more coming soon! UPDATE : click here to see more