minor details

for the budding frank lloyd wright

I secretly want to ask that Santa bring me the Fallingwater and Guggenheim Lego sets. I've been really good!

  

Oh yeah.... since we are on topic of my holiday wish list ...... will you consider the Barky Turntable as well!

 

 
 

sweet

Lego and Muji have joined forces and created a Paper and Punch set!! (via)

 

a musical tree

The minimal and colorful Musical Tree is both festive and fun.

compact cardboard and connecting numbers

Carton Chic has a few new products that are pretty great. One is My Bio Little Market. It's made of compact cardboard and is 100% recycled. The next are disposable table mats with PEFC labelled paper. Each set comes with 18 mats. One set has Osez le dire + Bon Appetit + Voulez vous. The other set has Merci + You're Welcome + Say Hello.

 

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.

 

clear visibility

Community Playthings has a very sweet and simple storage solution called The Browser Box .... and I like it!

 

 

this morning with dwr

A friend of mine pointed me to DWR's latest kid offerings. I was impressed. It's refreshing to see them coming back around on the kids front. Here are a few of pieces worth checking out :

Plus and Minus : Designed as a children’s game in 1970, Bruno Munari’s Plus or Minus is an engrossing exercise for any age. The set consist of 72 cards, each with a different image. Forty-eight cards have transparent backgrounds, allowing them to be layered over each other to create evolving and compelling scenes. Trees, clouds, bicycles, animals and more are represented. Deal the cards out and let each player add a layer, creating increasing complex stories. Suitable for ages three and up.

Basic Shapes Growth Chart : Australian designers Paul Fuog and Dan Honey used just circles, squares and triangles to render animal friends on their bright and bold Growth Chart (2008). Fun for kids and visually compelling for parents, the educational Basic Shapes Growth Chart includes memorable facts about animals like Ricco the Rhinoceros and Kendra the Koala while tracking a child’s height as they grow up.

 

Walking Elephant : From Hindu deities to Charles and Ray Eames, elephants have been a source of endless fascination. Let your child ride their very own – a rocking motion, side to side, moves this elephant forward. They’ll explore their own jungle, while learning motor skills and coordination. The eco-friendly Walking Elephant (2009) is crafted from rubber wood, which comes from trees that no longer produce latex and would otherwise be discarded. Suitable for ages three and up.

 

I Keep Changing : Originally published in 1971, I Keep Changing is a tribute to relativity from a child’s perspective. Written in the first person, a child compares himself to the world, figuring out whether he’s slow or fast, big or small, hairy or smooth. Written by renowned poet and writer Alastair Reid, its accompanying images were created by designer and illustrator Bob Gill. This version, published by Corraini Edizioni, is printed in both English and Italian.

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.

pull along polly

THIS little nod to the 'ol school pull on toy is actually a leather pouf! Pull Along Polly is designed b Joni Neelen and would make for super fun piece in a kid's space!

PlayShapes

Miller Goodman has struck again....introducing PlayShapes!

PlayShapes is a modular set of 74 geometric wooden shapes which can be endlessly arranged or stacked to produce hundreds of 3D creations. The smooth shapes, with flashes of colour are pleasingly crafted in rubberwood which can also be used as drawing templates. The intrinsic simplicity of the product and clarity of design, freely allows children and adults alike to fully engage in the wonderment and joy of the creative process.

 

 

simply playful

"El Ramón is a toy-object created by the Argentinean Art Director, Javier López Pereyra. El Ramón was, inspired at the 50´s and 60´s concept of spaceships and robots, such as the movie "War of the Worlds " dated of 1953, the tv series "Lost at Space" dated of 1965 and the cartoon "The Jetsons" dated of 1962, among others. Ramón is a limited edition, hand crafted with Argentinean wood, flexible iron and recycled gray paper with silk-screen print."  

bubbles

Bulles de Nua were designed by Marie Macon and Anne-Laure Lesquoy for Red Editions. I think these could make for very aesthetically pleasing toy storage in the living room!  

ala natural

Earth-friendly dollhouse is a natural fit for the eco-conscious family. House features a play wind turbine, solar cell panel, a barrel for collecting rain and recycle bins. Shade canopy can be pulled down to prevent or allow wind and sunlight (or little brothers) from coming through.

Finally, a forward thinking and environmentally conscious dollhouse! More info HERE.

playful storage

I had the great pleasure of enjoying dinner last night with my dear friend Marie of Little Fashion Gallery. We had a lot to catch up on! She is such an amazing force and taste maker for the fashion and design forward tot. I am in love with her collaboration with Agnes & Agnes. They created this amazing Toy Box. 

just another toy

Just Another Toy is a design collaboration between Sara Ribbenstedt and Matilda Dominique. This three-dimensional toy consists of foam rubber cubes dressed in fabrics with various patterns and allows kids to try and find specific object shapes according to what use they want it to have. 

They managed to get Offecct to make the prototype but I READ that they are still looking for distribution. I love the concept, color and scale of these pieces and hope they make there way to the US soon! (photos by Henrik Bengtsson)

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)

 

decorate and store

Last year, I rode the canals of Amsterdam with my daughter and we both fell in love with row houses along the water. Perhaps that's why I'm drawn to the Canal House Box set. Made of biodegradable and recycled carton, it's a perfect solution to a rainy day activity followed by organizing that pile of toys in desperate need of storage.

r.i.p. sons and daughters

Nooooooooooooo. My go-to gift store for everything baby and child is closing. If you are in the New York area through August 23rd then hope on over and take advantage of the closing sales of the year. 

Sons and Daughters

35 Avenue A

New York, NY 10009

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

creatures

Andrew Zuckerman makes amazing animal portraitures. His book, Creatures, was huge. He has just released the Creatures 16 piece Floor Puzzle (2 double sided) and is set to release a 120 page Creatures ABC book in July. Way to take a theme and roll with it ... I totally don't mind at all! 

get in your soap box

Alright, it's Danish and freaking awesome. Downside? This PLAY Soapbox Cart is $2,755.32.

spring cleaning

***Thanks to everyone who turned out for the sale this weekend. It was nice to meet some of my readers! For everyone else who was unable to make it, I will be listing everything that was not sold thoughout the week over at my Etsy shop. Click HERE to head over.

Here are some shots of the sale today so you can see some of the goodies still left for purchase!

come on down!

HOPE TO SEE YOU THIS WEEKEND! I am gearing up for the sale tomorrow. Here is a shot of my dining room table to give you a peek. So many of you have asked for photos and pricing and due to our major delay in returning from our vacation, I have yet to get back to everyone. But, stop buy tomorrow or sunday for a chat or to take home some of the highlights:

child child chair (1)

casalino chairs (8)

cosco chairs (4)

bertoia chairs (4) 

vintage scooters (2)

vintage desks (2)

vintage prams (2)

vintage doll highchair

and tons more.......... did i mention old cameras as well?

That's right ... I'm doing a little spring cleaning. I've decided to put my private vintage and modern children's furniture and gear collection up for purchase. This two day event will take place at my studio on Sat, April 25th and Sun, April 26th from 12-5. The studio is located in Dumbo , Brooklyn at 10 Jay St. Studio 612A. It's just off the York Street station on the F line. There will be tons more up for purchase so stop by, you'll never know what you might find! Just double click on the image below for more details.

Cheers -Jenn.

yes

How dope is this Melodica? I think we need to add this to our family band of instruments!

An easy-to-play instrument with deep, rich sound, the Melodica is great for beginners and seasoned musicians alike. With a full 3-octave range (37 piano keys), a tonal range from F to F, and a comfortable mouthpiece for blowing air into, this instrument will teach you worlds about forming chords and harmony. Play it just like you would a piano, and the air you push through the mouthpiece brings the sounds of the keys to life! Extremely portable (play it anywhere!) and includes a carrying case. 

for the budding gepetto

Studio Truhlar Marionety has a sweet D.I.Y. Marionette kit. I spotted this one at Acorn in Brooklyn.

 

a stunning collaboration

Jess Brown has teamed up with Wovenplay to create 3 limited edition dolls adorned in their signature gear. The small scaled designs are the butterfly, ballerina and circus. Get yours here.

colorful

Magis just debuted the Dodo toy and Paradise Coat Tree, both designed by Oiva Toikka, at the Milan Design Week 09. These two are the latest addition to the Me Too Collection for Magis.

an editor of playful, poetic and funny objects

A very suitable description for this wonderfully curated site geared towards objects and art for children and the designers who love them. Here are just a few of my favorites from Mon Petit Art:

 

Familia Tipo by Gonzalo Arbutti and Marcelo Federico.  A small scale family made of beech wood and steel. The perfect alliance of formal purity and universality.

Printed Aprons in Deer and Rabbit

 

Triangulo 3-D puzzle kits by Gonzalo Arbutti and Marcelo Federico, stained MDF

Mini Cubes by Gonzalo Arbutti and Marcelo Federico. A construction game made of stained beech wood. 

Habitadule by Marie Compagnon. A giant construction set that can be a hut, a screen, a headboard, a cube, a theatre...... 

 

construct

Mudpuppy has come out with a line of Constructibles Building Sets consisting of 25 interlocking pieces. Two standouts are the Painter's Palette and Bold Patterns sets.

 

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. 

   

 

kids.modern 2009 second time around

This year's show was certainly different from last year. I was sad to see some vendors and artist not present but was very pleased with the new round of vendors and artists coming to play. Thankfully, there were some familiar faces that I was certainly happy to catch up with this year.

The lovely husband and wife designers behind Famille Summerbelle, Julie and Simon, are such a wonderful duo. I could go on and on about how much I love their energy but I'll let the work speak for itself. They had some new pieces to share. It just gets better and better with these two! Here was last year's post from the show.

 

Nine to Nine had new chairs for the mouse table and this three linked log seat. Check out their debut from last year here and here

 

PUNCH N CUDDLE have got a new website and should be available for purchase soon! I'm including the video again from last year because it's fantastic. 

Mini Moderns have got some great new colors for their already great wallpaper! (sorry to have missed you Keith!)

      

Okido is such a fun magazine for kids. Check out my past post on Okido here

Arash and Kelly were there in the flesh as last year they were represented by Thorsten van Elten. It was nice to finally meet both of them. They had their original Genius Box and debuted the latest in a chalkboard finish with face decals. They also had some fun arrow hooks as well. 

wood for wee ones

Amy Turn Sharp makes some pretty sweet wooden toys and teethers for the mini. Mosey on over to her shop on Etsy called Little Alouette.

 

 

whats new kid o

I continued to be impressed by the freshness and well-considered design behind Kid O's line of toys. Here is a peak at what's new for 2009. It's nice to see the full balance of offerings within a range of toys. Lisa Mahar is really onto something. Below is the new bath line, wooden books and games....enjoy!

   

 

kids.modern 2009 recap part one

After making my trek out to West Dulwich on Sunday, I was very happy to see some familiar faces and make some new connections with a few designers and collectors. I plan on doing a few posts over the week to spread out all the love. So in this first recap, I'll introduce some new players to the show :

1. The forward thinking designer Eiry Rock and her amazing furniture. The Pivoting Chair and the Box Storage Chair are as amazing as they look. Though these chairs are not new to the design scene, it's her first time at Kids.Modern and it was a pleasure checking out the new storage feature to the Box Chair.

 

 

2. The Slam Threestyle Door by James Lucas. 

 

3. Bloq has a sturdy and playful range of wooden furniture and accessories for children.

 

4. The duo designers behind the ShapeMaker are just lovely and they have managed to create a new modern classic. (click here for my recent post on Miller Goodman)

5. Fiona Scully makes a mobile Boxatrix.

6. Faye Dearly Designs some delicate and sweet play furniture and textiles for kids.

 

7. Moozle makes a pretty playful tent.

 

I'll be posting all week on the show. Some highlights will be on the vintage presence, prints and textiles and some familiar faces from last year. Stay tuned...... 

 

 

london calling

As I walked the streets of London today, I happened upon some of my favorite stores and their new offerings for children. First up is Zara Home for Kids. The new Animalitos bib, crockery set and apron are sweet. Second up is from Habitat. Some highlights were the Mini Nico desk paired with the Nerdi acrylic chair, this dope little LED rug and little safari camp. (the last two are not on the site). Third was a visit to Mamas and Papas. Man, how I wish this store was in New York. Check out this great unisex crib bumper and new Loop highchair . And last but not least, Muji had a small version of their coat rack on the floor. Oh, and I can't forget my trip to Benjamin Pollock's Toy shop, it's a must while in town. I also managed to pick up a copy of Around the world with MOUK at the Tate Modern. It's an amazing children's book about different cultures and languages of the world. 

   

  

   

 

 

what up tubby

Skip*Hop has made a toy organizer for the tub that I actually like. It's called Tubby. (via swissmiss)

a shape maker

A very cool, award-winning wooden toy by UK design duo MillerGoodman. Create thousands of surprising creatures and other pictures with these 25 hand-printed wooden blocks. Made from rubber tree wood, these environmentally-friendly blocks will provide hours of entertainment for all ages 4 and upwards. Non toxic paint.

LittleBig has this awesome ShapeMaker block game for purchase.

for the budding clark kent

Head on over to Restoration Hardware and grab this Super Hero in a Box set for your little crime fighter.

weeeeeeeee

This rocker and these ride on toys from Grandelin are pretty sweet.

   

for the budding jamie oliver

This little Playful Chef set is just what any young cook needs.

vintage memory

I like the new Pick A Pair Memory game over at Brio.

for storing or toting

These Marlène polka dot suitcases could make for great toy storage.

 

a black friday affair

If you are in NYC this friday , aka Black Friday , then head down to Kiosk from 7-10pm. A very special collection of goods for purchase from Andy Beach , aka Reference Library and Stork Bites Man , will be open to the public. He literally brings his blogs to life for 10 days. Kiosk is located at 95 Spring St in Soho.

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

improve skills

The FrÖhling Puzzles by Beleduc improve fine motor skills and 3 dimensional thinking. I like the simple and clean design as well. 

  

someone hired the right buyer

Perhaps I'm late to the party but did you know that Old Navy is carrying a Charley Harper Line for the holidays???

  

call me

Thankfully our children now have no need for a plastic cell phone. Buy it here.

pins

This Japanese wooden bowling set is sweet.

a simple haus

Haus is a minimal doll house.

colorful counting

I like these Count and Spell Color Recognition Beanbags.

 

for the budding nancy drew

How fun is this Secret Book Camera?