The Netherlander Dirk Ploos van Amstel designed this clever hybrid between a baby crib and a rocking chair, called Moep. Both pieces are morphed into a singular rocking unit, allowing a parent to accommodate the child with ease. “MOEP symbolizes the strong bond between parents and their new-born,” – says the designer. When the little one overgrows the crib – the side unit changes into a magazine rack, so Moep gets a new life as an adult piece of furniture. I like the laconic shape and neutral design of the piece – cute enough for the baby and quite elegant for everyone else.
This product makes so much sense – it’s hard to believe no one came up with it earlier. Culla Belly by Manuela Busetti is a baby bassinet that can serve as a regular crib during a day, and as an attachement to a grownup bed at night. One side of the bassinet can be opened via two zips to allow the fall of the barrier between the child and the mother, creating a single space in which the mother can move easily in case the little one needs her. The wooden attachement, in which the baby crib rests, is secured under the bed’s mattress. The weight of the mattress and of the mother guarantee the stability of the structure.
No childhood is complete without a rocking horse, and every good parent knows it. However, such item requires space and can pose a challenge if your place is tiny. Luckily, Danish designer Michael Knapp had thought of this. His RockingHorse collapses into the size of a standard folding chair. So, when the rocking fun is over, the piece can be hung on or leaned to a wall and save space. I also like the minimalist aesthetic of the RockingHorse. Made of thin wooden pieces, it looks simple and graphically stunning in both unfolded or collapsed forms.
The Insekt kids desk by the Dutch designer label Buisjes En Beugels +++ is a smaller version of the grownup item by the same name. Both pieces are made from MPLX birch, contain lots of storage space, and come in a variety of tender age appropriate colors. And, as the era of technology dictates, Insekt is equipped with cable storage as well (which nowadays is relevant for all users, even the little ones). The desk is flat packed and can be easily assembled at home.
Sprout is a modular tool-less furniture collection some of you might remember by this lovely Kickstarter video. This line is designed to be simple: simple to make and simple to use. It’s easy to assemble and disassemble, making moving and storage easy. No tools or hardware are required, components are interchangeable, allowing you to change the color, style, or even functionality. And with the eco-friendly and virtually waste-less manufacturing process, this furniture is kind to the environment too. As the company’s creator Clark Davis tells me, Sprout has recently rebranded and went in production. Now, that’s a success story I’m really happy to hear!
The items of this kind are great fun. But when your children grow up, they often become a nuisance – too bulky to store, and too emotionally memorable to dispose of. As the result, they create clutter. This vehicle, Japanese designer Masahiro Minami made for his son, is employed to fight clutter instead of creating it. Minami proposed a simple solution that integrated a pull-out drawer attached to a tail-like rope so that the vehicle could also be used for storage. Beautiful!
This lovely playroom item was designed by Eric Pfeiffer for Offi. The table has a durable chalkboard top, which allows kids to express their artistic spirit. And when our little artists are done with their masterpieces – their supplies can be stored in a bowl in the center. Thus, the piece promotes creativity, sharing and working together, and also being tidy after the playtime is over. The table can be purchased at designstory.com.
(HT Lilsnob)
Koo is a combination of a baby bassinet and a rocking chair. The product is the latest creation of Lunar studio. It is designed to free young parents from buying too many items (which is the usual trap when the new baby is born). This beautiful and ergonomically correct bassinet turns into a chair by flipping down the seat. And when the baby overgrows this piece of furniture, it can be permanently upcycled to a stylish rocker. Clever and eco-conscious idea.
Bunk beds are a great space-saving solution, but they are very rarely beautiful. The Maja bed from Helsinki based design studio Aalto+Aalto is an exception. Inspired by treehouses, this bed prototype is a true delight for the senses. It is also modular and can be build in several different ways according to your space requirements.
Here is what designers Klaus and Elina Aalto say about their work: ‘We appreciate working on projects that both functionally, esthetically and emotionally bring something new to our material world. Our aim is to create special everyday objects with a strong identity and story.’
A desk that grows with its owner – what a clever concept. The AZ desk, created by Lyon-based designer Guillaume Bouvet allows to adjust the writing surface to accommodate a child through his/her growth. Thus the piece can suit a toddler as well as an adult, which means you only need to buy one desk for your hard-studying offspring. The desktop can be flipped up and turned into a magnetic board. The entire workspace unit is made with three ply panels for added stability.
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/24044036]
