Just wood,
plain, natural, responsibly harvested wood.
Organic maple, oak, cherry and walnut,
with a finish of beeswax and unscented coconut oil.
And then there's those amazing designs...
High Five from me,
what about you?
Monday, 30 April 2012
Inspiration: Softly, Softly
A small selection of pretty pinks & blues to start the week.
Happy Colour My Monday!
Debout !
C'mon!
It's Monday, rise and shine!
I need to get my act together folks.
Lots going on in May but oh so many bank holidays too!
Hope you've all had a fun, restful weekend,
Allez ! 1, 2, 3, off we go!
Saturday, 28 April 2012
Happy Families
Time to play Happy Families!
It's a long Bank Holiday weekend here in France, and my eldest son Dylan will be celebrating his 16th birthday on Monday.
To mark the occasion, K&C are offering -20% on this fun, wooden toy set from Latvia until May 1st, 12pm, using the discount code 'Family' at checkout.
Bon week-end !
Friday, 27 April 2012
High Five #20
Oh my! How happy am I!
Anja Brunt has opened a shop!
Quick, quick, feast your eyes on her creative gifts,
Felted wool soft toys (thea tapir!), letters (love!), stickers, and much, much more!
Happy Friday!
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Shop Watch: Rafa Kids
R for RaFa Kids
for Robert, Agata, Franek and Arek.
R for RaFa Kids, the Blog
What do you do when you have two young children and only one small bedroom at home?
How do you give each child the space to sleep and play and grow when aesthetics are also important to you?
Well, if you're architects like Agata and Arek, you sit down and design your own kids' furniture, exactly how you like it.
RaFa Kids' furniture designs are tried and tested by Agata and Arek's own two little boys, Franek and Robert.
As these few photos show, their parents have paid every attention to detail, creating solid, functional and playful designs that can be adapted to each child and room.
The 'F Bunk Bed' has two ladders, for example, and its supporting base wall is perfect for displaying kids' artwork. "F" is not just a bed, it's a den, a reading space, a little corner to play in, and of course, the 'R Toddler Bed', fits perfectly underneath. It can be wheeled in all directions (even into mum and dad's room), for extra fun.
RaFa Kids also offer a refreshing collection of modern, original bedding, which I'm sure will appeal to kids of all ages (it's nice to see some good graphic designs for boys for once), and parents looking for something slightly different. I love the vision test design by StriKaholic, in particular.
Take your time browsing their site, they've only just launched today and I am impressed with their selection. I also know how hard they have both worked, and I wish them great success.
Design For Play
Fun, functional furniture and bedding for the modern home.
Love!
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
P for Puna
A Golden Oldie now on the web, made in 2010, but toys like this are timeless, right?
Designed by KOM, Ana-Lisa and Planar this good-looking, biodegradable wool felt game inspired by the landscapes of the northern Argentina Puna is still available to buy here, if you send them an email.
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Clowning Around
I love the playful simplicity of Czech design studio LLEV's furniture (and styling), especially their "Cirkus" stools.
I can easily imagine some of their small pieces in a child's room (see Links page for stockists), and would really like to see more young Eastern European designers' work being showcased in International kids' magazines and design shops.
What a refreshing change that would make!
Photos: Roman Mlejnek, Jan Kuděj , LLEV
Pasila Design
Juna - Wooden train set inspired by Helsinki metro
Mopo - Kickbike (transforms into a two-wheeler)
Keinu - Swing
Tuoli - Parents' / kids' chair / baby slide
Auto - Cot / walking cart / toy car / storage space
This small Finnish family-run business has big, big plans, and if these five prototypes from its debut children's furniture and toys series presented at Salone Satelite in Milan are anything to go by, they'll definitely go far.
I love that bright orange train, and can already see it being a hit this Christmas!
via
Monday, 23 April 2012
High Five #19
I know it's not 'brand, brand' new (does it always have to be?), but Stefania Manzia's Seasons print is just so pretty, and perfect for my youngest niece's birthday.
I've been looking for something special for a while and when I discovered this Italian illustrator's "Journey on the Orient Express" card set a few weeks ago (an ideal gift for her older, teenage sister), I knew that I was on to something good.
Of course, like me, many of you will have seen Stefania's work for the first time in Babiekins Magazine. I love her style and soft colour palette, and can definitely see her work appealing to young and old alike.
D for ...
D for Dogs
I'd like you to meet Waldi and Sprinter
Two leather toys made by Ellen Heilmann and Kathrin Schumacher.
I'm not sure how long they'd last in our house, but I love the look of these sleek fellows.