The LA Times has a good "modern design: now for kids!" story. Nice quotes from Charley Wheelock, the designer from Kapow [hope it means his Peep stuff is back on track for production.]
Also: Orange is the new yellow (i.e., the gender-neutral alternative), adaptability is key, and most contemporary kids designs grew out of their designer parents getting fed up with a lack of good design.
"Kids' furniture that can become cocktail tables is a big thing with us," says Philip Erdoes, a father who started ducduc, a New York design house that makes furniture and textiles for children. He says his flip-top play table also fits adult entertaining. His credenza could be a bar. The line is made of oaken-grain ash with lacquer finishes.And I add, "Well-played, ducduc, well played. Getting your signature color listed as the new norm several paragraphs before your own mention.""I grew up with quality furniture in my bedroom that I had until college," says ducduc partner, architect Brady Wilcox. "We believe that introducing quality elements early on builds an understanding of it."
Many of the pieces in the line have splashes of citrus orange because Wilcox says it's an exciting, gender-neutral color.
"And it's happy," adds Erdoes.
Also, about that black crib thing: I've only ever seen one. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right place, but is that boom just a bit of wishful industry thinking? [or a hint at DWR furniture to come?]
Meet the mini-Modernists [lat, via dt reader jason]
The crib we bought my daughter (sort of sleigh-style) comes in an 'antique black' finish, but we opted for the antique white.
My wife and I just received our black crib...its good to know that we aren't too strange.
my son is 2-1/2 and when he was born the thought of having to buy a crib was more than frightening - with all those curves and matching bear linens - a nightmare to me. Being a designer, i was on a hunt and found that here in toronto - black, navy, maroon, forest green are all the rage for childrens bed systems [cribs + all]. the place we went to gives you a bunch of style options and you pick a color - six weeks later you have the crib you want in the color you love. we chose a pure matte black to go with the eames rocker, all lines of the crib are absolutely straight - simple. then our friends did the same - same crib, except black stain so the grain of the wood shows through. simple.
We also purchased a black crib from our daughter. The 4-poster Heritage crib from Bratt Decor, with the star finials, and...* Damn! I need to get out of the house! 2 months with the kid and my brains gone "baby"! Thank god Coldplays coming on Sept. 6...need a good night out in the worst way!
...make that "for our daughter"!! Hon...call the sitter, we're going out tonight!!
I've always wondered why baby furniture is always sucky-coloured. Good to see that I'm not the only one out there that thinks this.
Is this the Brady wilcox from Oklahoma City? If so Hi Brady it is me Sara. I am living and teaching in Cairo Egypt and was bored and doing some googling and would love to hear how you are and what you are up to with your life! If this is you send me an email!
[um, if you're so bored, why not try Googling the company where he's reported to be working and asking them instead? -ed.]
I too like black furniture for either girl or boy, it really depends on how you decorate to make "black" come alive. I bought adult pieces of furniture in antique black (And i'm searching for a matching crib) because i haven't been happy with the quality of childrens furniture. I'm going with shabby chic white accents, with toile bedding (which i'm making to make it look more custom). I've even decided to go light tan walls...VS baby blue or pink. And will accent the room in a baby color. It looks great...and very unlike any baby's room i've seen. Check out poshtots for other cool ideas.
who is 'ed'?
We have a black crib with cowboy crib set in a bandanna print that is too too cute.