I don't know about you, but it can get pretty damn frustrating when a sleek, beautiful innovative product wins a high-profile children's design competition, but then they never make it to market so I can buy it.

Take the Culla Belly by the Milanese design duo Busetti+Garuti, which just won the Premio Lissone at the Playing Design competition for young designers of children's products. [Actually, they won it in March and were exhibited in April at Milan, only no one in the mondo inglese seems to have noticed until this week. Maybe not so high-profile after all.]

Anyway, the Culla Belly concept is a modernist co-sleeper that converts to a cradle via a series of sweet, molded ply structural elements. In considering the design and its practicality of production, as well as its materials, ergonomics, and safety considerations, he expert jurors cited the Culla Belly's "clean design, simplicity and capacity to respond to the need for nearness and tenderness of the newborn."

Which I think means, "Perched high on its narrow, curved base, this topheavy cradle will catapult your newborn to the ground if you ever take your hand off it. Welcome to your new life, pal." I'm sure it sounds better in Italian.

Culla Belly, 2007 - Manuela Busetti | Andrea Garuti [busetti-garuti.it via notcot, thanks andy]
Premio Lissone Design winners, jurors, etc. [playingdesign.com]