Finally master ebenista-turned furniture designer Romeo Sozzi has thought of the children. "My clients asked me for small versions of the furniture," he revealed, modestly, to the New York Times, who somehow found out about the opening next month of a Manhattan showroom for Sozzi's firm, Promemoria.
Promemoria couples such quiet discretion with an unwavering attention to quality, material, craft, artistry, history. And their small selection of scaled-down children's furniture is no different.
These pieces are a return to the 18th century tradition of meubles miniatures and the Victorian tradition of doll's house furniture, periods which belonged to the most aristocratic and visionary collectors.Perhaps the signature piece for Promemoria Kids is the Bilou Bilou chair, redone in washable viscose over beechwood, instead of the grown-up sized velvet. It is priced at $2,430.
While the Times headline suggests this furniture is "for the Bunk Bed Set," the Gacy armchair ($3,070) and matching pouf ($2,050) on the Promemoria website seem to be scaled for the toddler bed set. They're certainly not large enough to successfully conceal that kid's Uggs.
With its thick, round-edged forms somewhat reminiscent of Hans Wegner's Peter Table, the Mon Ami writing table ($2,730) looks positively utilitarian, indistinguishable at a glance from the generic educational furniture of the 1980s. But non.
The most important lesson to be learned at this desk will certainly be your kid's ability to discern the subtleties of extraordinary craftsmanship, quality materials, superlative finish. Not your kid specifically, of course, because you are a peasant.
Italian Design for the Bunk-Bed Set [nyt]
Promemoria Kids [promemoria.com]
