A very cool lamp…
You can’t help but feel better if you step through the doors of a Jonathan Adler design store. His bright and quirky designs make for great housewarming gifts, and recently I’ve noticed they are trying to launch a new “Junior” line for kids (although between you and me — most of it is not really my taste). I did however spot, and now worship, this giraffe lamp!! It kills me that the head sticks out of the top! Kills me. Not only is it perfect for a kids room but could work easily as a desk lamp. Selfishly, I am getting it for myself… not my kids.
-Dina
Our New Bunk Bed. The Pros. The Cons.
I was quite inspired by Natalie’s post a while back when she wrote about this absolutely beautiful bunk bed from Australia. Like her, I am somewhat obsessed with the idea of a bunk bed and it got me to thinking about getting one for my girls. When their recent birthday loomed, a plan was hatched to get one, and after months of hard-core research I decided to get this particular one from Room and Board (which is simple and beautiful in person).
We talked about its arrival for weeks on end – nailing out the details of who was on top, who was on bottom. Talking about how we would drape a sheet and make a cave out of the lower bunk AND how exciting it would be to have a bigger room with more space for toys! The excitement could barely be contained….Then it arrived… (more…)
What’s in a name?
Unless they’re called William III, or Jesse James Junior, you might have gone through nine months of nervous brainstorming — what should I call my new baby? I found it to be a very difficult task, and my husband and I have spent more than a few hours debating about it! I guess I like short, catchy names, because all our kids’ names have no more than 4 letters. I also like names that work in multiple languages. And they should work well with our family name (van de Paal).
Our first baby is called SARA van de Paal. I’ve always thought Sara is a beautiful name, very old-fashioned, but at the same time very simple and modern. I like how there are so many As in the first and last name. (more…)
Birdhouse Wallpaper
How cute is this Birdhouse Wallpaper I’ve just discovered?! I love the worn-out background and all the detailed little birds — and it almost looks as if you could actually touch the different textures. I think it would be so cute to cover a bedroom wall with this paper, adding a bit of colour/texture to a child’s room.
My husband and I have actually just bought an old, very run-down house in London and are in the midst of planning a complete renovation (exciting but terrifying!). So I am officially on the hunt for cute interior design ideas, and I’m sure I’ll be sharing my discoveries with you along the way. If you have any good tips or ideas — please share!
-Courtney
Everything in its place…
I have a real love/hate relationship with technology and I am absolutely TERRIBLE when it comes to keeping things charged. It’s a problem worthy of an intervention. When I go to use my Ipod there is generally enough power to get me through only one or two songs, and rare is the day when my digital camera does not immediately flash “low battery” the minute I snap a picture. My mother – sensing my distress and also noticing that my cell phone rarely worked — bought the following charging station for our house and it has served as a gentle reminder to keep things “juiced” and has solved the issue of keeping everything in a neat and tidy space. As many of you know, I am on a mission to get organized and this whimsical grass caddy looks great on the counter. Kikkerland has tons of silly things for the home so do check out the rest of the website.
-Dina
A quick word on Baker’s Twine
I have a bit of an obsession with baker’s twine. I ordered 4 huge spools of it a few months ago and I am looking around for more. Now I’m no crafty, but even I can think of a million uses. In fact, we seem to be using it in some shape or form at least once a day (yesterday my daughter used it to make some bunting for her dolls house). Great for gift wrapping instead of ribbon, just team with brown butcher paper… It is also beautiful for wrapping baked goods. It adds a nostalgic, rustic look that is simple and classic. Traditional red and white baker’s twine is perfect but I am totally smitten with these delicious, eye-popping colors from The Twinery.
- Sara
Klick Desk by P’kolino
I just ordered a pair of these Klick Desks by P’Kolino for my girls and I can’t wait for them to arrive! I have been on the hunt for a cute and practical workspace for them for a while now and I simply love the way these look — clean, modern and functional. The desk/chair combo snaps closed into a solid cube and there is storage space under the seat for art supplies and paper. Genius. I was also pleased to learn that the company was founded by two DADS!!! The website currently only offers three colors (red, green and orange) but definitely check out all that they have to offer as P’Kolino makes a bunch of really great things!!
-Dina
Ferm Living Wallpaper
I am in the midst of redoing our little holiday cottage in France. It is a VERY slow moving process as every summer I only have time to do a small part, but it is fun and gives me a great excuse to day dream all year long. It also means I spend a lot of blissful time leafing through interior decoration magazines and surfing the web, dreaming up different room ideas.
I stumbled over the Ferm Living Wallpapers the other day and now I am revisiting all my decoration decisions in my head. I got especially excited when I realised that they had a great kid’s selection, with some beautiful designs both for girls and boys rooms. Do have a look at the great Rush Hour wallpaper for boys and the Dotty wallpaper for girls. And even if you are not planning to wallpaper a room, Ferm Living also have a fabulous rage of wallstickers for kids.
- Emilie
Nina’s House
I’m so impressed by the design of this little house. How clever it is: crib, playpen, storage cabinet and changing table all in one! Such fun, so super innovative and beautiful!! The Dutch designer, Dave Keune, thought about all the little details: the entire roof can be opened with bright yellow ropes. The base can be lowered and the rails removed to create a bed when the baby gets older. And (I love this detail), the chest of drawers below the changing table can be opened and closed with a slight push of the knee, so that both hands can still be available while changing the baby’s nappy. Good thinking, Dave!!
xxx Esther
Phoyo Playhouses
A playhouse that is portable, practically indestructible and NOT made of plastic! I’m so excited by this new discovery! Isn’t it great? New Zealand architect, Robin Hannah, set about constructing a nifty slot-together version for her kids way back in the ’70s and well … fast forward and she’s kindly decided to not only repeat the design for her lucky grandchildren, but also to make it available to us! The best part? The Phoyo is made made of sustainably grown pine so it’ll last more than one generation (which means technically I can classify this type of plaything as an ‘investment’ — should my plastic-loving husband question the viability of the new purchase!)
On a practical level, the Phoyo comes with a clear varnish or you can receive it bare sanded so that you and the kids can jazz it up with your own bespoke design. I must say though, I kind of like it au natural. Oh and one more thing — aside from the fantastic utility of being completely screw/nail free, the clever six piece set simply flat packs away when not needed. Perfect! For dogs too I would imagine…
- Sara
Room Seven: Sweet dresses for playing and parading
I already knew that the beautiful bedding and bag range from Room Seven was absolutely stunning, but I had never heard of their clothing line until very recently. Maybe for the better, as it probably did save me some money! But now I’m in trouble… How sweet are these baby dresses, how perfect are the daring combinations of patterns, colours, frills and flowers, making them romantically old-fashioned but at the same time fresh and contemporary. Who can resist? Not I.
These dresses are just as perfect for playing as for parading, and they can easily be machine-washed, so not just for weekends.
BTW, is there something familiar to the Room Seven style?? Well Room Seven is the brand of Brechtje Olsthoorn, the talented daughter of Willem and Marieke Olsthoorn, brains and creative designer behind world-famous Oilily. Like mother, like daughter, we say.
xxx Esther
Eco Stickers
My kids are great but do have a tendency to get distracted. The amount of times I have found the water running in the sink or lights left on all over the place, it feels like we are wasting enough energy to power a small country. I just read about these little stickers today and thought they were definitely worth a post! These nifty little stickers are designed to be stuck beside sinks, bathtubs and light switches, to remind you to turn off your water and your electricity. As they need to be big enough to be noticed, a lot of thought has gone into making the stickers a reminder and a good looking sticker at the same time. I really love the designs — very simple and to the point!
In keeping with the ecological message the stickers are made in France in the most earth friendly manner as possible. The website is only in French at the moment. (more…)
World Map from Famille Summerbelle
Do you remember the beautiful hand-cut city maps from Famille Summerbelle? We’ve mentioned them a few times here on Babyccino Kids — clearly we are huge fans. Well, they’ve just this week launched their world map print and it is stunning! I love all the details, including the little idiosyncrasies of each continent, plus the sea life in the water. I think it’s probably just as fun for the kids to look at too, to point out all the animals, etc. You can buy it online from their webshop. And if you aren’t already familiar with their city maps, check those out too!
Oh, and you can also watch the film of the making of the map, which takes more than 20 hours of paper cutting and captures it in just two minutes. Pretty impressive!
-Courtney
Man Gift
I have been long-suffering when it comes to purchasing “man gifts.” I am always at a loss to come up with something that goes beyond the boring ol’ tie and wallet default, but recently I stumbled upon a genius idea… buy him something that SEEMS like it’s for him but will secretly benefit the whole family!!! Man oriented cooking gear and a good man cookbook.
Now that it is summertime, my husband loves nothing more than scorching meat on a hot fiery bbq and his hero/mentor/favorite person on the planet is Adam Perry Lang. Adam Perry Lang IS the “God of BBQ” and these books ARE the holy grail. I have personally tasted many of the recipes and although they can be labor intensive they are all beyond incredible. Lang recently released a short version of his first book “Serious BBQ” called “BBQ 25″ which offers less time-consuming recipes but if you know someone who loves to grill – get them a copy asap! Also worth nothing is that Lang splits his time between London and NYC which I thought was pretty cool and he is opening a restaurant with Jamie Oliver in London in October 2010.
Then again there is always the beer holster.
-Dina
Ladybird Prints
As you may have figured by now, I’m a bit of a nut when it comes to children’s books and I have a particular passion for old ones. That’s why I love this idea from Ladybird Books …
Ladybird Books started during the First World War (actually near my home-town in Leicestershire). Their aim being to publish ‘pure and healthy literature’ for children. Most of my generation will remember reading Ladybird books at home or school, especially the Peter and Jane series. They had some classic titles like ‘Learning is Fun’ or ‘Books are Exciting’.
Now Ladybird have put over 4,500 images from their archives (mainly from the ’50s and ’60s) online to order as prints or canvases. It is such a brilliant idea and with the array of sizes available it is so adaptable to any nursery or child’s room. Prints start as small as a photo and go up to A0 poster size, and canvases start at 20cm and go up to 125cm. Both can be ordered framed as well.
The images are not just front covers but pictures from inside the books and even the pencil sketches from the endpapers (like this adorable one from Bunnikin’s Picnic Party). The site is well worth a browse (even if just for the sake of nostalgia) but as there are so many to forage through, here are my favourites to get you started: (more…)
Lark in Dayelsford
One place I always recommend (sometimes even insist!) our visitors to Melbourne see is the picturesque town of Dayelsford. Dayelsford is a village in rural Victoria in the heart of the Wombat Forest; so pretty, so quaint, peaceful & dignified, just as a spar town should be, but with the hippest cafes, shops and restaurants you can imagine! There are several things you must do when visiting this adorable town — have your tarot read, take in the local markets, stroll through the forest, visit the mineral spas (the Shire boasts the highest concentration of mineral springs in the country together with an equally large array of therapists) AND stop by Lark to indulge in some retail therapy! (more…)
Blackboard Sticker by Wall Candy
There was a time, not too long ago, where no one had ever heard of wall stickers. I remember doing my first post about them… But now they are everywhere in all sizes, shapes and forms, and for good reason: wall stickers are a fantastic idea! Especially if you (like me) live in a rented flat, they are a fabulous way of adding a little bit of colour and individuality. Even better when they can be repositioned, as it is impossible to keep a child away from a wall full of stickers –it’s like the proverbial red rag to a bull…
I recently stuck the WallCandy blackboard apple wall sticker in our corridor and it has been a complete success. It has been “repositioned” numerous times and still keeps on sticking. My girls have a riot drawing on it and, for a blackboard, it requires a minimal amount of space. It also looks really cute and gives an extra something to an otherwise neutral corridor in our little flat!
- Emile
Miriam Bereson
Prolific Melbourne designer Miriam Bereson is the creator of these striking animal ‘collective nouns’ prints. Aren’t they fabulous? Strong punchy graphics is her signature style and combined with a quirky educational element I think they would make a gorgeous and effective addition to any playroom or nursery. Hmm… am I showing my ignorance by declaring that I had no idea these whimsical sounding ‘collective nouns’ even existed? ‘A Parliament of Owls’ — sounds so dignified! ‘A Memory of Elephants‘ — rather fanciful and poetic, don’t you think?
You can find Miriam Bereson’s products, including her equally stunning number frieze and alphabet frieze at stockists across Australia, NZ and online. You can also keep up-to-date on new products and musings on the Miriam Bereson blog.
- Sara
Sweet for Baby: Allison Jay Nursery Art from Happy Spaces
One of my favourite children’s book illustrators is the talented Ms. Alison Jay. If you haven’t laid eyes on her books or illustrations before, you should check them out for sure! I love her signature style with the sweet colours and cracked varnish, and there are always a millions things to discover in her artwork…
Courtney has already reviewed her Magical ABCs, and you can find more of her books in our bookshop.
Imagine my pleasant surprise when I found these two Alison Jay prints in the new Happy Spaces web-shop (an online art gallery offering wall art for children). And imagine my trouble selecting one of the two pieces for the nursery! I really like both of them equally, and even though in the end I chose the bunnies, I might have to get the bees as well…
If you’re looking for fun wall art to decorate your child’s room, have a look at Happy Spaces as they have an amazing selection — I keep thinking my son would love this vintage looking car…
xxx Esther
DIY Colourful Lanterns
My daughter made one of these glass jar lanterns at school for her Christmas dinner, and I thought they were so cute that I’d have her make a few extra — they’re just lovely on a summery (garden) dinner table! They’re really easy to make (a child can do it), and all you need are some empty glass jars, some coloured art tissue paper, Mod Podge, a brush and zig-zag scissors. Just cut squares of different sizes of the tissue paper and glue them on the glass jar, slightly overlapping. When finished, paint a layer of Mod Podge, let dry, insert candle and presto! Fun to make, and with great results. I’m planning on hanging loads of them in a tree for a summer dinner — I’ll have to put my daughter to work!
xxx Esther
