KidsHaus

Operation Organization

The time has come for me to take action and organize my girls' play room. Every time I step into that room, I'm so subconsciously overwhelmed by it's frenzied appearance that I usually have to step away and close the door in denial. Ms. Bean goes back to school in 2 weeks which will allow me a little extra time to take on a project. Their play room is what we call the "sun room" because it sits off Ms. Bean's bedroom and it's the sunniest, and warmest, room in the house. It's a long & narrow room, so a tricky space to design; however, not impossible.

Here are my goals:

1. Get rid of the clutter! Less is more!
2. More utilitarian cubbies to organize books, baskets with art supplies, etc.
3. Make the current reading area more useful and inviting
4. Creative way to display the girls' artwork
5. Keep costs to a minimum
6. Paint the room (it's the same, boring beige color from when we purchased the house)

So, with these goals in mind, it's time for me to begin my mission in organizing this space to maximize it's potential. I will continue to keep a journal of my process...wish me luck!

Birthday party ideas…hmmmm

Little Mini's 1st birthday is this Saturday and it feels like I've got so much to plan for. I ordered a cake for the friends and family yesterday and decided, after a bit of deliberation, that I had to make her first cake -- especially since I made Ms. Bean's first birthday cake. Afterall, it's only fair. I didn't want something so momentous to come back and haunt me 18 years later when the Mini can't suppress her disapproving opinion about my mothering style any longer..."mom, why didn't I get the same treatment as my older sister...?!". It's bound to happen one way or another but if I can dodge this bullet, then I will. So, I set out to find a unique cake pan tonight. I flew into Williams-Sonoma before they closed and found this fantastic octopus cake pan. It was perfect because it would be nearly impossible for me to screw it up. Frosting decoration is not one of my strong suits. I could handle the octopus because, if I happen to be short on time and energy, I can pour a simple glaze over him and...voila! Done!

I found this Backyard Bug Cakelet Pan on Williams-Sonoma site. If they'd been in stock this evening, I would've probably purchased them too; however, I would have become a hopeless baker all weekend. Whew...

Yoshitomo Nara drinking glasses

Plastic cups are practically extinct around our house these days as Ms. Bean insists on using glasses for her milk and juice. It's all part of her movement to prove that she's not a baby anymore. Sigh...fine. I simply purchased a few cheap glasses from Crate & Barrel that would keep her away from the expensive ones as she exercises her independence. As soon as we're feeling confident, I think this little set of drinking glasses designed by the renowned Japanese artist, Yoshitomo Nara, would be a nice congratulatory gift for Ms. Bean.

Etsy find: Knit spirited jacket

I absolutely love love love this hand knit spirited jacket from Just Jussi that I found on Etsy. May I have one in my size, please? This charming little sweater is made of organically grown, machine washable merino wool.

Minimink bootees

Designed by a Melbourne mum, these faux fur Minimink bootees could possibly be the cutest booties I've encountered! Constructed of Minimink fur on the outside and 100% cotton lining on the inside, they look irresistably snuggly. They come in two sizes: XS goes up to 4 months and S is from 4-8 months. They come in three colors including milk, honey or chocolate.

While on the subject of Minimink, I can't help but mention their luxurious faux fur blankets. The ultimate snuggling blanket to keep your little one warm and cozy. They measure 3'x 3' which is a great size for oodles of practical uses beyond the infant stage.

P’kolino Clothes Tree

The P'kolino Clothes Tree is an ideal example of form and function. With its amusing design, it would be a fun sculpturesque addition to a child's room. Though I can't help but wonder if this would inspire my daughter to pick up her room more often. The clothes tree stands 4' high and is made in the U.S. by artisans who have been perfecting their trade for generations.

Count the Birdies

Local Seattle artist and BlueBottle gallery owner, Matthew Porter, has recently published his second children's book Count the Birdies, geared to teach children to count and recognize colors. The illustrations are inspired by Japanese woodcuts which include house sparrows perched on white pear blossoms, tiny hummingbirds flitting among pink cherry blossoms and other common birds and flowers. I haven't read it yet but the illustrations look just as lovely as his first book, ABC, which was a Winner of Child Magazine 2006 Best Children's Books and was chosen by the American Association of Booksellers for Children as one of the Best Books for Children in 2006! Both of my girls love this book where Matthew has illustrated animals for each letter -- for instance, "N" is for "Nuthatch" (a bird) and "Q" is for "Quokka" (an Australian marsupial).

If you fancy decorating your child's room with uniquely painted pieces of the Quokka, Vole or Nuthatch, Matthew sells them in limited edition format at BlueBottle gallery.

Grace Table

Every kid needs a solid utilitarian table to draw, play and snack on. Designer Jennifer Delonge, the same creator of the Ava chair, has come up with the Grace Table made of formaldehyde free wood and low VOC paint (I love that!). The stools can be tucked under the table to maximize your space and you can mix & match the Grace Stools for a complete set (color swatches below).

Zid Zid Kids

I was tickled to see these adorable ZZK cushions from Zid Zid Kids because I could just imagine the Bean using it as a her pal-around stuffy or as a pillow to snuggle up with. Imported from Morocco and designed by Moulay Essakalli and Julie Klear whose illustrations have been showcased in museums and galleries nationwide. They're whimsical, illustrative quality are really sweet. I'm partial to the owl with his floral patch pocket...

The same designers have created the Mini Poof. What a great spin on the traditional Moroccan poof. With such a beautiful array of illustrations and colors, it's tempting to collect all of them. They're made of 100% brushed flannel cotton and are washable!

The best seat in the house

I love our Svan chairs! Plain and simple. After the Bean outgrew her high chair, we needed to find a seat that she could comfortably sit in at our dinner table. I wasn't happy with the plastic booster seats -- they would topple and were ultimately uncomfortable. The Bean would have been happier eating off the floor. Thankfully, after some research, I found the Svan chair and the rest is history. The Bean has had her Svan for the last 3 years and continues to grow with it. The story doesn't end here because we bought a second one for our infant, whom I'll nickname the Mini for now. The minute Mini was tall enough to peek over the tray, we popped her in.

The fantastic thing about the Svan is it's compact size. We've got a narrow kitchen and I can tuck the Svan in a corner without the fridge door bumping into it. I only mention this because our big Graco high chair was like an elephant in the corner. It was a daily battle between the fridge and the high chair.

Let me make this easy and list out the Svan's pros and cons:

Pros:
- The seat and footrest are easily adjustable using the supplied Allen key
- Very space conscious design
- The design blends well with modern or traditional decor
- Several different wood stains to choose from
- Several different colored seat cushions to choose from
- The seat cushions are machine washable!
- The baby tray can be purchased as an extra option
- Plastic tray cover that easily snaps on and off for washing
- Lightweight and easy to drag around

Cons:
- No wheels, so dragging could scratch floor (I added felt pads to mine)
- A little pricier than most high chairs but, think about it, you will use it for years. My 5.5 year old is still using hers
- I'm out of cons. It's a great chair!

Trish Grantham

Trish Grantham is having an online art sale today. Unfortunately, at the moment, she's having technical problems but the images should be up by today sometime. Keep checking back...

Lighting

I am a huge lighting fanatic. When creating a comfortable and inviting room, so much of the onus is on lighting. In my opinion, it can make or break a room. When we bought our house, the contractor had placed cheap Home Depot lights in every room. You can bet the first thing I did was scour the earth for lighting that would ultimately give each room personality and warmth. So, I thought I would focus on a handful of suitable lights for a child's room. Unfortunately, most of them are quite girly (sorry boys). Please let me know if you've got any fantastic lights that would be suitable for our little guys...

Jonathan Adler's Giraffe Lamp is an absolute classic and one that I couldn't ignore. He's the master of creating beautiful and whimsical pottery pieces. I salivate over this lamp and dream of putting it in my daughter's room someday but I shudder to think that an airborne object could knock it over. Ah heck, it's worth it though! Don't you think?

Not new to the decor scene but a nice look nevertheless, West Elm's Capiz circles pendant lamp comes in 2 sizes. It's a subtle, classic design that quietly enhances a room. I actually have this light in one of my rooms and I love it's simplicity. I must mention that one of it's features, that took a little getting used to, was the soft chiming sound it makes when a breeze flows through. I've come to realize that the chime of capiz shells sure beats a CD of pre-recorded nature sounds...

Then there's Anthropologie's Hanging Garden Globe light that's so delicate and girly. I don't know about you but I would have felt like a princess if I'd had this light hanging above my head as a little girl. Can you imagine?

Chandeliers tend to be pretty consistent classics, so I set out to find a couple of worthwhile finds. The Five Arm Multi Leaf And Flower Chandelier is definitely on the punchier side whereas the Ivory Leaf and Flower chandelier is simple and pretty darn charming, I think.

I debated posting these Rose Lights because I've already gone overboard with girly, flowery lighting; however, because they're string lights, I thought they were a nice twist on accent lighting. I'll bet they make a lovely glow at night for the little girl that needs to keep a light on.

Chauney Peck

Chauney Peck is a local Seattle artist whose work is very fresh and fascinating -- and perfect for a child's room. She creates plywood cutout pieces and then stains them. Her current work focuses on how global warming is impacting our environment and small villages, particularly in Alaska. I recently visited Chauney's studio and after hearing the inspiration behind "The house that fell into the ocean of Shishmaref" -- I had to have it. Shishmaref is a village in North Alaska that is facing evacuation due to rising temperatures and melting the sea ice along the coast. Apprarently, entire village homes have fallen into the ocean, which is what this piece depicts. When I went to Chauney's studio, I also brought the Bean so she could help me choose a piece of art -- she really liked this one as well, so we took it home. Eventually, I'm going to put it in Bean's room but I need to do some shuffling. So, in the meantime, it hangs in my tiny entry way on a dark brown wall -- which really makes it pop.

Crochet!

I love to peruse Etsy every so often but have yet to buy anything; however, I've got plenty of items saved in my Favorites area. I'm always amazed at the creativity out there! I discovered these little crocheted hats by pdxbeanies about a month ago and have been thinking about them ever since. They also make adorable Mary Janes, also adorned with that sweet flower! And a LOT of different colors to choose from. Guess what I'm going to buy for my youngest daughter, CV, today...finally?

Toy recalls

With the news of Mattel recalling 9 million toys including Barbie and Polly Pockets -- I can't help but feel disturbed and even more disenchanted with cheaply manufactured toys. I'm tempted to throw a slew of toys and plastic figurines away that clutter my daughter's room but I know the reprocussions of such a hasty act.

I've always been a big fan of wooden toys made by artisans. My mom is from Austria, so I grew up with unique toys and dolls that were hand made in Germany and surrounding countries. So, on the heels of the unfortunate recall, I thought I'd focus on some of the smaller artisans that make great toys that will undoubtedly stand the test of time and could eventually become a cherished heirloom for generations (well, I like to be optimistic at least).

Being from Seattle, I was thrilled to find a local company run by two inspiring moms. They started Nico & Zoe Toys in 2006 and their website is a hub of "uncommon and artisan made toys".

Check out these adorable toys! I know Bean would love this sweet Wren Purse Sewing Kit. Handmade: Sparrowkids / London, UK

These sturdy wooden trucks called My Little Scoots, made in Vermont with non-toxic paints, are a sign of the times. Check out the recycling truck!

Then there's the knit Socktopi! Handcrafted by Blackbird Fashions in Anacortes, Wa. My 1 year old could chew on Socktopi without me second guessing it's safety. How great are those stripes!?

I find it comforting to know that there are fantastic toy artisans passionately crafting toys for our wee ones.

The Bean’s Room

What better way to officially kick off my Kids design blog than to feature my daughter's bedroom. Bean's room was a blank canvas when I started. I mulled over several ideas for months and months, yet as she got older, I realized she had already outgrown many of those ideas. I didn't realize how quickly babies grow out of the baby stage and right into toddler stage and then onto little girl stage! I highly recommend thinking of a scaleable design -- something that will grow with the child and can be flexible enough for change.

Art is one of my biggest weaknesses. My dad was a painter, so I got a taste of art as a child -- our walls were filled with original paintings which I was aware of as a child but learned to appreciate as an adult. I want my children to appreciate the beauty of art and, who knows, they may even choose it as a career. So, I like to put whimsical pieces of original art in their room to inspire. I keep one wall open for their own pieces of original work that we rotate; although i need to do a better job at displaying it -- using frames or art rails or...something other than what I'm currently doing (scotch tape).

I knew I wanted a wall that popped so i chose pink! Not too bubble gum, not too pastel...it's salmony pink. It's actually pretty comforting. who knew!? The framed pieces are original silk screened posters that I couldn't resist. I never get tired of looking at them. We've also got the token fish...Sammy Rainbow.

These little clay figurines are about 2.5" tall. They're made by a local Seattle artist, Sean Beasley. Our dear friend, Rich, gave them to our girls as a Christmas gift. They're so adorable, aren't they? Bean loves her yellow guy. She occasionally asks me to take him down from his perch so she can play with him.

This is my girls' art gallery wall. I painted the cherry blossom branch on a whim one afternoon while my husband was watching football. I never got around to embellishing with more blossoms which i illustrated in Adobe Illustrator and printed on sticky-back cloth paper. I simply printed, cut and stuck them to the wall. I need more flowers but haven't found the spare time. Instead, I decorate the wall with my daughter's art (cat mask shown). To the right of the picture is local Seattle artist, Amy Hevron's, paintings. We've got several of her little works of art scattered about the house.

Close-up of "Fox" by Amy Hevron

This is a mini art wall above my daughter's bed. The piece to the left is an etching my husband drew as a child. His mom miraculously kept it and I framed it because it's so adorable! Next to that are 2 pieces by the talented Portland artist, Trish Grantham. The two teeny pieces (panda and bee) are hers as well. The framed piece above them is by an unknown artist that I received as a gift.

This is the window bench that I hired a crafty carpenter to build. The drawers are filled with toys that I can quickly stash when it's time to clean up. The cushion is a simple slab of foam from a local source and I went to Seattle's fabulous Great Jones Home store and purchased the striped fabric and stapled it over the foam. It was a mini DIY project that didn't take long at all.

You'll notice two black rectangles on my drawers. Those are pieces of fiber board that i had my dad cut to size because while drilling holes for the drawer handles, I completely mis-drilled and had to cover my mistake. I painted the fiber board pieces in chalkboard paint; however, my daughter never uses them to draw on. Someday I'll get those drawers fixed! (at least I keep telling myself).

Always room to grow

This is where my story begins and why I've decided to write a blog...

When I became pregnant with my first daughter, whom I'll affectionately refer to as The Bean, I became instantly obsessed over finding interesting and modern furniture, art, toys, sheets, curtains, etc. to create the ultimate child's surroundings. I couldn't bear to shop at the standard Babies'r'Us for the crib, highchair, stroller, etc. but really had little choice in the matter because, at the time (5.5 years ago), there weren't many options out there. Apparently, I wasn't the only one thinking this because shortly thereafter, modern kids furniture began sprouting up all over the web. It was nearly an overnight explosion. I expressed to my husband, over and over again, that I was compelled to open a modern kids furniture store, partially knowing that there wasn't a chance in hell that I was going to lead a life in retail. Instead, I left it up to the gutsy entrepreneurs out there to pave the way :). Now, I simply obsess, research and aspire to have a thoughtfully functional, simple, modern and beautiful surrounding for my daughters. I've partially succeeded but there's plenty of work to be done! Any parent knows that it's a constant evolution. So, onward, I will research and pool together the glorious goods that exist in our world today that can enhance a child's surroundings. I can only hope that my aspirations for creating an inspiring and beautiful environment will fuel the creative minds of my children and instill happy memories...afterall, isn't that what it's all about?