I’ve never had to buy a crib, but I’ve been a part of many conversations with my frustrated friends on the hunt for cute (but not cutesy!) baby and kids’ furnishings. Now, I finally have an easy answer for them: Restoration Hardware has just launched their new baby&child collection. The look and style are reflective of the grown-up Restoration Hardware brand: the lines are clean; the materials and craftsmanship are top-notch; and the results are classic and sophisticated pieces appropriate for parents who care about function and fashion. They’ve also done a good job at making most of the collection coordinating, but not matching. It’s an easy task to design just the room you want.

The baby&child collection includes: white and espresso finished furniture pieces, such as convertible cribs, beds, changing tables, dressers, bookshelves, etc.; upholstered gliders; bed linens in pretty palettes of petal, silver sage, and cloud; rugs; lighting; wall art; bath linens; window treatments; and even plush toys. They really have provided a one-stop shopping source for pint-size decorating.

And, if you’re not in the market for cribs and beds, it’s also a great source for gifts. I love to give my “new mom” friends Moses baskets and I was so excited to find several cute designs in the collection. It’s always fun to find a new source!

Visit their website to see the entire collection.

—Jennifer Kopf

Technorati Tags: Restoration Hardware, nurseries, kids’ rooms, children’s rooms, children’s furnishings, cribs, bedding, Moses baskets

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Last week, I wrote a little about my trip to the BKLYN DESIGNS show in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. What makes this show worth the trip is that, while it’s small, it covers the gamut of modern home design and has a little something for everyone.

Here are a few more of my favorite finds from the show:

For the decorator:
Jill Malek is a graphic designer known for her custom invitations, stationery, and packaging designs. She recently expanded her offerings to include home design with a collection of hand-screened wallpapers.

As I walked by her booth, what caught my eye were the beautiful colorings of her metallic papers. On closer inspection, you can see her unique patterns of flocking birds and transforming leaves. Her designs are subtle so you don’t notice the individual images, just a pretty canvas of color and pattern. A touch of metallic is great in a room to reflect light and add a little bit of sexy shimmer. I loved her maidenhair design.

Visit her website to see all of her papers.

For the kids:
Even kids could get in on the modern design game with the colorful and clever furniture from iglooplay by lisa albin design. They had lots of seat and table configurations, but I really liked their new craft/work table + chair. It’s made with resource-efficient molded ply construction and durable enough for contract use. The lime green finish is so playful and the removable divided tray adds a great practical detail. It’s also available in poppy orange!

Learn more on their website.

For the renovator:
If you’re looking for a new countertop or sink idea, I loved the custom concrete installations from oso industries. Of course, they have lovely gray and tan colored concrete available, but their 10 available colors also include a softer palette of green, blue, orange, and yellow. Very fun! For those of us not in the remodeling mode, I loved their rollerboy, below. On recessed wheels, this piece could easily be used wherever you need an extra surface. Try it as a side table, ottoman, or even a stool. It’s handmade with trowel applied colored concrete over the shell, so it’s actually quite light. It’s 19wx16.5h and costs around $575.

Visit their website for more options.

—Jennifer Kopf

Technorati Tags: bklyn designs, brooklyn, new york, dumbo, modern, kids rooms, wallpaper, countertops, concrete, iglooplay, lisa albin design, jill malek, oso industries, bathroom, table

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Easter sneaks up on us early this year—only one week away! No matter what your religious beliefs, the holiday provides the perfect excuse to shop for adorable, irresistible egg-, bird-, and bunny-themed finds for friends and family–or your own abode. So hop to it! Herewith, sweet treats that are far from saccharine

1. A vignette of Ritzenhoff’s kooky-cool egg cups (above) is like having a little party on your tabletop.

2. Toronto ceramicist Xenia Taler’s lovely hand-painted, egg-shaped plaque—even the scary snake is charming!

3. Monica Lubkowska Jonas’s cleverly colorful Wobble glasses, which rock on curved bottoms.

4. Delightful handmade bird platters by Tennessee artisan Susan Smith.

5. Send seasonal sentiments with Savannah College of Art & Design alum Tiffani Taylor’s beautifully rendered Nest note cards.

6. I cannot resist these cuddly eco-chicks, made from reclaimed sweater scraps!

7. Stash your hand-painted Easter eggs in Josh Jakus’s witty industrial felt cups—or use them year-round to stash jewelry. (Um, or pears.)

8. Fresh’s soaps have the prettiest paper packaging. And these garden magnolias will last even longer than just-picked blooms.

9. In case you’ve OD’d on adorableness, how about these weird but wonderful cast-pewter bird feet sculptures by Swallow?

10. OK, these don’t exactly fall under the category of “decor,” but I just love a high-design cookie—especially ones shaped like bunnies. I mean, really!

Happy Easter! —Jen Renzi

Technorati Tags: Top ten Easter gifts, egg shaped designs, bird-themed finds, hand-painted ceramics, Xenia Taler, Monica Lubkowska Jonas, MoMA Store, colorful glassware, Susan Smith, Uncommon Goods, holiday themed note cards, Savannah College of Art & Design, Tiffani Taylor, eco-friendly stuffed animals, Branch Home, Josh Jakus, jewelry storage, Fresh, flower-scented soap, Ritzenhoff, Red Envelope, modern egg cups, Easter cookies

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It’s an exciting time around our house. Over the holidays our 2-1/2-year-old Viva decided it was time to begin the potty training process. It’s an adventure to say the least, but it’s also a cue that soon we can transform the nursery–now dark and gloomy with blacked-out windows for better naps and overwhelmed by a big crib and changing table–into a full-blown girl’s bedroom.

When I purchased a Ritz-Carlton king bed last month, I anticipated this time and tacked on a single bed to the order. It’s sitting in the garage as I type, so this morning’s arrival of Design Public’s email announcing DwellStudio’s new “Junior” bedding couldn’t have come at a better time. Now I can dream in Technicolor. Check out their additional offerings here.

Erika Lenkert

Technorati Tags: children’s bedding, Dwell, sheets, linens, kids, modern, color

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To enter to win this gift, click here and post a comment.

Day 5 of the Gift A Day Giveaway is dedicated to the junior hipsters in your life. This too-cool Cubino kids chair by Canada’s Monte Design won my heart–and later my daughter’s–when we bought a brown/blue combo (and matching loveseat) so our girl could kick it in style in the living room. Now she lounges like a pro–and looks tres chic doing it.

Available in brown with orange, pink, blue, or green, it’s made of thick, durable foam so it’s bruise-free for baby, and a removable and washable polyester canvas cover means there’s no need to fret over peanut butter handprints. And that’s a very good thing because this cool chair can be your babe’s fashionable furniture buddy from 18 months to 7 years of age. The final bonus is the price: $99 plus $19 for shipping. Hot home style for kids doesn’t come any cheaper.

Buy one for your little loved one by visiting Monte Design or enter to win one in your color combo of choice by clicking here and posting a comment here before 10am PST on November 30, 2007.

Good luck and to see if you won, check the Winner’s Circle on November 30.

Technorati Tags: kids chair, modern furiture, giveaway, gift, children, comfortable, foam, free

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