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Uni-Age Design at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair Don't bother looking up "Uni-Age" design in your dictionary. I just made up the word to describe some of the children's collections at the ICFF (May 21-24, 2006) in New York City. It means furniture meant to be useful from infancy through teen years, and, in many cases, well into adulthood. It's pieces crafted with the kind of materials and workmanship one associates with better home décor collections. And, in some cases, it's items that look just as natural in a kids' room as they do in their parents' living area. Below are manufacturers who view children as the next generation to appreciate modern design and create their collections accordingly.
HIGH CHAIRS FLEURVILLE DESIGNER: Yves Behar of fuseproject for Fleurville Wholesale price: Contact manufacturer Steve and Catherine Granville introduced the Calla Chair at ICFF. Like the company's cool diaper bags, the high chair is practical, easy to use and, thanks to San Francisco-based Behar, beautiful.
Outstanding piece: The calla lily is the inspiration for the flowing lines and organic shapes of the Calla Chair. You'll covet the piece for its good looks alone, but here are a few extras: The ABS tray is easily removable for dishwasher cleaning. The Neoprene fabric seat cradles the child and is easy to clean. The circular base never tips. And it's durable enamel coating is available in fresh from the garden yellow, white and red. Tel: 415.482.8510 / 866.510.8967 Email: info@fleurville.com
BOON DESIGNER: Rebecca Finell HOME BASE: Tempe, AZ Size: 36.4"-44" x 23.5" x 23.5"; Wholesale price: $110-$250
Outstanding piece: The "Flair." The white molded plastic top has an appealing organic shape and comfortable seat. This multi-purpose item adjusts to different heights as the child grows. Its smooth pedestal base slips easily beneath a table and the dishwasher safe tray can be set to three heights. When a highchair is no longer necessary, just remove the tray and the 5-point harness and you've got a great looking child's chair. Tel: 480-456-0224 / 888.376.4763 E-mail: info@booninc.com
TABLES AND CHAIRS IGLOOPLAY DESIGNER: Lisa Albin HOME BASE: Brooklyn, NY Sizes: 36.4"-44" x 23.5" x 23.5"; Wholesale price: $148-$154 There isn't a hard edge anywhere in Albin's sensuously shaped collection of elegant kids' furniture.
Outstanding piece: The Mod Rocker. As much a functional rocker for children as it is a gorgeous piece of sculpture for any room in the home. Albin uses sustainable maple or amber bamboo for the piece; the seat is available in three bright tones. No wonder Albin won the Honorable Mention in the 2006 ID Magazine Annual Design Review. Tel: 718-622-0047 E-mail: info@iglooplay.com
NEST BY MOZZEE DESIGNER: Marine Peyre (is a member of the Cooked in Marseille collective) HOME BASE: Riverview, nsw, United Kingdom Sizes: 19.7" cube; Wholesale prices: Contact manufacturer Last year, Mozzee introduced Nest, the round highchair with an adjustable base that looked like something out of the Jetsons. This season, it's the Candy Cube, another innovative seating design.
Outstanding piece: The Candy Cube is a three-sided square with a center rod. Layers of multi-colored pads made from Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA, a material commonly used as shoe inlays) with a center hole stack up on the rod horseshoe style. The pads are available in range of rich colors that can be layered to form striped patterns. Tel: +44 (0)207 060 3636 E-mail: info@mozzee.co.uk
P'KOLINO DESIGNER: J.B. Schneider and Antonio Turco-Rivas HOME BASE: Woburn, MA Wholesale prices: Starts at $650. The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) educated designers create ingenious pieces that look great and engage children, too.
Outstanding pieces: The P'kolino (means "little one" in Italian) Play Table. This multi-part system functions as table tops with seating; has cut-out pieces that work as a puzzle; can be rearranged in any configuration a kid dreams up; and once children are done, the sections fit together easily for compact storing. It's almost as good as a baby sitter. Tel: 888-403-8992 E-mails: jb@pkolino.com; atrn@pkolino.com
BEDROOM FURNITURE ARGINGTON HOME BASE: Brooklyn, NY DESIGNERS: Jenny Argie, Andrew Thornton Wholesale prices: $35-$40 per unit Argie and Thornton create the kind of modern furniture that fits seamlessly into any sophisticated decor. They've added five new finishes to their collection as well as a trundle bed for sleepovers.
Outstanding pieces: The Empire Pallet. The handsome Baltic wood and aluminum shelving unit function as tables or shelving that can be bolted to the wall. They're meant for children but who says they wouldn't look chic stacked in the living room? Tel: 718-218-8508 E-mail: info@argington.com
DUCDUC DESIGNER: The ducduc design team HOME BASE: New York, NY Sizes: Table, 91.75" wide x 30" high x 41" deep; bench, 79" wide x 16" high x 16" deep; Retail prices: Table, $8,500; bench, $1,100 each; booster chair, $125; high chair, $125 Thanks to benches, sliding panels, and convertible beds, the company's furniture evolves with the child.
Outstanding pieces: The long, white and walnut dining table with coordinating benches could be any gorgeous piece in a modernist's entertainment area - until you move its sliding panels. Reconfigured, it opens to a center storage space that holds linens or crayons and games. Booster seat and high chair additions attach to the bench to bring children to the same level as adults, and the panels slide out to meet kids in their seats. The benches are covered in Crypton, a fabric engineered to be stain, water and bacteria resistant. Tel: 212 226-1868 / 877.5.ducduc E-mail: info@ducducnyc.com
NOTNEUTRAL (RIOS CLEMENTI HALE STUDIOS) DESIGNER: Frank Clementi HOME BASE: Los Angeles, CA Sizes: 53" high x 38" wide x 19" deep for Tetra 1; Wholesale prices: $50-$445 No one can be neutral about this stunning collection of richly colored kids' furniture. The T4 children's group, new to this design collective, is based on the Greek numerical prefix Tera, meaning four, and the 80's computer game Tetris which uses four segments to build interlocking structures - but never mind all that. All you need to know is Clementi's designs are beautiful and you'll want them for yourself.
Outstanding pieces: The Tetra 1 (as well as 2, 3 and 4), with its removable changing top and color-block façade would make Mondrian swoon. The chair (and coordinating desk), part of the DR1 group, is lightweight, brightly colored and adjusts from a height of 27" to 29" with specially designed leg extenders. Tel: 800-270-6511 Email: sales@notneutral.com
BEDDING AND PILLOWS DENYSE SCHMIDT QUILTS DESIGNER: Denyse Schmidt HOME BASE: Bridgeport, CT Sizes: baby, 31.5" x 42.5"; crib, 40" x 50"; twin, 65" x 88"; Wholesale prices: $87.50-$445 Denyse Schmidt puts a modern touch on the classic quilt. Her color sense is vivid and her kids' designs have spare, asymmetrical layouts that set them apart from more traditional pieced quilts. Each item is cut to order and hand quilted by Amish women in Minnesota.
Outstanding pieces: I love the simplicity of the quilt shown on the bed and the unusual, unisex color palette. Tel: 203-335-2719 E-mail: info@dsquilts.com
DWELL DESIGNER: Christiane Lemieux HOME BASE: New York, NY Sizes: Standard crib size; Wholesale prices: Contact manufacturer Dwell is all about making children receptive to good design and luxury fabrications.
Outstanding pieces: Who says pets can't sleep with your children? Dwell's new border in gender-neutral chocolate on oatmeal linen, brings the animal kingdom into the crib. Tel: 212-219-9343 ext. 30 E-mail: wholesale@dwellshop.com
K STUDIO DESIGNER: Shelly Klein HOME BASE: Grand Rapids, MI Sizes: range of sizes; Wholesale prices: Pillows, $49-$70 Some of Klein's machine stitched pillows resemble architectural blueprints; others channel the whimsical renderings one might find in a child's sketchpad.
Outstanding pieces: There's nothing everyday about "everyday people," the embroidered design that features adults, children and animals with expressions at once pensive and inquisitive. Tel: 616-363-4993 E-mail: kstudio@comcast.net
ART AND WALL COVERINGS WALLCANDY ARTS HOME BASE: New York City, NY DESIGNER: Allison Krongard Sizes: 18' of green lawn; lollipops are 4' tall; Wholesale prices: $15-$36 per kit Stik 'em up with Wallcandy Arts' answer to Colorforms. These peel-n-stick appliqués can be employed as a permanent wall design, or reconfigured endlessly. Each design lifts from the wall without a trace.
Outstanding pieces: It's a sweet world indeed with Candy Factory, four sheets and 12 strips of lollipops, peppermints and gumdrops. Yum! Tel: 212-367-8872 E-mail: hello@wallcandyarts.com
2JANE DESIGNER: Jenny Wilkinson HOME BASE: Tampa, FL Sizes: 6" high x 15' long; Wholesale prices: $9.75 per roll Owners Roxie Mae Lackman and Beth Ferguson introduced Wallpaper-By-Numbers at ICFF. The duo source the best home décor from Europe for their online site www.2jane.com.
Outstanding pieces: Wallpaper-By-Numbers Keyhole collection puts an end to the "don't color on the walls" whine. Designer Jenny Wilkinson reinvents the retro color-by-numbers, with her 60's-style border designs. Each of the eight patterns come pre-pasted and install easily with water and sponge; they strip off the wall just as quickly. The designs are attractive as is, or can be colored in with crayons, markers or paint. Twenty adhesive stickers can be layered over the borders for more fun. Tel: 813-832-5263 E-mail: sales@2jane.com
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