Furniture Reporter

Today’s feature is on nursery decoration, and not in just any style, but Dutch style, and that all over. From furniture to decals or toys, all my picks are based on typical Dutch architecture.

Just take a look at this lovely furniture range from Dutch company Kast van een Huis, this design perfectly represents what is essential about old Dutch houses that it catapults you right into the Netherlands, and gives kids many inspirations for imaginative play. The closets were created having old canalhouses of the 17th and 18th century in mind, which are common for many parts of the Netherlands, Amsterdam in particular. After all, which one of us would not have liked to have city of our own as a kid, to play all sorts of fascinating things, from mimicking mom’s shopping spree to extinguishing imaginative fires? The product range includes beds and closets in various sizes, colors and gable styles. For those who want to combine their Holland interior with modern times, they also have a range of skyscraper closets.

The closets of Kast van een Huis (which quite fittingly means closet of a house, by the way) are stable and designed for multipurpose use, so whether you use them for heavy books or leightweight toys, they will work just fine. Moreover, whether you just use a single one as centerpiece, or create a whole cityscape, either way they will look beautiful. And not just in your child’s room, they would make an original addition to your study as well! Additionally, they are spraypainted from all sides, so they also make excellent room dividers!

Kast van een Huis’ quality products are produced in the Netherlands, made of MDF and have an environment friendly coating, and can even be custom painted. Of course these unique products are a little more expensive than standard furniture, a standard closet will cost you € 615.00, a standard toddler bed € 715.00. However their products are also available unfinished, so you can custom paint them yourself, and that of course makes for a nice price cut, of about € 200 per item. Ordering via email from their website, payment either cash or via bank transfer.

PMco Sofa

PMco Chair

As we reported earlier, Swedish furniture magnate Ikea was set to open in Brooklyn yesterday amidst protesters and scores of fans. Well, it finally happened yesterday. According to The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, the store opening was no less a huge celebration of fanfare, gleeful employees, and free furniture…wait, FREE FURNITURE?

“Each of the first 35 adults in line, in honor of this being the 35th U.S. IKEA store, was given a voucher for a free couch, and the next 100 behind them received armchairs…other freebies included vouchers for food, big blue and yellow umbrellas and heart pillows for kids.”

So THATS why people were willing to discard their social lives and necessities for a couple days: to score one of these bad boys that will no doubt cause their hair to fall out while trying to set it up, and then break unexpectedly. It’s too bad the voucher doesn’t cover the outrageous shipping charges too.

BUT, the good news is that Ikea is making it super easy to get to its store via public transportation, offering free shuttles from Borough Hall, Smith-9th Sts, and 4th Avenue stations, as well as a water taxi from lower Manhattan. Leave it to Ikea to lure Gen Xers fo’ free to spend their hard earned dough on utterly useless crap.

It seems like once you reach the college age, you have recurring conversations with your friends about “Don’t you wish you lived in a place you could decorate yourself? And just take over?” It’s like we go through this chronic nesting phase that inflames when we live in a dorm, and then move to off-campus apartments, and then switch into better-but-not-long term rentals.

Reading Design*Sponge makes me pine for a space to call my own (that I want to call my own). I don’t do domesticity when it comes to making things to eat in the kitchen, and since I’ve been spending so much time at home in my apartment (the better-but-not-long term deal), my creativities have just been itching to splatter some paint on the walls. or maybe some Swarovski-encrusted wallpaper.

Some snapshots of inspiring images from D*S. Click on the pics to see the full entries.

It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the view from inside that shack would end anybody’s creative mind block. Is that a roll-down garage door with panels of glass? I hope so. This just screams “breath of fresh air,” doesn’t it?

I absolutely love how the wallpaper’s reflected in the mirror here. Umm, and check out those pufferfish…

Although I personally could never keep such a space so “clean,” I love how the designer made so many separate spaces in this one room. Hanging that large picture in front of a panel of fabric? So simple but genius! Wall decal fireplace? Hell yes.

Umm, this is just beautiful.

I’m such a sucker for combinations of “urban” and “embellished” that I’m really just a cliche. I’m fine with that.

This table was a throw-away, and now it’s refurbished! Makes me want to go garage sale hunting. And makes me want a work room…

And finally,

Swarovski-encrusted wallpaper! I was not joking. These prints look awesome. (And are crazy expensive.)

Ikea may have 50-cent hot dogs, but in my mind, no single store sells the innovation of the people who created the spaces and pieces above.

If you are looking for some unusual, modern design, the LoJo Ball fits right in, with its funky appearance.  This variable seating has a sphere shape, held together by a surrounding zipper.  If zipped, the LoJo can function as a stool, a foot rest, or simply a room decoration.  If unzipped, it turns into a low lounge chair.  It is a variation of a standard beanbag, since it is also filled with the same beans, but still its design is very distinct from that of a bean bag.  Though this product is actually designed for adults in mind, rather than children, I think it would be equally suitable to a modern kid’s or teenager’s room.

The LoJo can be ordered on their website for £99.00.