fawn&forest

Everyone's beloved design blog, Design Sponge was ever so kind + did a sneak peek into the home of fawn&forest on Monday, thanks Anne + Grace!

It seems we all have a long list of "to-do's" to get done around the house. Small projects of this + thats. I had quite a list (see those curtains in Eliot's room on the left?!) and was dually inspired by the impending arrival of the baby and the deadline of the Design Sponge sneak peek to get it all done. And that we did.

Curtains hung. Artwork framed. Shelves were put up. Piles were dispersed + organized. 100 back issues of random magazines recycled.  Fingerprints + licks were washed off windows. A bit of summertime cleaning + tidying up the 'ol shack.

So check out the peek here + you can view all photos on Design Sponge's Flickr.  

To celebrate the launching month of Fawn&Forest's Forest Finds, we are doing a giveaway with PoppyTalk blog.... giving away an E.Soule print! Yes, you could own your very own "Little Zoo"! All you have to do is visit PoppyTalk + the giveaway post and enter into the comments section your favorite item on FawnandForest.com.

Contest ends Wednesday June 25th, so scoot yourself over there right this second!

Too cool. Eliot is thrilled with the LIKEaBIKE mini he received in the mail this week. It's just his size + he doesn't even mind falling over!  So far he's sped around in the grass. Must get a helmut for his noggin for when he braves the pavement. Eliot has foregone the LIKEaBIKE name and is calling it his "big brother bike" for the time being.So sweet.

Another cool thing? I found this cool Japanese site (via Minor Details blog) where you can very simply make your new pictures look old. I know there are other sites out there that do this, but this one is fun. 

Happy Friday!

I am totally intrigued by the concept of what these Joy by Mel Lim totes are made of: take 80% recycled cotton + 20% recycled plastic soda bottles and there you have it, a nice canvasy tote.   

I have been test driving the yellow Sweet Dream 3 tote bag for the past few weeks. it has given me the suggestion of total style while keeping me sufficently discorganized. Just the way I like it.  While I have been using the Joy by Mel Lim Tote as my everything purse turn toddler tote, it would also make a great library book bag or for quick errands when perhaps you don't need to bring diapers, O's and a toy Mini-Cooper Car. 

The Sweet Dream Collection is a bit odd, yes. Bunnies, unicorns and a flute playing girl. Totally dreamy.....! The Sweet Dreams are produced in limited edition, get em while they last.

I am thrilled to announce the launch of a new, very special category on fawnandforest.com called Forest Finds!

Each month we will bring you a fresh selection of independent artists and designers who create relevant, modern wares and crafted items for your children and home. This month we have found a lovely section of folks in the forest : Sian Keegan (shown above left + right), E. Soule, Little Lark, Alyson Beaton Design, Paige Russel, Dress Me Up, Decoylab and Sleeping Forest.

My idea for the Forest Finds unfolded quite randomly. I found a link one day to Sian Keegan's site and fell in love with her work -- stuffed fruit + veggies. Love!  I've never had a desire for fawn&forest to be stale and impersonal, limited to selling all the major brands and well known designers. Interestingly enough, however, these major brands, such as Oeuf, vision is quite similar to that of Paige Russel or E. Soule. Each has an intention of form + function, thoughtfulness of materials used and a desire to bring enjoyment + simplicity to your home and family.

I'm personally a big Etsy fan, avid blog reader + generally interested in all the creative + innovative ideas and wares made by all the you's + me's of today. I get excited about stuffed radishes and organic cotton teething bon bons. And wouldn't you just love to have this deer and cupcake hanging on your wall? Exactly.   

Forest Finds it is. 

The Bebe Nursery Collection, designed by Robert Gill for Offi is a simple wood + white set with a reasonable price tag. And it's even more of a deal now that the whole collection is on sale!

The Bebe Nursery Collection includes 4 pieces (crib with optional trundle, dresser, changing table and storage cabinet) each on sale for $100 off the list price, plus.... free shipping + no sales tax!

Offi is a company with an interesting start. When Offi was first created, instead of hiring staff designers, founder Kirk Hobbs relied on the connections he had made through previous design projects. Designers were hired on a contract basis to create product, a concept that made sense both creatively and financially for a startup. A bit later, Eric Pfeiffer came aboard and served as design director. But after five years, Pfeiffer got the itch to go independent, which was perfect timing for Offi, Nicholson said. "After five years, it was time to go back and develop individual designers," he said. "It keeps us fresh."

Offi has about 16 designers/teams on its roster, and a select group that routinely creates items for the youth line. Nicholson (VP Sales, Offi) said that sometimes designers will come to Offi with their own ideas. Other times, he and Hobbs will go to the designers with an idea and ask them to execute it. An example was when the duo decided to go into cribs and they asked Carpenter and Gil for designs. The team will also go to designers when they sense a piece is missing from a current collection, such as adding a high chair.

Text above adapted from this article. To read more, click here.  

What are they?
VOCs are chemicals that become vapors at room temperature. They are typically used in furniture in wood glues, wood stains and paints.

Why you should care?
VOCs are considered air pollutants and cause harm when inhaled.

Not all VOCs are created equal: Many manufacturers claim to be using low-VOC materials. Sadly, the EPA exempts many harmful VOC's from consideration when labeling a product low-VOC. The exemption is not based on any scientific criteria and has been described by a prominent health official as poorly based science that makes a mockery of freshman chemistry at college. In other words,low VOC is a great idea but it doesn't mean you are getting materials that are free of concern.

Q Collection Junior's solution
Every material Q Collection Junior uses is independently reviewed by an expert on toxic chemicals. In addition, they are the first children's furniture independently testing all of their furniture in air chamber testing facilities. Q Collection Junior knows down to the parts per billion what materials are in their glues and stains and consider all of the federally exempt materials. 

Image + text from Q Collection Junior. The Astronomer Stools by Q Collection Junior, above is available in 4 colors and 2 sizes.

I received a sweet announcement from Offi yesterday: the Nest Nursery Collection, formerly branded under the Ooba Nest Collection, designed by Scott Wilson has made a new home + has gotten cozy with Offi! After a 1 year hiatus from the market, the Ooba Nest Nursery Collection is back for the lovin' and is available on fawn and forest, here. 

Currently the Nest Collection includes the bassinet (shown above left + right) which converts into a toy box (or a pint size yacht?) and play table, as well as the impressive Nest Crib. Both pieces are available in Walnut or Maple Veneer.  

Internationally respected designer, Scott Wilson (also the designer of this watch) joins the esteemed design partners at Offi to deliver unique and fresh ideas for the home.  I am so excited to see what else is on the horizon!

And I'm thinking of ordering a bassinet in walnut  for baby#2.

Born out of the love of linens and modern design, Tikoli tea towels are perfect for the modern kitchen and for that sweet Mom in your life!  Influenced by Japanese prints and mid-century modern design, Tikoli towels are printed on 100% cotton fabric, ready to brighten any  kitchen. Available in five lovely designs, including "mummy", pictured at right. 

Receive a free Tikoli tea towel with purchases over $75 when "tikoli" is entered in the comments field at checkout. Offer ends May 20th 2008. Yep, this sweet deal extends past Mother's day. Because, if you're anything like me, a bit behind schedule......a few extra days are much appreciated, right?

Welcome to fawn&forest + the family.  Our belief  is that good design should be enjoyed by the entire family. It's something we all touch + are engaged by. Good design for all things is thoughtful, innovative, multi-fucntional, enviromentally minded + transends time. It doesn't go out of style + probably won't be seeing the goodwill donation station anytime soon. It's the stuff you want to live with, want your children to grow up playing with + sitting on. And really, good design is nothing fancy + is built for the battery of daily life. Like excess glitter + glue and reckless amounts of rocking.

The scando coffee table perfectly illustrates how good design should be enjoyed by the entire family. "by observing how children relate to the floor in their daily activities, designer Eric Pfeiffer created a table that engages children + accommodates their diverse activities, while addressing the needs of adults who want furniture that is elegant, expertly crafted and multi-functional." exactly. thoughtful + simple, the way it should be. And conveniently won't send your child to the emergency room with a head cut. More on the scando coffee table later this week.

You are always welcome to email me, Summer, anytime at summer@fawnandforest.com .