fawn&forest

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.

Even if you decide to go the minimal route in baby gear, you will most likely have a bouncy seat on your list. Most are ugly + don't fold up and are just plain clunky. You know the ones. Thankfully, the Svan Bouncer is different. Made of bent birch plywood with a non-toxic finish. And that cushion? Totally wipe-able and PBDE free.

And it folds up nearly flat to look like a sled! The fully adjustable seat allows your baby to lay down for naps, sit up to observe their surroundings, or lounge anywhere in between. Rock that sweet child to sleep with a gentle tap of your foot or allow it to bounce with your child’s own movement. Available in 6 colorways. 

And, while there are no lullaby music options or moving plastic gizmos, a free set of Cloud B soft hanging toys will be included with your purchase through May 15th. That's nice.

Ecotots collection of children's furniture is quite possible the greenest wood furniture for kids, ever. Your kids can sniff it + lick it and even eat off it (right?) and they won't be off-gassed on or consume any other yuckies like formaldehyde. I like!

All 3 pieces of the Ecotots Collection (by Inmodern) are made of 100% formaldehyde-free, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified/environmentally friendly SmartWood® and feature a durable, 100% non-toxic water-based finish. All 3 pieces, the coatrack, project table + stools and art easel are available in 4 colors -- fire, leaf, natural + cocoa. 

Easy to assembles and disassembles (for easy storage) in minutes with Inmodern's patented, no-tools assembly method. Which is cool, not an allen wrench it needed! Though I will tell you from experience, these peices will need a real good whack as they are designed to fit snuggly together. 

Some other noteworthy goodies:  Pieces are UV cured finishes minimize greenhouse gases, all materials sourced in North America as well as wholly designed and manufactured in USA. Member of the SFC (Sustainable Furniture Council) and a sweet lifetime construction guarantee .

Brand new to the Oeuf Sparrow collection: the Sparrow Crib in Birch + the Toddler Bed Conversion Kit.

Oeuf has made it a mission to ensure environmentally sound products, starting with the choice of materials to the manufacturingg processes to the selection of recycled packaging.

All Oeuf furniture is produced in the small European country of Latvia. On the Baltic sea, Latvia is covered by over 70% forest and thus has a proud tradition of woodworking.  In the manufacturing process, 100% of the wood waste is recycled into briquettes which is then used to fuel the modern, self reliant heating system. Additionally they have a state of the art dust collection and reprocess waste into usable fuel. Oeuf is also a Forest Steward Certificate (FSC) holder.  

And... all finishes are non-toxic and when used, low-emission mdf. And don't forget about an organic mattress to go with that lovely green crib! 

To celebrate the greenest day of all, Earth Day (April 22nd) on the Notes, I will be featuring amazing green products from innovative designers, fun projects and other green-ish bits for the next 2 weeks.  

To kick the week off, 2 amazing pieces from DMFD in all their corky-ness! The CUB children's chair + the adult size SWAY stool, pictured above, are made from 100% cork. The cork DMFD uses originates as the waste material from the bottle stopper industry. The pieces are created by casting cork, which produces a dense, unusual texture, highly attractive and intriguing to the eyes and hands of young children + adults alike. By Casting cork, the designer, Daniel Michalikam, is able to insure the ecological responsibility of all binding agents used in his cork peices, as well as streamline from scratch the production processes.

Corks is amazing!! It is a renewable, sustainable product. In other words, the more the material is harvested, the more is created! Cork is recyclable, waterproof and extremely buoyant. Cork is naturally resistant to all forms of rot and mold growth. Your piece of cork will remain unchanged for centuries to come with normal use and is naturally resistant to bacterial and microbial growth. No nasties hiding in your cork furniture! Cork is highly absorbent of sound and vibration and is a fantastic insulator as well as being naturally heat and fire resistant. Cork will turn black under extreme heat, but will not ignite. It is even used by NASA to line the interior of the Space Shuttle's fuel tanks!

DMFD is also a part of the Sundance Channel's The Green, Big Ideas for a Small Planet show, airing April 8th at 9p est.  Images + information above (paraphrased to fit), provided by DMFD. For even more info on DMFD + cork, click here.

Now is your chance boys + girls to get super sweet deals on select Nurseryworks pieces. The 40% off sale has now ended.... and now select items are on clearance (until sold out) at 50% off!

The 50% off sale includes the Playdate Table + Stools (in all colors, shown above left) and all upulstered pieces in Microterry, Canvas, Felt and Microsuede in Navy -- Including the Goodnight Gilder (pictured above, middle), Goodnight Ottoman, Sleepytime + Storytime Rockers, Perch Stool and the super fun Mini-Sleeptytime Rocker + Ottoman for the kids (pictured above right). 50% off!! And no, this is not an April fool's joke!

Neither the Goodnight Gilder + Ottoman or the Mini-Sleeptyime Rocker + Stool were included in the previous Nurseryworks sale, so now is your chance! Certain fabrics do tend to sell out quickly. And as they say on those cheesy tv ads "when it's gone, it's gone" -- all sold out fabrics are then being discontinued and will no longer be available.

Correction 04/10: the Mini-Sleepytime rocker + stool is no longer included in the sale. 

Two companies, Natural Mat and Naturepedic (pictured above, left + right) provide the organic answer to the toxicity of conventional crib mattresses. In a nutshell conventional crib mattresses are downright nasty. They are generally composed of vinyl (polyvinyl chloride or PVC), phthalates, polyurethane foam, harsh chemical fire retardants, and other chemical additives. In doing a bit of googleing, you will find studies linking SIDS with the toxicity of the conventional crib mattress as well as the multitude of other health effects it has on our babies and children. 

Below is a list, taken from Naturepedic, that clearly illustrates the insanity of conventional (non-organic) crib mattresses. Amazing + disgusting at the same time. 

To continue reading the article on the 5 Major Problems With Conventional Mattresses, click here. To see the full selection of organic mattresses + accessories, click here. Image on left is an organic Natural Mat mattress, image on right is an organic Naturepedic mattress.

The Hiya Collection from Spot on Square is the newest addition to the modern nuresry genre, making their debut this month at the CA Boom Design show in LA. Spot on Square is a husband + wife team, a collaboration that brings together two things: good design and children, with a background in industrial design, education + real life experience as mom + dad to 3 small kids. 

Say hello to the Hiya sleep collection: the crib + the toddler bed. Solid construction made of bamboo or birch and eco-friendly, painted (non-toxic + low-voc) mdf. Playful design the kids will like + versatile enough for mom + dad. The height of the crib is slightly shorter than most cribs (which is a plus if you are part of the shorter-set), with a 3 level adjustable mattress height.  The toddler bed has seamlessly designed side rails while still being low enough at the end of the bed for mom or dad to sit, tuck in + read stories.

Simple + sustainable + thoughtfully manufactured in the usa. Sleep!  

Graceful like a swan is the Svan Highchair. Sturdy construction, simple form. It tucks nicely in the corner of the living room when not in use while being small enough to have your child keep you company in the kitchen, with room to spare. I was actually quite surprised + then pleasantly pleased with how compact, yet efficient the Svan is. The tray is, well, not huge. The highchair itself does not stand very high. But I am sure all the Svan babies will give a shout out of thanks for being parked at the dinner table, with the family... at eye level, unhindered by a huge sea of plastic in front of them. 

It has been fun to see sustainability go beyond the forest + into our lives. Now seeing the svan highchair enthusiastically used as a 'big kid chair' by our 2 year old and not left for abandon in the garage has fully convinced me that good design is worth the investment. 

Available in 5 wood finishes (natural shown above) + 9 cushion colors. The Svan is also fully adjustable to fit your growing child (seat + leg height and tray depth). And by removing the tray kit, it simply transforms into a "big kid" youth chair. Image at left compliments of this blog.

We had a coffee table. With sharp corners. It was quite lovely. Until Eliot fell on the corner of it, got a big bloody cut to his right eyebrow. After we got home from the emergency room we hauled the coffee table into the garage.

Perhaps the same thing happened to designer Eric Pfeiffer and that is why he designed one the most functional, kid-friendly, intriguing + beautiful coffee tables?  Whatever the case may be, the Scando Coffee Table has gracefully filled the hole in the family room that the old coffee table left behind. The Scando is available in 4 finishes (walnut is shown above) and has a neat bent "u" shape at the end - a perfect race track-tunnel for the cars or for holding story books. There are no sharp corners or edges (!) and if you can prevent the kids from using it as a stage or bench, they can safely run circes around it.  

Q: What is the difference between the Nurseryworks Sleepytime Rocker + the Storytime Rocker (shown aove left)?                

A: Besides the visual difference in design, the Sleepytime Rocker was designed to rock + lull the babies to sleep. It's a comfortable nursing chair as the arms are lower + the backrest is at a comofortable position. The Storytime Rocker, on the other hand, was designed for a parent + child to sit and read stories in. The arms are a bit higher and the seat is slightly deeper. Both rockers were designed to coordinate with the Perch Stool. The Sleepytime, Storytime + Perch are still on sale, though March 31st, though a handful of fabrics have already sold out.

Q: Is any bedding on sale?

A: Yes! Select crib + twin bedding is 25% off through the end of March. The 'pinwheel in pumpkin' crib set shown above is one of the sets on sale.

Q: Is Nurseryworks "green"?

A: In a nutshell, yes. Nurseryworks uses uses low-VOC finishes, lacquers, + glues, renewable materials such as Paulownia wood and when used, grade EO mdf (which is the safest grade available). In addition, the products are air-chamber tested to examine + eliminate toxic materials. The testing methods are intense and measure materials down to parts per billion. The first concern is that products are not emitting dangerous toxins. While the bedding is not organic, Nurseryworks uses formaldehyde-free dyes.

Q: Are these pieces 'sustainable' beyond the nursery? 

A: Yes. This is exactly the vision Nurseryworks was founded on. To provide clean, simple, and modern furnishings to create the ideal first environment, one that reinforces the nursery's relationship to the rest of the home decor. Rockers + bookcases can be moved around the house, a changer becomes a dresser, cribs become daybeds + even a desk! Sustainability relates also to the longevity of a piece in your home. Nurseryworks furnishings were designed for lasting family life.