Category Archives: Design Inspiration

I love kids’ play furniture that ignites a child’s imagination.  I especially love furniture made of quality materials that does NOT make your home feel like a plastics factory in the process.  December‘s design inspiration, Inner Child Meet Your New Favorite Furniture, is one great example of a designer who creates exactly that.  Ready for another?

As luck would have it, I didn’t need to travel very far in order to bring you this month’s inspirational design find.  It was already waiting for me in my own back yard!

I am thrilled to introduce you to Hadas Kol, a talented designer, creative artist and mother of 3 living in Davis, CA.  Hello, neighbor!  Because her K-Collection boutique kitchen play sets for children are born of sustainable materials, they already begin with a story all their own.

My kitchens are inspired by an old wood cabinet, a broken night stand or just scrap wood. I use sustainable materials and accessories, day-to-day objects that are all around us and are closest to the “real thing” for our children.

Want to know what I love most about her kids’ play kitchens?  Well that’s easy.  Everything!

Hadas finds a variety of wood furniture pieces from days gone by and breathes new life into them.

Love that.

With a big splash of creativity, plenty of elbow grease and a whole lot of heart she transforms something old into a uniquely adorable new treasure.

Love love love!

The best part is, okay, they’re ALL the best parts, but here’s another one, anyway… each, handcrafted life-like kids’ play kitchen set is a one of a kind piece, offering your one of a kind child a classy, tailor made place to let imagination run free!

Love with a double scoop of more love on top!

To be honest, with all the care and attention that Hadas puts into each of her creations, I’m not exactly sure how she keeps her prices so reasonable.  If you are looking to create a home environment that nurtures your child’s freedom to shine, hurry over to see more K-Collection images.  You’ll also get to see what some of her kids’ play kitchens looked like BEFORE the transformation.  (Wow!)  And if you love them as I do, I welcome you to share this post!

Neuroscientists know it.

Many parents, child development professionals and learning specialists know it.

The development of good balance in infancy and early childhood can profoundly affect how well we learn and eventually read later in life.

Learning is fun, right?

Reading is fun!

Not always so for children whose vestibular system is, well, off balance.

An underdeveloped vestibular system, the part of the brain that keeps us from toppling over, among other things, may be at the heart of many struggles with learning, reading, concentration, language, and even emotional difficulties.

Why is balance so important?

1)  Balance is the foundation for most motor skills.

2)  It helps us walk, hop, skip, play, sit in our chairs without falling over.  (Are you propping up your head in your hands as you read this?  I hear that Tai Chi can work wonders for good balance.)

3)  Balance is important in

- perceptual motor development (i.e. How do I make my hand draw this letter I see?)

- directionality (i.e. Which way is that letter facing?  Is that a b or a d?)

- spatial organization (i.e. Where does this shape belong in relation to the others?)

- and other critical skills required for efficient learning.

4)  Balance and coordination skills allow children to interact with their environment, which allows for new experiences, which allows for more connections in the brain.

No wonder I immediately fell in love with Balance Animals created by the designers at The snowroom in Sweden.  Just to be perfectly clear, The snowroom makes no claims that Balance Animals will make your baby smarter.

Here’s the Inner Pieces Gallery perspective on that:

As long as we’re looking for great design for our homes,

and we LOVE pieces that are just as fun to look at as they are fun for kids to play with,

and we appreciate designers who keep the environment in mind,

Balance Animals already deliver.   Why not enjoy the added benefits of helping children develop their sense of balance and POTENTIALLY boost their brain power, too?

If you would like a Balance Animal of your own visit The snowroom’s website and contact their office in Sweden.  If you do, and your baby just happens to become a genius, you can always come back and thank me for the tip!

For now, though, I’m happy to send you more design inspiration like this when you sign up for my newsletter.

And don’t be shy about sharing this post.  After all, your well balanced child genius is sure to want some well balanced child genius friends, don’t you think?

I LOVE discovering furniture pieces that boldly express their own personality.  When that personality includes a quirky sense of humor, my heart gets a happy case of the giggles.

Imagine my pure delight when I learned about Judson Beaumont’s furniture designs for kids (and other kidlike people).  Judson and his company, Straight Line Designs Inc, create custom furniture and installations for children’s hospitals, libraries, play areas, clients’ homes, and more.  As you can see, this is no ordinary craftsmanship.  This is the put a giggle in your heart kind.

Here’s one of Straight Line’s pieces commissioned by Crayola.  What child wouldn’t ADORE unleashing their creativity onto this giant, quirky grandfather clock?  Heck, even I want a go at it.

I find myself wanting to use words like fun loving, happy and joyful when describing, of all things, pieces of furniture.  That, to me, is truly a testament to the designer of these whimsical works of art.  How would YOU describe them?

Not surprisingly, Judson gathers inspiration from his own children.  What I especially love is the message that impressionable young minds absorb simply by his example: when we express ourselves, it’s more than okay to color outside the lines.  It’s more than okay to do things differently than everyone else.  If you feel a little quirky and strange, GO WITH IT.  That authentic approach sure CAN be a lot more fun than trying to be just like everyone else.

I had SUCH a difficult time choosing only a few of my favorite pieces to share with you here.  I encourage you to explore his website on your own.  No doubt, the spirit of fun and joy in his work will put a big smile in your heart, too.

Care to spread that joy around?  If you belong to Pinterest, be sure to join me there and pin your favorite images!  Or, choose your favorite way to share below.

Back before I began digital illustration, when I was still searching for my long lost creative outlet, I went through a cake decorating phase.  I even took a class to learn just how the pros make those perfect little butter cream roses.  Yum!  I don’t believe the real pros ate quite as many as I did, though.

That phase is long over, but now I have a full appreciation for the hard work that goes into creating edible masterpieces like these.  I am so inspired!

By the way, Pinterest is now my new obsession, I mean addiction, I mean JOY!  If you want to join in on the fun check out my Pinterest board called, you guessed it, Things That Make You Go Yum!

And if your child happens to have a birthday coming up maybe you’ll translate all this sugary sweet inspiration into your own masterpiece.  Fair warning: if you happen to be a sugar addict like I was you may want to consider doubling up on the frosting, you know, just in case you are, ehem, forced to eat the “accidental” imperfections.  Just saying.

Want more kid centric inspiration?  Sign up for my newsletter to the right and receive weekly blog updates PLUS printable activity pages every first Friday of the month.  Or simply spread a little sweetness today and share this post.  Next week: an inspirational children’s book you won’t want to miss!

Look Mom, I’m putting my clothes away!  Ah yes, music to a mother’s ears.  Who knew that kids’ furniture could also be so empowering?

This month’s design inspiration is the perfect addition to any kids’ room.  The first time I saw this dresser by award winning designer Peter Bristol it made me smile.  Big.  With teeth, even.  What a great piece for modern parents who appreciate clean design and clean living.  What a boost of self confidence for the child so eager to dress him- or herself independently.

No learning curve needed.  Kids can proudly and effortlessly put their own clothes away.  Sure, every good parent wants to teach their child responsibility, but let’s face it.  What mom (or dad) wouldn’t also welcome a little extra help around the house?

I believe that great design, like this fabulously fun dresser, and great books, great songs, etc., are born from people who embrace their natural gifts and express those gifts in the work they do.  I am always curious about what leads people into their chosen careers.  Peter Bristol was gracious enough to share his experiences with me about becoming a designer.

Not sure if I was drawn to it, as much as I just did it naturally. I have been making things since I was very young and was fortunate enough to grow up in an incredibly enabling environment.  I spent a bunch of time doing “design” when I was young, but the fact that I could do that stuff as a job eluded me until well into college.  There were and will continue to be key influencers in my trajectory, but the path itself was/is more of a stumble (a stumble that feels inevitable now).

Peter illustrates a great point.  We don’t always know what careers we will inevitably fall into.  In fact, plenty of today’s careers didn’t exist 20, or 10, or even 5 years ago.  Children who grow up in environments that nurture freedom of expression are much better equipped to express their natural abilities and talents in the future.  So, how is your child expressing himself these days?

To learn more about the Training Dresser visit www.peterbristol.net.

For more kids’ room décor to help create a free-to-be-me environment in YOUR home visit InnerPiecesGallery.com.

Today I am celebrating good design… of the culinary kind.

My nephews love helping out in the kitchen.  The 4 year old recently learned that he may not QUITE be ready to chop vegetables, and will proudly show you the boo boo to prove it.

This is where brilliant design can have a huge impact.  Too bad these award winning, kid friendly kitchen tools have not made it to retail stores yet.  I think I would buy the whole set.  Kudos to their designers, Josephine Bentzen and Charlotte Skak.

Not only will these tools make parents’ lives easier, involving kids in family meal making

also helps promote good eating habits at an early age,

invites even finicky eaters to be proactive and try something new,

opens doors of communication between kids and their parents as they work together,

AND helps boost children’s self confidence by building skills they can use for a lifetime.

Of course “Kitchen Kids” are fun and stylish too!

Oh yeah, and they help put good food on the table.

I have a funny feeling the kids may want to play, I mean help, in the kitchen every day.  Talk about a win win!   To view the complete “Kitchen Kids” line visit http://josefinebentzen.com/Work/kitchen-kids/kitchen-kids-2.html.

By the way, what’s for dinner tonight?  Go ahead, ask the kids.