WALL ART

July 14, 2014

Looking for a fresh way to decorate your kid's walls? We love a mix of vintage and contemporary. Check out some of our current favorites below!

Serena & Lily have a variety of options. We love their mounted stuffed animals, fanciful ship kites, and bright mirrors.

Image from serenaandlily.com — Image from serenaandlily.com

kM's own vintage coat rack is functional and fun! This piece from the US in the 1950's is a perfect way to incorporate vintage into your kids room and keep clothes off the floor.

Ryan McGinness' Silver Skateboard Deck from Little Collector is fierce. We're digging the monochromatic color scheme and eclectic design.

Our smiley coat rack, another vintage 1950's American piece, will brighten any room with its cheerful countenance.

kM's Anvia Wall Sconces by J. M M. Hoogervorst, inspired by Charlotte Perriand, produced by the Dutch Lamp Factory Philips in the 1960s/70s are bright enough for a child's space, but sophisticated enough to live with your family for many years.

Interested in purchasing any of the kinder MODERN pieces--like the vintage coat rack, smiley coat rack, or Anvia sconces--featured in today's blog? Email design@kindermodern.com for more info or purchase directly through our site - now with ecommerce!

BILDY

July 11, 2014

This cool playhouse and construction system prototype by UK designer Jayne Bromfield lets little ones create spectacular spaces where their imaginations can really roam free, also while eliminating messy pillow forts that seem to take over any home with kids. The gender neutral color palette and fun designs allow children to build anything from houses to vehicles to completely unique structures. Watch the video below to learn more and visit Launch Box asap to help fund and support this amazing design!

JEFF KOONS: SPLIT-ROCKER

July 10, 2014

We've blogged about our love for Jeff Koons' "Split-Rocker" before - we can't get enough of this fascinating combination of two child rockers, one a toy pony and the other a toy dragon. We're super psyched for the new edition of this piece, installed at Rockefeller Center in NYC this summer. Standing at almost 38 feet high and weighing 150 tons, the massive edition of the sculpture will be covered in flowering plants, including begonias, geraniums, and marigolds. Be sure to check it out before September 12, 2014 for both its massive scale and its place in 20th & 21st century pop art, sure to amaze kids and grown-ups.

The Rockefeller installation coincides with the Whitney's Jeff Koons Retrospective, June 27-October 19, 2014. The first retrospective on the artist, the exhibition acknowledges both the influence and controversy of his long career by examining his diverse body of work from 1978 to present day. Don't miss the special family opening on Saturday, July 19, 2014 from 9:30am-12:00pm.

Visiting "Split-Rocker" or the Koons retrospective at the Whitney? Be sure to tweet and Insta us @kinderMODERN #kMblog

LITTLE COLLECTOR + ART MARKET HAMPTONS

July 7, 2014

Heading out to the Hamptons this weekend for the annual Art Market? Little Collector, an online art gallery aimed at children, is making a big splash this year! Be sure to check our their booth, featuring kid-friendly pieces for any aesthetic, including skate decks by Ryan McGinness and Yayoi Kusama's large pumpkin soft sculpture. There will also be a candy bar - yum!

Little Collector will host a guided tour of the Art Market for kids ages 4 and up, Friday, July 11 at 2:00pm. RSVP online and meet at the Little Collector's booth to learn all about contemporary art directly from dealers, curators, and the artists themselves! In conjunction with Art Market, Little Collector will also host an interactive tour of the Long House Reserve in East Hampton, NY just for kids and families on Friday, July 11 at 9:30am. Space is limited, so please RSVP online for this incredible opportunity to visit the museum and gardens.

Art Market Hamptons will be held July 10-13, 2014 in Bridgehampton, NY. Check out their website to purchase tickets and for more information about this great event.

ALPHABET ART

July 2, 2014

Did you know artists have been using the alphabet for inspiration since the Middle Ages? Here are some of our favorite fresh and modern takes on this timeless art.

The "Typographia" collection by Tabisso turns the alphabet into stackable kids chairs made from beechwood and Formica.

Image from tabisso.com — Image from tabisso.com

Definitely not for kids, but these fun matchboxes from the 1970s feature a whimsical animal alphabet.

Move into the 1980s with these brightly colored stickers.

These contemporary alphabet blocks feature the work of Alexander Girard and were originally created for the San Francisco MoMA shop.

Our most favorite alphabet, however, must be this incredible mini-golf course set high atop a mountain by French artists Guillamit and Thomas Bernard.

Tweet or Instagram your favorite alphabet art to @kinderMODERN!

BEACH BY DESIGN

July 1, 2014

Heading to the beach this week for Independence Day celebrations with your little ones? Check out some of our favorite picks for design-forward beach toys and play in style.

The spherical design of this bucket minimizes spill and eases frustrations as kids carry water from the sea to their castles.

These non-toxic rubber throw toys, with smooth lines and bright colors, will keep your family's best friend occupied for hours.

The two-in-one sieve and funnel does double duty.

Friendly for the earth and fun for your little one. This biodegradable bucket and scoop set is a perfect design.

Image from amazon.com — Image from amazon.com

Great for bath or beach, these duckies are absolutely sweet.

HIGH CHILD DESIGN

June 19, 2014

We couldn’t be more excited when we find one of our favorite artists dabbling in child design. The following pieces by iconic pop artists combine the sophistication and nuance of high design with the small scale, kid-friendly appeal and functionality of child art and design. Whether a one of a kind art piece or a limited edition toy for kids to enjoy, we can’t get enough.

Jeff Koons. Split-rocker. USA, 1999. Polychromed aluminum.

Karim Rashid for Offi. Kapsule Chair. Plastic.

Yayoi Kusama. Pumpkin. Silk-screen nylon pillow.

Yayoi Kusama. Self Portrait (2008). Puzzle.

Marc Newson. Bunky Bunk Bed. 2011. Molded polyethylene.

Damien Hirst. Mickey. 2012. Household gloss on canvas.

FIBERGLASS

June 18, 2014

Fiberglass, or rather fiber-reinforced plastic, was developed in the 1930s. It was initially used by the military to build stronger and faster aircraft during World War II, and then commercially in boats and sport cars after the war. Beginning in the 1950s designers began to experiment with fiberglass for furniture. Lightweight, relatively inexpensive, colorful, and virtually indestructible, fiberglass proved an ideal medium for child design.

Although not child-sized, the Eames Rocking Chair was one of the first pieces to be mass-produced in fiberglass, beginning in 1950. This mid-century nursery staple was not sold to the public after 1968, but production continued on a small scale as gifts for every Herman Miller employee who became a new parent.

Gunter Beltzig's fiberglass child chairs, produced in Germany in 1966, were part of a larger fiberglass collection, including play tables, a seesaw, and a slide, intended for indoor and outdoor use. Beltzig was drawn to fiberglass for his children's collection because the material's light weight insured that children could move and play with the pieces without adult assistance.

Image by Lora Appleton for kinder MODERN

Marc Berthier's 1970 Ozoo line was the first fiberglass furniture produced in France. The Ozoo collection included furniture for children and adults, but the MiniDesk, which featured a fun hiding spot and places to stash school supplies, was purchased for use in several French school and kindergartens.

Eero Aarnio embraced fiberglass for this mod chair, made in Finland circa 1970.

Have a favorite fiberglass piece? Show us on Instagram! @kinderMODERN

Interested in purchasing any of the kinder MODERN pieces, like the Ozoo MiniDesk or Mod Chair, featured in today's blog? Email design@kindermodern.com for more info or purchase directly through our site - now with ecommerce!

COOPER-HEWITT: SUMMER FAMILY PROGRAMS

June 17, 2014

The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum may be closed until its grand re-opening in December, but there are still tons of fun programs for kids running all summer!

On Thursday, June 19, 2014 at 10am the Cooper Hewitt Toddler Program presents Design Tales for preschoolers ages 2-5. This engaging workshop teaches design basics through interactive reading sessions with design based books. Led by a museum educator, tiny designers will participate in activities that inspire artistic visualization and creative play.

On Tuesday and Thursday, June 24 and 26, 2014, the Toddler Program will venture to Cooper Hewitt's own innovativeImagination Playground. From 10-11am children are invited to take advantage of this unique space for imagination and creativity.

On Saturday, June 28th, 2014, Design Kids, for school children ages 5-12, will host a Couture Sockett® puppet making workshop with Tigercandy Arts Studio. These colorful creatures made from socks and felt stimulate imagination whether your little artist creates an animal we all know or something totally fantastical.

All events are free and will take place at the Cooper Hewitt Design Center located at 111 Central Park North in New York City. Design Kids and Design Kids Toddler Program are both made possible by Target.

GREY EAST & KM

June 11, 2014

kinder MODERN is psyched to be featured as part of Grey Area's summer exhibition at Glenn Horowitz Bookseller's gallery in East Hampton, NY. This exclusive collaboration includes pop-ups with Mondo Cane, Project No. 8, and kinder MODERN. (Stop by to see some chic kinder pieces!) The gallery will also host an installation by artists Jonah Freeman and Justin Lowe.

Grey Area is a Brooklyn-based art and design consultancy that "seeks to push the limits of creative engagement and expression through collaboration, installation, and programming." Grey Area represents a variety of artists and designers, including Chen Chen and Kai Williams (we love their Versa table, featured at Sight Unseen's OFFSITE, and, if you're looking for something more affordable, their "Nuggets" key chains made from composite materials left over from their studio work); Cheryl Ekstrom, whose Stable Inhabitants of a Changing World was featured at Collective.2 Design Fair; and Baron Von Fancy, who opened the Glenn Horowitz show with a two week installation (kids, cover your ears--we love his cheeky "Screw Me" screwdriver from his exhibition You're My Drug of Choice.)

Glenn Horowitz Bookseller East Hampton Gallery highlights local Hampton's artists, as well as those with international acclaim, through a changing series of exhibitions showcasing art, objects, and books. They are located at 87 Newton Lane, East Hampton, NY and are open Sunday-Tuesday, 11am-5pm, and Thursday-Saturday 11am-7pm.

IKEA PS 2014

June 9, 2014

We can't get enough of Ikea's PS 2014 collection. These amazing, modern pieces by designers from all over the world are truly lust-worthy. The collection is geared toward the young (and young at heart) urban dweller who often lives in "unconventional spaces and never in one place for long."

Image from ikea.com — Image from ikea.com

This child's balance bench by Swedish designer Henrik Preutz encourages play and movement.

The whole kinder team is a bit obsessed with this sleek secretary from designers Krystian Kowalski, Maja Ganszyniec, and Pawel Jasiewicz. Perfect for a tween or teen!

And of course, we can't resist a cool geometric pattern, like this rug by Margrethe Odgaard.

Tell us your favorite from Ikea's PS 2014 on Twitter! @kinderMODERN

PLYWOOD

June 6, 2014

Inexpensive, easy to mold, and incredibly strong, plywood became a go-to material for child design in the twentieth century. Many designers and production houses experimented with this material to create some of the most interesting pieces of the period. Check out a few of our favorites below!

Image from metmuseum.org — Image from metmuseum.org

This classic American piece by Charles Eames & Ray Eames, circa 1946, is made from a single piece of molded plywood: tough for heavy play, but also designed to support a child's growing body. Manufactured by Herman Miller Furniture Company.

Glora Caranica designed this abstract rocker for Creative Playthings in 1970 using bent plywood.

More circle cut-outs adorn this birch rocker from the former USSR. Designed by Albrecht Lange and Hans Mitzlaff, circa 1960.

Thonet's bent plywood chairs were a mid-century staple in child design. This blonde pair was manufactured in France in the 1940s.

This beech plywood child's chair by Kristian Vedel, 1957, features an adjustable lacquered seat.

Have a favorite plywood piece? Tell us about it on Twitter! @kinderMODERN

Interested in purchasing any of the kinder pieces featured in today's blog? Please email us at design@kindermodern.com to find out more!

NYC, ART, & KIDS: JUNE 2014

June 3, 2014

Looking for some kid-centric and art-focused exhibits to check out with your little one this summer? Here are a few of our favorites for the month of June, for both rainy days and sunny ones!

Inspire your little ones with the work of their peers and support an amazing non-profit at the Guggenheim's "A Year with Children" exhibit through June 18, 2014. This collection features collaborative art by New York City elementary students participating in the Guggenheim's artist-in-residence program, Learning Through Art.

Image from guggenheim.org — Image from guggenheim.org

Head over to Brooklyn and let your kids run wild in the gorgeously blooming Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Explore the tree house installation by world-renowned tree house architect Roderick Romero, which is made completely from trees lost in Hurricane Sandy.

The Children's Museum of the Arts debuts its summer exhibition, Focus: Artists as Observer, on June 10, 2014. Use these pieces by artists Will Ellis, Richard Renaldi, Jessica Wolff, and others to begin a conversation with your children about the ways in which artists define their identity by observing the world around them.

The scale of Kara Walker's public project, A Subtlety or the Marvelous Sugar Baby, at the Domino Sugar Factory in Brooklyn is sure to amaze and delight children with its enormity. Check it out through July 6, 2014.

What are some of your favorite summer exhibits to share with your kids in NYC? Tweet us @kinderMODERN and tell us all about it!

RECAP: ICFF 2014

May 27, 2014

ICFF 2014 was a blast! For those of you who don't know, we debuted our new brand: kinder GROUND Modular Carpet. Day one started with a shock - we were honored to win the ASID Top Shelf Design Award for flooring. Our team had such a great experience sharing our new endeavor, meeting all kinds of awesome people, and seeing amazing products from all over the world. We were so inspired and awed by all the incredible design we saw at the fair, but here are a few of our favorites:

Totally digging this brush steel "mirror" from Assembly Design by our ICFF neighbors Pete Oyler & Nora Mattingly.

Dying for these modular flooring wood tiles from Moonish.

Loved everything about Fuglen and their celebration of Norwegian design icons. We were lucky enough to meet meet and spend some time with the Fuglen team, as they were also fellow exhibitors at the Collective Design Fair. Their concept and dedication to all things Norwegian was a true inspiration.

With one of the most colorful booths at ICFF (other than ours!), we loved the incredible wall coverings from Flavor Paper.

SIGHT UNSEEN OFFSITE

May 22, 2014

This year's Sight Unseen OFFSITE, produced and curated by Monica Khemsurov and Jill Singer, was one of our favorite parts of NYC's month-long celebration of art and design. Featuring an eclectic range of fierce designers, OFFSITE completely blew us away. Here are some of our favorites:

We went crazy for Kelly Behun and Alex P. White's super chic Neo Laminati design furniture, and were particularly impressed by the handwoven Moroccan rugs and the super-cool geometric plant holder. With plenty of optical illusions, there's not a piece we don't majorly covet.

We're definitely lusting after Material Lust's "Geometry is God" line. Our favorite thing about Material Lust is their clear and sharp point of view. Taking anarchy to the sublime is easy for Lauren Larson and Christian Lopez Swafford. We very much appreciated their mixture of materials--how can you go wrong with black glass, brass, and blackened metal?

From the outskirts of Bali to this New York City show, Field Experiments provided an incredible installation of thoughtful artisanal artwork. With unbelievable expertly dyed indigo pieces, as well as funky face-painted art rocks, we give huge kudos to this hot trio.

Shockingly, mariomilana is some of the most comfortable furniture we've ever sat on. With innovative and colorful ergonomics, these designs are out of site. We loved the Rulla rocking chair.