NY NOW

August 20, 2014

We had a great time checking out all the cool products at NY NOW. Here are a few that caught our eye!

Brooklyn-based Brand New Noise by Richard Upchurch makes adorable handmade voice recorders and other "creative sound gadgets" that let the kid musician in all of us experiment and play.

These incredible modern mobiles by Portland, OR artist Matthew Richards of Ekko Workshop are super sophisticated, while maintaining a strong sense of play.

We've been fans of Candylab Toys since we first saw their Kickstarter campaign. Their sleek modernist feel combined with a commitment to sustainability through their heirloom, wooden toys is truly remarkable.

The Bop wall mounted multi-purpose hanger by NTP design and PIN Everyday is a fresh, clean way to get almost anything up off the floor and into its proper place.

Want to see more of our adventure at NY NOW and beyond? Follow us on Instagram! @kinderMODERN

UNO

August 18, 2014

The Uno chair by Hanne Marthe Alvsvåg Kommedal is a sleek solution to the ergonomic problems of parenthood. Hanne designed the chair after watching the interactions between caregivers and children, noting that the adult often resorted to bad postures to get down to the child's level. This lightweight and portable chair made of solid ash allows adults the flexibility and support they need while engaging with children. The Uno chair will debut in September 2014 at the London Design Festival at 100% Norway by theBergen Academy of Art and Design.

ADRIAN NIVOLA

August 14, 2014

If you’re heading out to the Hamptons this month, be sure to check out Adrian Nivola’s first ever solo sculpture show at The Drawing Room. These delicate creations made from a mixture of mediums, including wire, string, and found materials, were inspired by 19th century dreams of aviation. We’re particularly drawn to the small scale and wild imagination of these pieces, a fantastical, high design version of model airplanes and other toy miniatures.

The Drawing Room is located at 66H Newtown Lane in East Hampton. Hours are Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays 10:00am-5:00pm; Sundays 11:00am-5:00pm; closed Wednesdays. Adrian Nivola: Sculpture will run through August 31, 2014.

BOOMF!

August 11, 2014

We decided to start the week off with a smile here at the kinder MODERN office with a fun photo shoot featuring personalized marshmallows from Boomf! We couldn't resist taking these sweet treats, showcasing some of our favorite kinder pieces, and posing them with a few unusual office visitors.

Pelican Lamp by H.T. Huang. Photo by Madison Todd.

These dinos are chowing down on our Elephant Rocker and Smiley Coat Rack. Image by Madison Todd.

Even super heroes need a little break!

Check out London-based boomf.com to see how to change your photos into these delicious bites. 9 marshmallows for $26. Ships worldwide. Please note: This is not a sponsored post. All ideas and opinions are kM's own. We just really love Boomf!

Interested in any of the kinder MODERN pieces featured in today's blog? Check out our website or email design@kindermodern.com for more information.

C+C MINI FACTORY

August 8, 2014

Image by Chelsea Cates & Quinn Corbin from society6.com

We're utterly charmed by Brooklyn artists Chelsea Cates & Quinn Corbin's fanciful tableaus featuring miniature animals. Check out their shop on society6 and scoop up fun prints, stationary, and phone cases. Pandas in a glitter bath, goats exploring the Arctic, and city circus animals populate these fascinating dreamscapes by C+C Mini Factory.

HACKS

August 5, 2014

So while we're all about preserving historical vintage and heirloom pieces to be loved and cherished by families for many years, we also adore a clever hack!

While chopping up an iconic Eames chair may seem a bit sacrilegious, this high chair and potty seat made in 2007 by students (Jared Delorenzo, Tim Peet, Alexandra Temple Powell, Tom Reynolds, Alie Thomer, and Andrew McCandlish) from the Department of Industrial Design at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia taps back into the Eames' original mission of experimentation and fun.

Adobe sponsored a "Hack Eames" contest in 2013, inviting six artists to reinvent the classic chair. We love what each artist finally configured, whether it was purely aesthetic design or a cool incorporation of robotics and technology.

Everyone's heard about (and many of us have tried) Ikea hacks. Some of the cleverest hack are definitely in the kids space. This dollhouse by blogger Willy Kroon is made from wallpaper scraps and a simple Expedit bookshelf.

Image from 101woonideeen.nl — Image from 101woonideeen.nl

The Digintet curtain clips can be used to hang a child's artwork - easy to install and easy to display new pieces as your kid creates them. Check out this project by blogger Meesh Pierce.

This transformation by Gisela Vidallé of the Kura bed into a minimalistic playhouse bed is truly remarkable.

100% practical and easy to transform, these simple Hemnes drawer supports do double duty as scooter stands.

With all the great hacks out there, we had a hard time choosing our favorites! Share yours with us on Twitter or Instagram! @kinderMODERN

GEOMETRY

August 1, 2014

Geometric design is officially in right now for kids and adults. Here at kM we just can't get enough of these simple shapes, in whatever their final incarnation may be. Check out some of our favorites below!

Image from b-and-bee.com — Image from b-and-bee.com

These hexagonal, sustainable, stackable structures are meant to reduce waste at festivals, concerts, and campsites. Designed in Belgium by B-and-Bee.

Our sister company kinder GROUND, uses triangles, hexagons, and diamonds to create a whole new type of modular carpet. The click-n-build carpet maker on their website is seriously addictive.

Blocks for grown-ups in cool, smooth Carrara marble? Yes, please! By Helsinki-based Italian designer Emanuele Pizzolorusso.

The Shape Mirrors by Bower NYC give the illusion of three-dimensionality. We've been lusting after these since we first saw them at Sight Unseen OFFSITE in May!

These brightly colored mobile boxes were part of a project to liven up conference meeting rooms by Hvass & Hannibal, a Copenhagen-based design studio. The geometric boxes paired with the organic, curving "mountain" mural, creates a dreamy conversation between city and county.

Another hexagon! This one by Daniel Garcia Sanchez organizes your desk and can be rearranged in multiple ways for maximum functionality (and fun)!

This honeycomb "wardrobe" in mahogany by Dutch designer Rene Siebum would be a sophisticated, yet whimsical, addition to any child's room or family space - a chic way to finally get those clothes off the floor.

Have a favorite geometric design? Tell us about it on Twitter or Instagram! @kinderMODERN

KM NEWS // PELICANS IN THE SHOP AT COOPER HEWITT

July 31, 2014

We are thrilled to announce that kinder MODERN's Pelican lamps are now available in the Shop at Cooper Hewitt. Designed by H. T. Huang in Taiwan in the 1980's, these plastic lamps make a fun addition to any space - kid or adult! Multi-functional, they are a nightlight when the beak is closed and a desk lamp when open. Huge thanks to the amazing Shop at Cooper Hewitt for including us!

MNML

July 29, 2014

July 29, 204

We're digging the Nest lounge chair by MINIMAL, a Chicago based design studio founded by Scott Wilson. Intended to promote conversation in a casual environment, this prototype was a finalist in the Battery Conservancy's "Draw Up a Chair"competition. Be sure to also check out "Ooba" and the Nest Collection, Wilson's line of infant and child furniture. Sustainable, timeless, and chicly minimal, these pieces are available here.

COLOR POPS: SMALL-DESIGN

July 28, 2014

Small-Design, a children's furniture line by Danish designers Eglantine Charrier and Anja Lykke, is simple, colorful, and perfect for any family home. This take on classic Scandinavian design engages that tradition, while echoing some of our favorite mid-century designers, such as Gerrit Rietveld. We love the clean lines and multi-functionality of these fun pieces.

BE THE DESIGNER

July 25, 2014

Ever wanted to be a designer or an architect? These awesome products give you the tools to take the creative process into your own hands and make something for your home that is truly unique.

Nockstone building blocks, a collaboration by Dutch designers Melle Kotte and Volken de Vlas, interlock on all sides and can be assembled into just about anything. Nockstones are 100% recyclable and made of durable, sustainable materials. We love the geometric lamps featured on their website! If you're digging this project, please check out their Kickstarter page and send some love!

kinder GROUND turns everyone into rug designers. This company takes modular carpet to a new level by offering non-traditional shapes (hexagons, triangles, and diamonds) in plush, non-toxic New Zealand wool. Take a few minutes to play with their click-n-build carpet maker and see how many configurations you can create. (Note: we might be a little partial to kinder GROUND - they're our sister company!)

These industrial chic lamps by Romanian architect and designer Dragos Motica for Ubikubi explore the relationship between creation and destruction, as the end user smashes the concrete cylinder into their own one-of-a-kind piece.

MADELINE IN NEW YORK: THE ART OF LUDWIG BEMELMANS

July 23, 2014

By Ludwig Bemelmans. Image from nyhistory.org — By Ludwig Bemelmans. Image from nyhistory.org

We wrote about The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA earlier this year. Now New Yorkers have an opportunity to view an exhibit organized and curated by this museum in the city. The New York Historical Society will host Madeline in New York: The Art of Ludwig Bemelmans through October 19, 2014. This retrospective celebrates the beloved illustrator of the Madeline books, with over 90 original pieces. The exhibit also goes beyond his work in children's books and features drawings of the old Ritz Hotel in New York City, murals from a Paris bistro, panels from the Onassis yacht, and fabrics based on his illustrations for another children's book. Be sure to grab one of the special maps that outline Bemelmans favorite places in NYC, for a fun and interactive walking tour.

The New York Historical Societyis location at 170 Central Park West (at 77th Street) and is closed Mondays. Tweet or Insta us @kinderMODERN and share your experience with this exhibit!

SUSTAINABILITY & DESIGN

July 22, 2014

Here at kinder MODERN we're always intrigued by artists who share our love of design and our love of sustainability. One of our favorite artists and designers, Tattfoo Tan, has developed an incredible initiative called "S.O.S" (Sustainable. Organics. Stewardship.), a practical manifestation of his ongoing exploration into green ethics, the sociological impacts of big agriculture, and design aesthetics. His S.O.S. Mobile Gardenscombat waste and the scarcity of city growing space. Tattfoo repurposes found objects, such as discarded suitcases, strollers, and shopping carts, and transforms them into mobile gardens for fruits and vegetables. This transformation creates an interesting juxtaposition between the food we eat and the objects we consider garbage, creating space to discuss important questions about food and urban life and, hopefully, serving as a catalyst for change. Read more about Tattfoo and all his projects on his website.

Tattfoo's NEAKA (New Earth Apocalypse Knowledge Advancement) is also part of FOODshed, an exhibition of artists who work with food and agriculture, this summer atSmack Mellon Gallery in DUMBO. This amazing exhibit is only on display through July 27, 2014, so be sure to check it out this week!

Looking for a cool place to see sustainable urban planning and renewal in action with your little ones? Check out Freshkills Park on Staten Island. The largest park project in NYC in over a century, it's built on the sight of a former landfill and future plans include the development of sustainable energy and restoration of natural wetland ecosystems. Although the park is still under construction in many places, Schmul Playground and Owl Hollow Fields offer plenty of room to run and play while supporting this important endeavor in sustainability.

NYC MAKERS: THE MAD BIENNIAL

July 21, 2014

The Museum of Art and Design launched NYC Makers: The MAD Biennial this month, an exuberant exhibition highlighting creative communities throughout New York City. One hundred makers have been chosen for a carefully curated selection of the most inventive designers in the city today across a myriad of mediums, including furniture, fashion, film, art, architecture, food, education, and textiles. (Be sure to check out the incredible floor by one of our favorite collaborators, Inigo Elizalde Rugs, in the installation by Rafael de Cardenas of Architecture at Large!)

In conjunction with the exhibit, MAD will host a variety of family programs for kids. Studio Sundays (July 27, August 3, and August 10, 2014 at 2:00pm) will explore different aspects of the exhibition. On July 27, the studio will encourage children to identify makers in their own community and think about the ways in which everyone can be a maker. On August 3, kids can experiment with stop-motion animation. August 10 will focus on architecture and encourage collaborative architectural design.

Visited the exhibit? Share your experiences with us on Twitter or Insta! @kinderMODERN #kMblog

PHILADELPHIA: MAGIC GARDENS & MAURICE SENDAK

July 17, 2014

Visiting Philadelphia this summer with or without the kids in tow? Either way, we recommend checking out Philadelphia's Magic Gardens and the Maurice Sendak exhibit at the Rosenbach Museum and Library. Outdoor, large-scale art? Arty children's books? Yes, please!

Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens is a mosaic garden created by visionary artist Isaiah Zagar in the 1990s. Covering over 3,000 square feet and taking almost 15 years to complete, this truly fantastical, multi-level permanent installation incorporates found pieces from the rapidly developing South Street neighborhood, as well as tiles and ceramics from the artist's travels. Zagar has completed over 200 mosaic murals which can be found all over the world. “Family Jams” are the second Sunday of every month between noon and 4:00pm, and feature hands-on workshops and often the opportunity to meet the artist!

The Maurice Sendak Collection at The Rosenbach Museum and Library houses 10,000 of Sendak’s original manuscripts and illustrations, and explores the development and legacy of this iconic illustrator throughout his lifetime and beyond. Currently on view is “Sendak in the ’60s,” a thought-provoking exhibit examining Sendak’s early work as part of an experimental, vanguard group of illustrators who changed children’s books forever. While beloved and accepted today, Sendak’s monsters in Where the Wild Things Are and the nude mischief-maker of In the Night Kitchen were considered extremely subversive at the time of their original publication, and challenged the accepted norms for children’s art. The exhibit runs through November 2, 2014 and is not to miss for both Sendak's more well-known pieces and also his haunting and nuanced black-and-white sketches from the latter half of the decade.