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Recently, it seems that when it comes to children’s rooms, the Nordic trend has become so common that it’s almost as if it’s the only option in the design world. So, what is it about the Nordic style that we love so much, especially in children’s rooms? I think there is something about the minimalism that characterizes this style, which provides a good alternative to the standard children’s rooms that are cluttered with colorful plastic toys. With our desire to give our children everything and the various stock stores making all this abundance cheap and accessible, we make it a bit difficult for them to focus on what interests them and explore. With all the technological gadgets, they sometimes miss the time when they are supposed to just play.
This is essentially what Nordic design offers us: rooms that are pleasant for us parents to be in and also magical for them. Their color scheme is limited, often pastel, and mainly uses natural materials. They have a monochromatic base that can adapt to changing ages, and a lot of space that stimulates the imagination and allows learning.
We were mainly exposed to the Nordic trend thanks to Pinterest, the problem is the gap between what we see online and what exists in furniture stores intended for children’s rooms. Most of the furniture in these stores is heavy, bulky, and in a color scheme that was suitable for the 80s and hasn’t been updated since. When I designed the rooms for my kids, Yahli and Alma, the selection was quite poor. Today, exactly a year later, there is such an abundance and it’s really fun. So I decided to share the pleasure with you, and if I missed something, feel free to update me in the comments.
OEUF
How great that Nihota started importing OEUF to Israel. This New York brand starred on my Pinterest boards for a long time and just when Alma transitioned to a toddler bed, they arrived in Israel. So of course, we bought her the perfect PERCH bed, but there are still a few items from them on my wishlist. The OEUF company was founded by a pair of designers from Brooklyn after the birth of their first child. They started with a cradle and now also produce toys and even children’s clothes. Nihota currently imports only the furniture, but they manage to keep prices similar to other countries, which is not taken for granted at all, in my opinion, as a customer and a designer.
The OEUF brand is, as mentioned, New York-based, but it totally matches the Scandinavian characteristics I look for when designing children’s rooms: natural materials, clean lines, and minimalism. Some of the furniture comes in a light birch shade and also in a dark walnut shade combined with white-painted MDF. Despite using the same materials and lines, the furniture does not look like a set, and I love that.
Alma’s room, photography: Shiran Carmel
RAFA KIDS
I admit that RAFA KIDS belong to the expensive category, but I have yet to encounter perfection like their products. RAFA KIDS produce beds, desks, shelves, benches, and swings. In the past year, they expanded into textiles and began producing sweet felt products. Just like OEUF, RAFA KIDS was founded by a Dutch architect couple who became parents, and I feel there are some architectural motifs in their products.
RAFA is imported to Israel by HERBERT, and although I personally usually prefer to order directly to save costs, in this case, I recommend using them mainly because it ends up being cheaper, and if you can also gain an address that will take responsibility for all the procedures, it’s certainly worth it.
KIDZOO
I owe the wonderful discovery of KIDZOO to my client Noga. She told me about her two friends, Noa and Lior, both industrial designers and graduates of Bezalel, who developed a whole collection of furniture and accessories for designing children’s rooms. The collection includes cool beds with animal-shaped headboards, stunning shelves, and hangers. The furniture is made of birch (multi-layered birch plywood) cut with CNC and glued with water-based glue that is safe even for babies. The furniture can be easily assembled and disassembled, making it easy to move when relocating. Only the beds are reinforced with hardware for safety reasons.
This discovery was really exciting for me because, although KIDZOO’s collection is made in Israel, it totally feels international. The designs are original and beautiful, and the prices are excellent. I have a feeling KIDZOO will only grow, and I am curious to see what additional products they will choose to develop.
You can’t finish this post without writing about a true Nordic brand… FLEXA is a Danish design company that produces furniture and accessories for children’s rooms and is imported to Israel by TOLLMAN’S DOT. Tollman’s doesn’t bring all the company’s products, but mainly a collection called POPSICLE, and contrary to the sweet name, the furniture is actually painted in deep shades like grey-blue, antique pink, and forest green, which give a twist between naive and mature. I love brands that allow children to ‘grow’ within them. Both the colors and the design of FLEXA’s furniture allow for this growth and still look soft and inviting.
The collection imported by TOLLMAN’S DOT is, as mentioned, very limited, and according to Tollman’s Dot’s website, the prices are not cheap, but I am glad that this option exists and hope the variety will grow.
