Blisstree » Offbeat Kids

Help save handmade toys in the USA – sign the online petition!

Jennifer Chait — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 04:00:56 +0000

I know we don’t often discuss toys here, but this is important and a major green issue, something we do discuss here often.

Please head over to Tree Hugging Family today, to learn about the new Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) laws on toy making. These new laws will make it nearly impossible for parents and children to have access to green and handmade toys.

If you want green or handmade toy options available for your children you need to get involved.

Post from: Blisstree

Help save handmade toys in the USA – sign the online petition!

Kooky posh kid furnishings

Jennifer Chait — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 19:30:34 +0000

When I’ve visited Posh Tots in the past (for a baby blog I write), I’ve seen some pretty amazing and luxurious furniture for both baby and child. However, I recently realized that beyond beauty and delicate rich patterns, Posh Tots carries some amazingly offbeat furniture. Perfect for offbeat kiddos.

For example, the Boom Cabinet, of which I’ve seen items like, but never its exact equal. What kid wouldn’t be thrilled to have this – and by the way the exploding parts attach to the wall and do actually work as drawers.

So cool; no? Want to see more?

The Raymond Dresser cracks me up – maybe this would be good for a child who likes to lounge about.

Last up is the totally fun Accordion Dresser; words escape me.

Above I only showed the tip of a much larger iceberg. Visit Posh Tots to drool over the most amazing pint-sized furniture, decor, lighting, gifts, (and more) that you’ve ever seen.

[images via Posh Tots]

Post from: Blisstree

Kooky posh kid furnishings

Barbara Butler Homes for Kids

Jennifer Chait — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:24:35 +0000

Barbara Butler is somewhat of a genius company. So far as offbeat, unique, and lovely pint-sized structures go, I’d be surprised if you could find better than these. This company creates beautiful treehouses, play forts, small play house, adventure spaces, and garden sheds in child-sized versions.

If you visit the company site, you’ll be there forever, because everything is worth seeing, and completly amazing. The thought given to the small details is outstanding, and any child would love to have one of these structure to call their own.

I like all the structures but my favorite is maybe the custom built Wizards Hideout:

I also like the Cape Codder Playhouse – which, as you can see from the picture, is on sale! Yay.

Visit Barbara Butler to see all the amazing and enchanting structures available. You also might adore this post: Offbeat Play Structures for Your Unique Child.

[images via Barbara Butler]

Post from: Blisstree

Barbara Butler Homes for Kids

Inhabitat launching a new blog!

Jennifer Chait — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 05:00:40 +0000

If you’ve been reading Offbeat Homes for any decent amount of time, you’ll note that I have many favorite architect and design blogs. I tend to talk about and link to my faves pretty incessantly. One such blog is Inhabitat. I’ve been a huge fan of Inhabitat for a long time, and I know some of you are as well.

Well the news is that they’ve just launched a brand new blog! and there’s more…

Imagine my delight, when I recently landed a new blogging gig with the Inhabitat team. Oh yes, I said it. I’ll be blogging on their brand new venture, Inhabitots. Am I excited – uh, yeah. but you shouldn’t visit just to see little ol’ me (although I know you want to). There are plenty of good reasons to visit this new pint-sized, design savvy blog.

1. If you’ve got tiny ones running around, and still would like to maintain your design sense, then this is the place for you. Inhabitots is covering all sorts of goodies like…

2. You can visit the above posts to keep your abode offbeat and stylish, yet still friendly enough for little feet.

3. It’s flipping Inhabitat – you know this stuff will be good. Enough said.

In any case, of course I’ll still be blogging away about quirky stuff here at Offbeat, but I’d love to see you over at my new haunt as well. See you there.

[image via inhabitots]

Post from: Blisstree

Inhabitat launching a new blog!

Offbeat Furniture for Kooky Kids

Jennifer Chait — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:46:18 +0000

We haven’t had a good old offbeat furniture post in a while. I haven’t seen too many adult oddball pieces lately, but I did recently find this crazy amazing table set for the kiddos:

[Toadstool Table and Toadstool Set available at Karma Kiss]

How come when I was a kid I never had such a cool table set? Sadness. Still, this is an awesome and unique set. It would look really cute outside too.

Next up is the unique Trioli, designed by Eero Aarnio. This toddler chair was designed for the multiple interpretations of a child’s mind. That’s so very cool.

[Trioli at Architonic]

[Luscious, yet somewhat odd bassinet - visit If It's Hip It's Here to see more pictures and learn details]

Last up; not something typical artistically offbeat, but kind of fun and unique for space loving tots…

[Space Store collection from Giosto - I'd hit their kitchen set too if I were you]

Post from: Blisstree

Offbeat Furniture for Kooky Kids

A Better ABC Poster for Design Savvy Babes

Jennifer Chait — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:00:09 +0000

If you’re a big ol’ fan of unique design, then it’s likely that typical ABC posters full of pastel bunnies, kittens, and bugs for your little one, make you cringe. I know I don’t like them.

If you have a little one on the way, or a toddler, this ABC poster I saw at Core77 is a must have. Of course, kids aren’t required. You could hang this in your own adult living space as well.

So awesome! I went to check out the above Alphabet of design classics at Blue Art Studio and found another ABC poster that I love even more than the classic design, the A-Z nero:

How great is this poster? Perfect for the nursery, or any other home space. I just adore it. See these and more posters at Blue Art Studio.

[images via Blue Art Studio]

Post from: Blisstree

A Better ABC Poster for Design Savvy Babes

A Pint Sized Treehouse Room

Jennifer Chait — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 10:00:31 +0000

This is some totally random treehouse room I found a long time ago; and really this site is selling cool wall murals for children’s spaces, not truly homes of any sort. Still, it’s worth a look. I keep wondering which lucky kid on the planet owns this room. I’d have loved this as a kid – well maybe not the overly vibrant blur chair set and curtains, but you know what I mean.

See more wall mural creations at Leland’s.

[image via Leland's]

Post from: Blisstree

A Pint Sized Treehouse Room

Offbeat Play Structures for Your Unique Child

Jennifer Chait — Sat, 17 May 2008 05:00:04 +0000

This month at Offbeat, I’m introducing you to some of my neighboring blogs via the Lifestyles Channel Three Doors Down event. Last week we looked at Psycho for Love. This week, something a little less psycho, and more fun; Play Library. Play Library covers the best of the best in playtime fun for kids and families. I’m pretty happy to showcase Play Library, because that means I get to do a kid-oriented post here, which is always fun. At the end of this post you can learn a little more about what’s cool and happening at Play Library.

In honor of Play Library, we’ll be looking at some kid friendly play spaces. As you might expect, here at Offbeat, we frown on boring playhouses. Why have this?:

When a world of unique play opportunities awaits? Offbeat has already featured many a unique play space, such as…

But, maybe you’re looking for a fresh crop of kid’s play structures. In that case jump to the next page to see the best of the best in child size offbeat playhouse fun.

[Wooden childs playhouse via the exceptional Reel Furniture - David Meddings Designs]

[Cardboard Cubby via Super Colossal]

Then two prefab bits of cool for the kindergarten set…

[MetroPlay via MetroShed]

[The Modern Playshed via Velocity Art and Design, via Inhabitat]

All of the above; much better than most of the plastic looking Toys R Us sets out there. Now, for more kid’s stuff all the time you have to visit Play Library. Susan, who blogs over at PL is the mama of triplets! Believe me, she’s got some knowledge in the what to do with kids for fun department. She posts cool stuff like…

Step 2 Naturally Playful Sandbox – Review
Configurable Balance Beam Toy for Children – sort of an offbeat toy! Very different.
An awesome Little Tikes Slam n Slide Pool, Slide and Climber, that frankly, I wish they had in adult size.
Beach Blast Ball for Outdoor Water Fun
And a very cool Teeter Twirl
Plus oodles more.

Visit Susan at Play Library today, and increase your fun knowledge ten fold – your kids will adore you for it.

By the way, which playhouse would you choose? I love them all, but think I’m partial to the second prefab. Although as a kid, I’d have gone straight to the little woodchuck-like log home.

[Image of Happy Home Playhouse via Amazon]

Post from: Blisstree

Offbeat Play Structures for Your Unique Child

What Kid Wouldn’t Love This House?

Jennifer Chait — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:10:22 +0000

I’ve thought this was a cool idea for some time, so, it’s about time to share…

This is the Maritime Youth House. Two clients own it (or did when arcspace reported on it). A sailing club and youth house are housed here, of course with different needs. Need one – boat parking spaces, need two – kid fun. I think they accomplished both.

This house was designed by the former PLOT architects – who I’m a fan of in most cases. This is such a great idea because it combines the elements needed seamlessly. You can see more great photos at arcspace or visit PLOT’s old website to see what they’re up to now; such as the formation of two separate and cool firms, JDS architects and BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group.

Post from: Blisstree

What Kid Wouldn’t Love This House?

Nine Last-Minute Offbeat Worthy Holiday Gifts

Jennifer Chait — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 08:10:09 +0000

If you have super speed shipping some of these could even technically pan out as holiday gifts. Honestly, I wanted to do a huge gift post earlier but just wasn’t feeling it. This is the abbreviated version.

How To See

This book is a gem. It looks like something only a select few might enjoy; but really Nelson’s, ‘there you go’ speaking manner and his insight into the designs that swirl in the world all around us make this a book to hunt out and love.

Mint Hug Salt and Pepper Set

A nice stocking stuffer. Great design and it’s functional. Plus come on; how adorable. You don’t get common kitchen items better than this.

Vitra Chair Poster

Ah lovely Vitra. Framed nicely the perfect addition to any office. Get those offbeat juices flowing. Visit the above link to see a better close-up.

Alberto Clotheshorse

In green gift idea I have this…

What the heck…

Artecnica Midsummer Light

This little offbeat ditty is a play on light, a lamp shade of sorts; double layer paper pendant light in tyvek from designer Tord Boontje. To give you idea, here it is in full view in green and yellow. But I’d get this in the white (next to green). It also comes in a fairly obscene fuchsia.

Frank Lloyd Wright: A Film by Ken Burns & Lynn Novick DVD

One of those classic, easy, offbeat gifts. Not so offbeat from the offset but a great use of 160 minutes.

I Heart Guts

What every offbeat kiddo needs under the tree this year.

Guts too scary for your little?

How about this amazing tree puzzle. Not sure how on earth to get it; being that it’s seemingly only on display at the Toy Museum in Nakano but I WANT it.

Alessi Lieto Angel Statuette

I thought for my last idea I’d offer something non typical of me. I’m not into little figurines. Or angel items. Not because I frown on angels, but more because I never see anything truly unique in angels. This little angel is part of the Alessi Figurines Project and I really like it. It’s such a fresh take on the typical angel figurine and I think it would make the perfect gift for a collector.

Happy holiday shopping!

Post from: Blisstree

Nine Last-Minute Offbeat Worthy Holiday Gifts