Children bring so much to our lives....

Childs Bertoia chair

Mama and baby

vintage Cosco booster seat

brothers enjoying modern design

new cat's cradle bases

bent plywood teeter-totter

Children bring so much to our lives, and some of that is pint size modern design.When I had my first child, I was so appalled by the new plastic toys that would soon take over the house. I felt that you could avoid it by carefully choosing beautiful wooden toys, so that your house would still have a consistent flow. I soon realized that those lovely BPA free wooden toys are expensive and children like brightly colored plastic toys that you can easily come across at any yard sale.
I did find this great vintage cosco booster seat at a thrift store for under $2, when my first was young. I had bid a few different times on these seats on ebay before we even had a child in the house. I always lost out and was excited to find this one close to home and next to nothing. I believe these were booster seats for the car, the cut-outs in the side are for the seat belt to go through.
The first picture is of the newest addition to our home, and its a vintage Knoll Bertoia chair sized for a child. I grabbed this yesterday when I spotted it in the window of a store while driving by. I at first glance thought it would just be a matching mate to my backyard bertoia, and was beside myself to find it was a matching miniature. This size is harder to find than the adult version, and I would love to own two(one for each child) but I doubt that lightning will strike twice.
I decided to purchase new bases for the two purple Herman Miller armshell chairs and went with the cat's cradle base(LAR). These bases weren't necessarily intended for children, but if you have ever sat in one you will understand that a seat height of 11.5'' is perfect for a child. What I love about these chairs, even thought they sit VERY low to the ground, the shell itself is a standard size and is still comfortable for an adult.
I have to remind myself that nothing in the house can be precious with two boys running(and crawling) around, because these chairs, I've been told by my 5yr old, are great to turn upside down and hide under. They are used to roughhouse on, to play video games from and a perfect height to eat dinner right off the coffee table in.(not that I allow my children to eat in front of the tv-HaHa!)
The last photo is of a thrift find that I couldn't leave behind, but not quite practical since I don't have two children close to the same size. This bentwood teeter-totter was $9 and to me one of those beautiful wooden toys I was talking about before. I can't find much about it online, except a couple of years ago one sold at our local auction house and was only labeled as modernist child's toy. It could be Ikea for all I know, but the sculptural design of this toy helps counteract all of the plastic crap that is laying about the house ever since I decided to have kids.