apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Bwaaaaaaaa! Not enough options! I am offended and feel slapped in the face.

As was suggested by numerous people, pet and kid design theme periods should be abbreviated. I think that most of us would be perfectly fine with a week or two of it, but a full month is overkill.

while i did just check "none! let's scrap this theme!" i do agree with syd that it'd be fine if it were cut shorter (though i thought the same of pet month).

maybe 1-2 posts a week for the whole month?

Kwik kvetch: why not both options 1 and 2?

[geeez, who knew surveys could be so friggin' troublesome?]

While a month of kid stuff is probably excessive as is Pet month, Garden month etc. I don't see the need to scrap the topic entirely. I for one am a dog owner and could care less about where to hide a litter box or the high end dog accessories I indulged in during my single days.

However, I am constantly brainstorming space-saving ideas that will make my family of four plus dog, aquarium and home office! a liveable and lovely 2 bedroom space until we can afford a house. And to that end, AT has been an amazing resource on so many levels. And up until now I really felt that AT was fairly inclusive community.

While noone has said outright that they hate kids the tone has not been the most positive. I suppose AT readers never whined, threw a tantrum or misbehaved when they were children. Well it appears some of you are certainly making up for it now.

I just can't believe people wouldn't want to open their eyes to all facets and areas of design. I don't have kids, but I know people who do. And I look forward to finding out about new things from Kids Month that I can share/discuss with these people. Don't cave and scrap the subject matter, Maxwell! Grow up AT readers!

You say it, island spice! As delightful as this site can be, never forget that there are some wretched people who frequent it. and they must be stopped! stopped by those who seek truth and justice...as i do.

My choice is "other" though it may fit in the furniture category. How do parents in small spaces find creative and attractive ways to deal with storage issues, especially in small NYC apartments? All the extra stuff that necessary or not seem to come with having another little person in the space. I think that is an area of discussion that could benefit all of the AT readers.

I checked other because I'd like to see house tours of nurseries and kid's rooms. (But without judgements on parenting styles. Maybe I wish for too much?)

BTW, got a chuckle from the wording of option #2 because it makes kids sound like accessory clutter...

what interests me is that a kid-friendly design has to accomodate messiness, clumsiness, lots of frequently used "stuff" that needs accessible storage, limited time for upkeep... in short, kid-friendly design often has more accomodation for those of us who are not minimalist neat freaks.

Can we also add a great gifts for kids and baby showers item? Just one day, one entry - for those of us who are childless, happy about it and don't keep up with the hip, cool and beautifully designed for kids. Particularly thoughts from parents about great gifts ...
Basically, when good friends have kids, I don't want to truck out to ToysRUs for the latest overpriced piece of plastic ... I want to get them something not too expensive but cool. Froebel blocks are cool but so very expensive. I never know what to buy - how would I?
Just a thought ... it'd be a resource I would love to have.

As a former non-owning person I can say there were MANY posts and months where nothing had anything to do with me and I just came to the site to look at pretty pictures and imagine what it would be like/how I would answer/what I could do with this information if I WERE in the position to be able to make any changes to my space. Those of you who don't have kids (or maybe even vehemently plan not to have them) can just sit tight and enjoy the pictures and engage in discussions hypothetically this month - it won't kill you!

kids are one of the great divides. the childless are tired of all the fuss parents make and are relieved not to have to hear about all the stuff marketed to parents, and parents are resentful of situations where their needs aren't taken into account. but seeing the demographic of AT, i think it's safe to say that less is more on this topic! and not having kids, of course this is fine with me.
that said, i would be interested in kid-related issues if it involves only REALLY REALLY good design. veering away from all that annoying yuppie stuff.

People just need to skip what they don't want to read. This is getting ridiculous.

I would be interested in seeing how people incorporate kids, because I think that is a huge problem in small apartments. (And I don't even have a kid)

I don't have kids, but I would like to see the great design ideas and stores for kids this month. As with most voluntary surveys those who respond are more likely to have a strong opinion; that doesn't mean that the majority of people share their views. I have lots of friends and siblings with kids; those kids tend to take over the apartment. I would love to happily pass ideas and stores that would help them have a more grown up apartment while keeping the kids happy.

I want to see all things kid-related esp when it comes to furniture and room decoration.

For the life of me I can't imagine that the presense of a few threads relating to childrens design is so obscene that you can't simply avert your eyes and move on to the next topic.

This is about some but not all threads for a limited amount of time. Deal people. Honestly, you are acting like children. The irony of it all.

As the gay guy in the group with a kid (on weekends), I say BRING IT ON!

I don't have kids (and don't expect to ever have kids) but I often scout out decor books and stores that specialize in kids rooms because I find a lot of the storage ideas transfer well to small-space living. But if covereage was all kid-focused rather than about products and space ideas, I'd probably get bored pretty quick.

As the gay guy in the group who gets called "Daddy!" every once in a while, I too say bring it.

Patrick! HA!!!

Personally, I'm curious to see how people live with kids in small spaces, like NYC. Got something like that? Bring it!

Maxwell, can I ask why the insistence on doing this (or pets, or whatever) for a month when so many people replied that they would prefer a shorter duration? How about a compromise - 2 weeks?

I agree with Rob that the challenge of raising children in tiny spaces is most challenging (and interesting) design-wise...

BTW: There are so many child-free AT folks out there... How about dedicating one day a week to families in small spaces instead of a whole month out of the year? Cumulatively, there would probably be more postings, but at least those without children wouldn't have to be bored or feel excluded for a whole month... Might serve *everyone's* needs better.

Those with kids would get a steady stream of ideas throughout the year, without alienating the child-free for a whole month ;-)

I say grow up to you all. A month. Not 2 weeks. Not one day a month. A month. Bring it on!

One day a week sounds *perfect* ...

Seriously, the best content that there is about how to integrate a kid into a space is the content Maxwell is already giving with the 9-month cure. So why not just extend that instead of the consumer product stuff and the nursery tours (which will result in comment meltdown...)

Although I am non-kid-oriented, I have found past threads about kid stuff on this site quite interesting and find myself reading through the whole thing (I'm not referring to yesterday's debate/referendum, although I think I did read most of it.) For example, one of Maxwell's first threads on kid stuff was on what stuff do you really need when you have an infant--found it fascinating. I also love all the updates on Maxwell's and SK's race against the baby clock to fix up their space and look forward to how they're actually going to do it once baby arrives. This is drama. I also find that a lot of ideas from realms that on their surface don't interest me that much are transferable. And, I have children in my life - of family and friends - who I interact with and buy presents for, so I'm also cataloguing sites into my delicious account for future reference. Finally, there's plenty of stuff on this, my favorite site, that doesn't necessarily appeal to me directly and there are threads (gasp!) that I don't even read.

RELAX, people... it doesn't mean ALL content will be replaced by kid stuff. It just means at least one or two posts a day will be specifically child-related.

Jeez.

I am child-free and will not be alienated.

Good god. Let Maxwell run his site the way he wants. Especially since a little Gillingham-Ryan is on the way...

Mama Chilanga hit the nail on the head.

Designate one day each week ("Family Fridays,"?)

Also: Smallest/Coolest should have a separate category for families with kids.

My $.02.

I have the dread "don't look and it will go away teen boys bedroom" So I would love to see something on design for teens that is not too high priced but still up to date and not childish. But once a week would be good.

I really love the idea of a weekly kid day, but for a month-long theme I would like to see nursery/playroom tours, multi-tasking storage solutions and some mid-range furniture ideas. Listings of shops with modern collections beyond Nurseryworks and the Ouef crib would be like a dream come true. (And this from a childfree reader! *gasp*)

Jan:

I think your idea of a separate category for Smallest-Coolest is brilliant. But the space constraints should still be the same.

There should be no shortage of potential sponsors for prizes ;-)

Oh, come on. Stop teasing us. You promised us a month. Give us a month! I could do with some fresh ideas, and while I'm at it how about another 9 month cure update please!

I enjoy seeing the innards of every home, no matter the amount of dwellers within. A feature of kid-friendly environments is the more adventurous attitude towards color and whimsy. Kids give adults permission to paint and stock a room with crazy, fun colors and patterns.

I really enjoy that.

I agree with Libby on the storage aspect of for-kids stuff. Also, for example,I love the Mamut stools from IKEA, and they can be used in fun applications in a child-free home.

Damn, 104 in favor to 96 against at 4:12pm. That's pretty close.

Please, don't turn this blog into Ladies' Home Journal.

C'mon people... if we can devote a month to pets, gardening, etc. I don't see what the big deal is about seeing posts that deal with apartment living and children. Maxwell, DO NOT shorten the timeframe to a 2-week period - it sounds like you've got plenty of readers who are interested in the topic. I don't have a kid, but someday probably will, and in a tiny one-bedroom, at that. I second those requests to see ideas on space saving items, alternatives to traditional kids furniture, house tours, furniture options that aren't Netto Collection prices...

NO!!! I don't think we should scrap the idea.

We can make BOTH parties happy. Those with kids and those without them.

Why not post about fabulous finds for kids that can also be used in an child-free home?

There are so many great finds at Pottery Barn Kids, 2Modern, Design Public, the Coochicoos blog, The Land of Nod, and a ton of other "kiddie" stores that can easily be integrated into a grown up space, and often, for a fraction of the price. Rugs, pillows, furniture, you name it.

In addition to the obvious items that one can use, there are countless others created for children that, if used differently, can work great in a kid-free space.

YES - there's a way to make EVERYONE on AT:NY happy. Fuse both together - design for kids that can double for adults. Not all posts, but 50% would be nice.

Holly

If this lasts a month, I hope we get beyond gorgeously painted nurseries (no matter how much I squee over them) and into the real nitty gritty of things I remember from my childhood:

1) Siblings of different ages sharing rooms.
2) Where does sports equipment live?
3) What's a lively and cheerful room color that won't keep at least a younger kid awake?
4) Making kindergarteners happy while avoiding the Disney-fication of everything.
5) Couches that last in the face of destruction, dogs, and flying karate manuevers.

Anon,

Have you ever actually read Ladies Home Journal? I have, out of sheer desperation, at the doctor's office. AT is faaaar from that, no matter how many kids' rooms they post. Design isn't really a huge focus in LHJ.

I do have to admit wanting to do some of the projects in Martha Stewart Kids, though, even though I've only leafed through it at the bookstore. :P

I selected other because the first two options were too specific and the third seems too selfish. Even though I don't have kids and probably never will, I know there are AT readers who do and would like to see design options for kids rooms. I'm in the honeymoon phase with AT so anything you guys do is just swell by me.

I think the one day a week idea is great. I loved gardening month, and would be thrilled to have a once-a-week update on garden design stuff, and I would be much more enthusiastic about kids stuff in small doses (more or less how I feel about many of the kids in my life, though I love them).

Hey! I used to work for Ladies' Home Journal! (That said, I agree about hoping AT doesn't turn into it..)

I posted this before, but at the end of the sruvey thread:

What about focusing on this as a theme that is kid-friendly but appeals to adults as well? I was specifically thinking of how it could be cool to show how people have incorporated playful design into their homes, whether intented for kids, adults or both. There is certainly a desire for parents to provide a playspace within the home that is well-designed, but I think this is something that adults might want as well. It could be neat to see some of the adult ideas for "play areas" at home - I'm thinking crafting areas, poker room, rock-climbing wall etc. It's certainly a challenge to have a play space for adult or child in a small apartment.

Also like Wende's idea for good toys that inspire and teach design to kids. There are children's books by some great designers that I actually enjoy reading on my own.

What Decor8Holly said!!!

I really hope all these people who are so anti-kids month will NOT COMMENT when the kids stuff is posted. Funny how I see so many names posting here against the whole idea of this theme who ALWAYS comment on house tours with kids spaces. Comment negatively I should say. It's like "I don't like kids or know a thing about them but this nursery sure is awful! How could you let a child sleep in that small area!"

I saw a lot of these names in that Nine Month Cure post about what equipment a baby/parent needs. So happy to see how many of you don't want anything to do with kids and yet you sure are experts anyway. How lucky for us all.

while i don't have any kids now, i expect that one day i will, and while maybe product sources and such won't apply to me now, i would love to see how other people fit their kids into their homes. show me that it doesn't have to be wallpapered teddy bear borders and wicker rocking chairs!

one month for children is fair. all design offers inspiration for us all. now how about one month for the childish, oops i forgot they have all year long.

I picked nothing but...
There is a time and place for everything.

A post about baby design on Apartment Therapy: OK.

A person who brings their baby to work on their first day and leaves it outside my cube: NOT OK.
(who does that?!)

Bring on the small-space family stuff - it's a classic design challenge.

I'm expecting, and want to see how people deal with not only small apartments, but other crappy things like living on the top floor of a walkup, working in less than desirable neighborhoods, etc.

I'm a mother of two and am enjoying kid month on AT. Keep it up!

I love looking at home interior eye candy. When I show pictures to my husband, almost inevitably the first thing out of his mouth is, "Those people don't have children."

Sometimes that comment arises because the pics show that someone has obviously spent a LOT of money on their interior design (yes, yes, even really rich people can have kids, but most mere-mortal parents have a lot less discretionary spending.) Sometimes that comment arises because of fragile accessories or seriously kid-unfriendly furniture, with glass or sharp metal.
I like to think that even houses with kids can aspire to the level of cleanliness and tidiness shown in interior design pics, but maybe that's just wishful thinking...

Anyway--my point is that it's rare to see examples of houses and yards that are beautiful to look at, and also clearly livable for people of all ages. Bring it on, AT! Give the rest of us something to shoot for!

i don't have kids... and haven't lived with anyone younger than 3 years my junior... but im still interested to find out how people adapt to change in their lives and having kiddies is a big change.

i wasn't a fan of the pet month... but i still found it interesting to read about how people used design in their lives.

this is the reason i come back to AT, so please don't scrap the idea!

you could always combine the two ;P

I do not have a garden or pets, but I read with interest the majority of the posts during both pet and garden months. I didn't get whiff of any uproar over those... Design for children and how to have a happy, healthy, and functioning home if you have children should get equal treatment, one month, no more, no less. I'll live through the experience even if I don't have children. I'll glean valuable information from those posts just as I did with pet/garden ones. I'm a bit unsettled that pets and gardens appear to have more merit than children in some people's eyes.

One month, no more, no less. How much harm can it do? Seriously.

I picked other. I think one of the ways to not make the topic feel dull quickly is to make it not be just about ONE aspect of the kids design.

please do not shorten this topic. it's important to a lot of us, even if we are infrequent commenters.

architectural renderings/models, design mags -- they never show how people actually use space. i've met people who reside in famous houses and buildings where it's apparent that the ego/vision of the architect or designer makes for some real uncomfortable living.

i love this site b/c it really defies the "norm" in architecture/design publishing. what you/we talk about is how we live and how to make it better. an emerging area of study in public health and architecture is how space and environment impact health. i'm not talking just the obvious -- like low VOC paints -- but how things like perceived space and light can have a real psychological and physical impact; how fewer children are hit by cars in Sweden because of their traffic flow, street, and signal designs. if we want a society of healthy and productive people, it would be nice to get some ideas for how to nurture our littlest members. in doing so, we might find that we're all a lot better off.

i don't really need to see a ton of posts for $2000 cribs, or even $500 cribs. they're 10 or so websites that everyone checks for modern kid stuff, and they tend to have the same high-priced collections, over and over. some of that is fine, but it would be nice to find more unique ideas, if possible. what i really want to know is how to make myself and my family comfortable, happy, and healthy in a less-than-optimal environment (we don't all live in high-ceiling'd, light-filled, wonderfully detailed environments; some of us are, dare i say it, lower middle class).

thanks for reading.

I'd love to see at least one post about how to find cool, funky, fashionable and useful kid items at "low brow" places like Toys R Us, Children's Place, etc. Surely we can shop there and find things that suit this community. I don't really patronize those upscale kids stores because I can't fathom spending over $20 on something my kid will outgrow or get bored with in less than a year. For instance sometimes Old Navy for kids stocks very cool fashionable items. Let's get some hints for those places.

How about expanding the topic from "Kids" to "Families". This could incorporate approaches to dealing with elder as well as younger relatives in the home, embracing accessibility and functionality issues at both ends of the age spectrum. An argument could also be made for including pets as family.

I second Jonathan's idea about a family month rather than something strictly for children. This would eliminate the need for "pet month" and encompass a much broader, more interesting array of ideas and solutions. Sounds much more appealing and helpful.

Hey! A family month is brilliant! I'm curious how couples live in really small spaces too... That's one of my favorite aspects of Smallest/Coolest... figuring out how people do it, and do it well. And then when kids are added into the equation, I become all the more curious.

But the thing is this is Maxwell's site and he is about to become a father for the first time so let him at least let him express himself in this radically life changing occassion on his own blog willya? It's only for a month and as others have said, it's not like all posts will be about kid related stuff.

I could put up pics of our kid friendly living room which consists of the following:

B&B Italia sectional with wool/cashmere finish - nice and low so perfect height for toddlers to jump onto and off; strong frame; hard wearing fabric from which we have managed to remove all kinds of stains including piss and pen

Zanotta Greggy lacquered coffee table - even lower than the sofa so with just enough space underneath to stick toddler legs under; but great height to jump onto from sofa and onto sofa from and also to do puzzles, draw, play board games etc.; very tough finish from which we have also removed pen marks and which stands up to being banged with wooden toys with nary a hint of damage

Wall mounted plasma TV with all components hidden away in Cassina Flat credenza in lacquer finish with IR repeater so that we don't have to have the credenza doors open - TV and components are out of reach from the children; big TV helps you see every detail from Dora's finely gradated hair to indivual hairs on spider legs on Discovery HD

There is no brightly colored plastic furniture in sight or piles of toys everywhere (all that is stored neatly in cubbies in their admitedly more colorful bedroom which is kept tidy by them) yet the living room is where our children like to play.

So I could send photos that should interest almost anyone but of a place that accomodates toddlers very well. But nooooo, I can't do that because the naysayers are expecting garish, childish rooms completely given over to kids with no adult furniture left so who am I to disabuse them of that assumption?

BTW, I only mention the names of the furniture in case anyone wants to look them up to see what I'm talking about.

Um, many of us don't have "families" either. I'm not really too jazzed about that.

I guess I changed my mind. It's not like anybody is being FORCED to read posts which don't interest them, Clockwork Orange eyes-pried-open style.

Though I'd add that kids can live in any kind of decor. I grew up with glass tables and a silk velvet sofa and never put out an eye or trashed anything. Ok, one time I spilled kool-aid on the shag rug and moved a chair over to cover up the stain.

Well...as someone who never envisioned having children...and we now have 1 and are in the process of adopting from Ethiopia, we for one our VERY excited about Kids month. Though I agree FAMILY month is a great idea, as we can go from babies all the way up to teens, etc! We are design oriented people who have always taken great pride in creating stunning (at least to us!) homes. And we have had GREAT fun creating new spaces for our current child, and went really wild creating space for our future daughter. It has been a challenge creating cool kids rooms that make the kids happy and safe, but also appeal to us. We also have been embracing the less is more mantra, so w/ each new home, we have gotten significantly smaller. Another design challenge, especially while we are expanding our family. Our new mantra "Small Home, Big Life".

The whole kids arena is a HUGE money maker for designers, suppliers, etc. For those of you who think this is all a watse...just wait. Soon there will be more baby / kid stuff then you will ever want to see. We can't wait to see the ideas that pop up this month.

Kids change your life. They're awesome - they take your breath way. Enjoy the month to those of you who want to!

Jamie Pup-

Send those pictures! It sounds lovely. We too have grown up living room furniture bought in finishes which the drooling 11 month old cannot destroy. It's just the storage aspect that's baffling me. He's too young for me to have him play alone in his bedroom, so much of his gear is presently littering the living room where I can keep a good eye on him. Perhaps we need a wall of closed cubbies? Hmmm.....

1- Interesting as to teaching kids about design

2- Many Products designed for kids are less expensive than essentially identical products for 'non-kids' and can often be used by , uh, adults, or
adapted for use by adults- as well as there being many many innovations made for kids that adults wouldn't know about to adapt to their own purposes

3- There are short adults who would find such info of interet

Basically, I want to see Jamie Pup's photos. I believe it can be done, but having never planned for children, I'd rather admire someone else's solutions than actually put any brain cells into thinking about it myself.

Kid or no kid post I don't care.

But the bed in that picture? I want it! Anyone know where I could find it in a queen size?