Category Archives: Kiddo Rooms

Kiddo Rooms: Color in Canada

Kiddo Rooms, Widdle Wednesdays

Hello gang. It’s baby day at the Kiddo, where we take a gander at all things teensy. Today we have a super cute nursery that I’ve been dying to show off. Now, I’m a big believer that color is always awesome.  That baby boys and girls can survive without living in a pale blue or blush pink world. Don’t get me wrong, I think pastels can be extremely elegant and lovely. But how much more fun to be totally unexpected with your nursery? Like, what would you say if I told you to consider painting your nursery walls GREY? Well don’t answer that until you see this lovely space my friend Virginie in Montreal has created for her wee one. It’s quite the stunner!

I love love love it! The grey is unexpectedly soothing and serene, but then the pops of green and red make it really fun and playful. Virginie is so creative and cool—her little man-on-the-way is going to be a lucky boy for sure!

The sheets were remixed from a pair of vintage 70s fitted “grown up” sheets (so crafty!). The crib is the simple, sleek (and affordable!) Gulliver from IKEA. That mobile? Yup. It’s vintage—and its Fisher Price. (You know we give that the thumbs up!) The wall are are framed animal prints by J. Sharkey Thomas, from 1973. I think you’ll recognize some more Fisher Price on the shelf above the dresser!

That blue velvety chair is vintage and the big mirror is IKEA! You can see a peek of some vintage curtains on the left.

I love her fun diaper bag! (the Dash bag from Skip Hop) And it wouldn’t be Modern Kiddo if we didn’t take a peek into those dresser drawers. Check out THIS amazingly cute collection:


Virginie thank you so much for sharing this gorgeous room with us. We can’t wait to welcome your little kiddo into this big ol’ world!

PS Oh and the walls? The color is a luscious warm grey called Ashley Grey, by Benjamin Moore.

2-4-6-8, Donna Wilson's really great!

Art + Design, Crafts + DIY, Kiddo Rooms, ,

Hello pals! So today I have something a little bit different. It’s not really a children’s brand, per se, but I think after you take one look at British designer Donna Wilson‘s fantastical creations you’ll agree they will appeal to kiddos of all ages. I know I fell head over heels! Donna began her career creating an amazing wonderland of stitched and knitted monsters that celebrated fun and quirky characteristics: some have extra long legs or extra big heads, some have two heads, some are grumpy or shy and all are not what they seem. She has also branched out to produce groovy pillows, cozy blankets, felted doilies, pom pom rugs and crazily charming kitchenware. Trust me. You’re gonna love these!





How cute is that little orange slice “barrette” on the little plate?? I love how all of these items would be equally at home in a cool couple’s flat or a sweet kid’s room. And wait til you see Donna herself. She is as cute as her designs are whimsical! Take a gander at this little sunshine gal:

When asked to talk a little bit about her work, Donna had this to say!

“When people ask me what I do I always say I make weird knitted creatures with two heads and angry faces, I love the reaction I get!! Most people look a bit confused and some just think I’m mad. My work is playful, tactile and bright, inspired by the everyday oddities and deformities of life. I like to think of each of my creations as a character in my very own wonderland…where everything is made of soft wool, trees are knitted and instead of growing leaves, pom poms sprout out, strange knitted creatures eat cup cakes and doughnuts sprinkled with stitching.”


So what do you think? Pretty fun stuff huh.
Get yer mitts on Donna’s goodies (ermm, that doesn’t sound quite right…) at these stores in the US:
the future perfect (new york)
Eden&Eden (san francisco)
Eli-phant (portland)
For international stores, check out Donna Wilson’s site here.

images from Donna Wilson.com

Vintage Storybook Lamps, Anyone? The World of Irmi.

Best of Alix, Kiddo Rooms, Vintage Childhood, Vintage Toys + Fun Stuff, , ,

As a self-proclaimed expert on all things vintage (or as the hubs would claim, “a know-it-all”. *sigh*), I love when I discover new things! A toy that I’d forgotten about, a unique item that I’d never seen before, or better yet finding out some new information about an item I have always loved. Take that little lamp in the photo above, for instance. It’s cute, huh! I had one as a child and I think they’re pretty darn adorable. Wait….let’s take a little closer look:

Soooo cute, right? The little boy playing the guitar while the little girl is knitting? Amazing! (By the way, that little white blob that looks like those rock things people use in curling is actually a kitten. And yes, this is a photo from Dottie’s little girl’s nursery. SO perfect!) I love it. I know some folks think these lamps can veer on the kitschy side (*gasp!*) but I find their storybook style super duper charming.


Yes the little well on that last one (Jack & Jill, doncha know) lights up!
Images: Kitsch Cafe and Fresh Vintage Style

I’m pleased to tell you that these little treasures have a name. And maybe you already knew this (to which I say, “How come you never told me??” hee). Irmi Nursery Originals. Remember this people, as there will be a quiz later. The creators of these whimsical treats were a lovely German couple named Fred and Irmi Bering. In addition to hand-painted wooden lamps they made wall hangings, light switch plates, nursery mobiles and more. They were produced in the 1950s thru 1971 (when they sold the company). The characters are often taken straight from the pages of nursery rhymes or fairytales and each lamp usually offers a little extra bonus—a music box, a little additional “light up” feature etc. Fred and Irmi were generous spirits and in 2004 donated $2 million to Danbury hospital. You can read a bit more about their story here.


Image: Thompson Family Life

Image: SkyBlueCrayons


Image: Creative Breathing


Image: Sweet Lily Studio and ElecticaMiami


I’m sorry, but animals with hats are simply the best thing EVER.
Image: ex.libris


Yes, that little guys are wearing LEDERHOSEN! Sweet!
Image: Circus Peanut


Image: Sweet Lily Studio and Going Sew Crazy


Image: Sweet Lily Studio (only $15 in their Etsy shop!)

Are you dying yet? I can’t even begin to tell you how hard it was to just pick a few of these. The good news is, you can snap up your own on ebay or Etsy. Simply search for….what was that name again class? “IRMI!” Bravo!

Modern Kiddo Buying Tips: These lamps typically sell for $20-60. If you’re paying $65+ it better be in pristine condition OR crazy cute (aka I wanna see at least TWO giraffe’s wearing top hats, mmkay?). Don’t be scared off by an ugly lamp shade. Many will have lost their original shades, and buying a new one (or embellishing it with pom poms or ric-a-rack) is pretty easy! Don’t forget, not everyone knows they are called  “Irmi” lamps, so get creative and search for “Nursery Originals” “Nursery Plastics” “Vintage Wooden Lamp” etc. when browsing ebay/etsy! Happy hunting!

A tree grows in….

Kiddo Rooms, ,

One of the best trends of this past decade has been the idea that baby nurseries no longer have to be pastel pink or blue with little teddy bears adorning the wall. The room tours on the magical ohdeedoe alone are filled with inspiration of serene-but-modern takes on fun baby rooms.

I really love seeing kid’s rooms that have organic elements in them and was totally inspired by a photo of a little room with a lovely tree  “growing” on the wall. This sent me on a hunt for the cutest trees I could find. Now, you can totally paint a tree on the wall yourself, but if you are half as busy I am, then you know that having a cute and tidy way to do this quickly is worth every penny!

These little enchanted forests are all done with wall decals, which makes them easy peasy for you! Most of ‘em peel off easily so when your big boy or girl decides that they’ve outgrown their little forest you can start plotting their new room with a blank slate. Wall decals have come a long way—but I’ll save that for a whole other post!

On to my favorite trees:

OK, so this first one isn’t even really a tree. It’s a giant dandelion flower thingy, but look how pretty it looks!

Image: here. Available from Blik.

Available from Studio Luka

This one is so pretty and soothing….yet cool as all get out. Unlike other wall decals, which are made of a vinyl material, these are made of FABRIC. So genius (or as Dottie would say, “stinky cute!”).

Available from Etsy seller Mae.

OK, check out how clever this is. The wall decal is rather pricey, but I am 100% smitten with the enchanting little bird house nightlight. I don’t bust out the word “enchanting” much, but I think you’ll agree this image is totally worthy of the “e” word:

Available from enfante terrible, who incidentally have THE CUTEST site ever!

I really dig the whimsical quality of this one —it looks like you hired a cool artist to paint this one on the wall:

Available from Wallnutz

I love the simplicity of the blocky leaves on this one:

Available from Etsy seller Holly

Um, a dotty spotty tree? Yes please!

Available from AllPosters.

Another retro Etsy find from Elephannie. It looks straight out of a retro kid’s storybook!

Another clever twist on the wall decal! A wall tree coat rack, from the fine folks at Ferm Living. The black is a little stark (I’d add some boldly colored birdies to give it a lil sunshine) but I love this idea:

And finally, this little red tree is just so charming—and shows how bold colors can be totally appropriate and sweet for a nursery room!

Both available from Ferm Living. The Coat Tree is here. Red Bird Tree, here.