DWELLBABY
Dwell, a company that began in 1999 and provides bedding with rich colors and geometric shapes, launched dwellbaby in May 2004. Owners Christine Lemieux and Jennifer Chused admit they created the company as a response to the lack of modern, graphic, and colorful textiles in the market. With the success of their first line, it was only natural for them to create miniature versions of their grown-up bedding for children.

When asked about the boom in kids’ design, dwell founders say, “We think this is a response to what is happening in the adult world. Modern has really re-emerged as popular mainstream design and it was just a matter of time before it trickled down to kids.”

Instead of starting from scratch for their baby line, Lemieux and Chused wanted parents to see the connection with their adult line, so they experimented with two of their most popular patterns by shrinking and recoloring them into softer, more baby-friendly colors. The creations were immediately well-received so dwell created five new patterns, and dwellbaby has taken on a life of its own. www.dwellshop.com

FRENCH BULL
From the ultra modern graphics on bedding by dwell, meet the retro rings and dots on French Bull dishes by former fashion designer Jackie Shapiro. It was during her first job working in high fashion at Fiorucci in Milan that Shapiro became engrossed in a bold graphic, pop culture style. She later infused her compelling sense of design into a children’s clothing line called “Izzy” known for its mix of pattern and color. She has now combined all her experience with bold patterns into wares of a new medium: melamine.

How does one go from fashion and fabric to dishes in melamine? When Shapiro and her husband uprooted their businesses and family from New York City to Connecticut a few years ago, Shapiro learned a great deal about building materials. When confronted with redoing the kitchen and bathroom of their new home, she discovered melamine and realized that she could use her design skills and this formerly unfamiliar medium to create the exact environment she wanted herself. With the excitement of her new-found medium, she created a line of dishes using the colors and bright style she had grown to love.

French Bull dishes, however, were not initially designed for kids, but they became an instant success with parents tired of setting the table with characters from television and happy to integrate the fun and whimsical design into their everyday table settings. www.frenchbull.com

ELOISE & ETIENNE
Unlike the rich modern patterns of the aforementioned companies, the founders of Eloise & Etienne wanted to breathe new life into gorgeous gems from the past—à la the tagline, “Vintage Charm Newly Born.” Greta Hallgren and Patty Potter met while working at an agency in Fort Worth, Texas. Hallgren, a former account supervisor, and Potter, a former creative director, developed a strong business relationship and just happened to have their first children within four months of each other.

When a former business partner of theirs stumbled upon some vintage trim, a light bulb went off for the two new parents who decided to use the trim to embellish, what else, but burp cloths; something that inevitably piles up as high as diapers in a new parent’s home. Why not beautify the burping plain? From burp cloths, they have gone on to produce dresses from old pillowcases, pants and tops from vintage tablecloths, and bibs and blankets using trim or swatches found in flea markets.

The name Eloise & Etienne was born in a busy flea market in Paris. While on a buying trip, Hallgren and Potter noticed two children—a girl and a boy—peering at them from behind their mother’s skirt. They asked the mom where they could find vintage trim and fabric and the mother happily obliged. Before leaving the market, they learned that the names of those beautiful children were none other than Eloise and Etienne. www.eloiseandetienne.com