I spent the rainy day at the Javitz Center yesterday checking out some of the new  furnishings at the ICFF. The International Contemporary Furniture Fair  attracts both well known furniture vendors, as well as small up and coming  companies from all over the world. It was great to see how much was coming from Brooklyn. From furniture to lighting to wall coverings, Brooklyn is the current hotbed of Indie design and manufacturing companies.

There were so many interesting pieces for kids. It was truly inspiring! Loved this Dutch designer’s storage units. They could work in a modern playroom or bedroom..

This Brooklyn company accommodates both commercial clients like kid spaces in  libraries to residential projects.

Love the light wiry feeling of this LA company.

Sculptural animal heads would look great in a kids room.

Beautiful English rug company.

So much wallpaper. Many had a very vintage feel..

This Canadian company’s grand central wall paper and New York City subway map would be great in a transportation themed room.

Love these large animal ottomans. They will definitely be in my online shop shortly..

This Italian company’s clocks were just so  whimsical. A chalkboard clock..

Knitted out of yarn. How nice for a baby’s nursery.

Ok gotta go…

See you..

Christina

Last week ended with a rainy sidewalk sale.  The rain kind of  described the week at Cici Crib. I wanted a relaxing Mother’s Day. James wanted to head to the flea market. We haven’t gone in a couple of weeks, so I agreed.

It was a short sweet trip. It was not crowded.  There were some dealers coming from the south making a  quick stop on their way to Brimfiield. One day I will go to Brimfiield, an enormous antique fair in Massachusetts . It takes days to get through it.

One dealer was selling early 20th century football helmets. Fantastic collection. The helmets seemed so tiny. He told me most of them were college helmets, but some were for children.

Back then, protection had a different meaning. Everything today is so amped up. From the training to the equipment. I have yet to find any early photos of little kids teams. I think,back then, little kids perfected their crafts out in the field. No coaches. No photographers.  I love looking at old sports photos. Of course there are only guys in the pictures. No girls softball or basketball or soccer.  I purchased these collages of pictures. I believe these photos once hung in the halls  of Columbus School in Bridgeport, CT. The guys look so casual, like the picture was snapped after playing a hard won game.  As I was taking photos of this collage, Justin pointed out that it was put together during the Depression. Wow that adds a whole other element.  Once these collages are framed, they would be great in a play room or  or boy’s bedroom.

Well I couldn’t leave the market without another trophy. Makes you smile!

See you.

Christina

I took a long weekend away from Cici Crib to visit with my family in Pittsburgh. My parents moved to Pittsburgh  after I graduated from college. My sister followed  after burning out of the New York fashion scene a few years ago.  They live in the Shadyside section of Pittsburgh, a  beautiful neighborhood bordering Carnegie Mellon University.  Because the city is so rich in history, the best antiques and vintage items  that have passed through Cici Crib come from Pittsburgh  auction houses.  My mother and sister are avid collectors of just about everything. They were excited about these 19th century children silhouettes the moment they saw them at the auction preview last month. I loved them. There is a lot of discussion amongst the three of us.   I set a budget and actually won all of them. The children are cut from paper, then enhanced by pencil.

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The silhouette of the boy is just so sweet. I will keep him . The picture was small enough to fit into my luggage.  He sits in my livingroom now.

Silhouettes have always been popular. I have some from the 1920′s that are in my powder room.

This is a fun one.  It’s on an old cake tin.

Modern silhouettes have been reinvented  using different materials.  Some are cut from vintage wallpaper.  They are large. They are an easy way to decorate. Great for playrooms to nurseries. I love these by  Inke Heiland that are in the shop now.

Some silhouettes are cut out of  vinyl. Because the  vinyl is micro thin, the images  almost look painted onto the wall. They are a breeze to apply and most are removable. A great invention. Your child outgrows them and they can easily come off. There are so many brands  and the images seem to get more complex and interesting every year. Here are some that are in the shop.

Painted silhouettes can also make a great design statement in a room.

How cool!

See you.

Christina