Children’s bed linen can be so gaudy, so predictable, so very boring. And then there’s this amazing New Zealand company proving kid’s bedding can be extraordinary.

It’s pretty rare that I can browse a children’s range of anything and think how incredibly androgynous it is. But as I scoured the beautiful linen for children from Citta Design I could see nothing particularly feminine or masculine about it. And that’s an unexpected joy.

Citta Design draws inspiration for its collections from across the globe, and the range of linen is almost as vast as the earth itself. Geometric shapes, animals, graphic prints and colour blocking all make an appearance on cushions, throws and duvet covers.

I’m usually bower bird-like in my attraction to bright and colourful things, but surprisingly my favourite design in the collection is Zoo. The reversible duvet cover is inspired by the menagerie on show at the Barcelona City Zoo, and is mainly monochromatic with subtle splashes of orange. The single duvet price is NZD$119, but it’s also available in king single, queen and double. A matching pair of pillow cases costs NZD$49.90.

If you’re keen on some colour for your child’s bedding, the Heath duvet cover has just the right amount of blue interspersed with drops of red. The single duvet cover is NZD$129.

Now for the sad part. Citta Designs usually only ship within New Zealand, but if you contact Citta Design directly (and ask very, very nicely) they may be able to help you with international orders. Thankfully, there are a bucket load of Australian Citta Design stockists.

The post Children’s linen gets a facelift from Citta Design appeared first on Babyology.

We loved it, you loved it and now it’s available locally! Snurk bedding from The Netherlands sure captured our imaginations in March and the wonderful Incy Interiors have snapped it up for an Australian audience.

Available now in both astronaut and princess designs for $159 in a single size, the fabulous news is that soon both will be arriving in double ($229) and queen ($259) sizes! Now little Aussie boys and girls can dream of rocketing into the stratosphere or twirling in a princess gown from their very own cosy beds.

To pre-order the double and queen sizes, simply contact Incy Interiors, or buy the single size online using the links above.

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It’s day twenty-nine of Prizeapalooza and today’s prizes will be tomorrow’s family heirlooms!

You don’t need to know how to sew a single stitch to have beautiful quilts thanks to this gorgeous Prizeapalooza prize. Today we’re giving away a magnificently cosy bundle that includes a patchwork cot-sized quilt, a patchwork single-sized quilt and a heart shaped Liberty print cushion – all from Fabrik and valued at $323.85.

These quilts are beautiful and showcase Fabrik’s hand-printed batik fabric perfectly. The batik fabric blends effortlessly with a mix of gingham, spots and striped fabrics to create cosy quilts which are then embellished with a running stitch along the seams in a coordinating thread for the finishing touch. Each quilt is made using a super soft wadding, ensuring you’re snugly warm all winter long.

Liberty prints are always popular and what bed or special chair wouldn’t look inviting with this darling ruffle trimmed, heart shaped cushion to nestle back in?!

To enter, leave a comment below with your full name in the Post a Comment section, telling us what is at the very top of your Fabrik wish list and why (go look, you will be amazed by the beauty!). You have seven days and entries close, 4 June, 2013.

For full details, see our Terms & Conditions.

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Occasionally a project comes to Kickstarter that, for whatever reason, grabs the imagination – it far exceeds its funding goal and is set to become a sure thing well before the pledge period is over.

The magnificent Constellation Quilt is one such project. Designed by the Haptic Lab in New York, a studio that creates beautiful things that explore the sense of touch, the Constellation Quilt lets you touch the night sky.

Using traditional quilting and embroidery techniques, the Constellation Quilt shows the October night sky in the Northern Hemisphere and includes constellations such as the Big and Little Dipper, Gemini, Orion, Leo, and Taurus. Each star is embroidered in metallic gold thread and the vivid turquoise night sky is complete with a Milky Way of tiny French knots that provide a tactile field sweeping diagonally across the quilt.

At the time of writing this post, almost all the opportunities to back the project and be the first to get a quilt were gone , though there were plenty of pledges still available for a DIY guide to making your own Constellation Quilt (shown below). A US$45 pledge buys you a DIY kit complete with a single use map template of your choice of the Northern or Southern Hemisphere night sky and instructions for completing your own quilt. The Constellation Quilt Kickstarter project ends on June 10, 2013.

Make sure you take a look at the other quilts created by Haptic Lab, including their gorgeous baby quilts in a range of maps of major US cities as well as London and Paris. The baby quilts are priced at US$145 and would make a special (and useful) keepsake.

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Just when I think it’s safe to say I’ve seen everything cute that there is to see out there in the world of mega cute, something lands in my inbox to remind me that there will always be something new – and cute – to make me gush and say awwwwww.

Blabla have introduced beautiful bedding and decor accessories to their existing range of gorgeous wares. Travelling play pads (US$68) complete with handles for easy grab and go, pillows (US$24), comfy handkerchief beanbags (US$130) and handy for everything lunch totes (US$28) are all available in coordinating and reversible prints including blue stars, grey bunnies and purl pink. Best of all, they blend  effortlessly with all the magnificent Blabla cushions we’ve featured previously.

If I know someone is going to have a beautiful nursing chair in their nursery, I think the Cloud Pillow (US$62) is going to be my go-to baby shower gift. The cotton knit is gorgeous, the grey and white colour combo is sublime, not to mention bang on trend. If that’s not enough to sway you, the cloud shape surely must… and did you see that teeny tiny little yellow bird? Be still my beating heart. So very cute indeed!

Head on over to Blabla to see all that is new – coordinating your child’s space has never been easier either, Blabla very helpfully line up all their products in colour palettes to make decorating and shopping a breeze!

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Here’s charming cot linen for those who want something other than pirates, licensed characters and grey tones for their baby boys. Thanks to an Australian mum, we can brighten up our little gents’ spaces. And mums of girls – many pieces in this new collection are unisex.

We’ve previously spoken of our affection for Alphabet Monkey and its unique quilts, which range from rocking to subtle. The latest Alphabet Monkey collection is geometric to the core – with an underlying pallet of grey brought to life by pops of yellow, aqua and teal and interspersed with some chevron.

The mainstay of each collection is the cot quilts. They’re made from cotton, with natural cotton batting. They of course look amazing (and are very functional) in a cot, but also make great play blankets. The cot quilts start at $130.

The collection also includes co-ordinating cushion covers, to decorate the nursery. The cushion covers start at $35. You can browse the entire collection at Alphabet Monkey.

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We love ourselves some fancy cot linen around these parts, even more so now there’s more babies than ever on the Babyology team!

The New School Bedding collection began with the charming Not A Peep set in the popular unisex colour combination of grey, yellow and white. We’re excited to let you know that not only are there new designs in the collection, they’re also all available to fit single beds and have a range of accessories (think sheet sets, change pad covers and curtains) to deck out a whole bedroom.

We love that the New School Bedding isn’t obviously cute – it’s more modern and stylish, with stripes and polka prints to distract before noticing that beautiful bunny, chick or whale silhouette. Hop To It introduces a splash of pink and fun grey bunnies to the scene and will look delightful in any little girl’s room, whether toddler or tween. Navy and white has always been a popular calming choice for a nursery so we’re also digging the new Make A Splash design, pictured top – that whale print is sublime!

The New School Bedding collection is priced from US$29 and available from The Land Of Nod. Delivery to Australia is available, you simply need to fill out the international order request form for a quote.

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Blue isn’t just for boys – but don’t just take my word for it, have a look at this divine new collection of cot bedding and see just how amazing it would look in any baby’s nursery.

It’s been a while since we last updated you on the dashing collections from US-based Olli & Lime, so allow us to reveal the newest kid on the Olli & Lime block – the Forrest collection. The entire cot linen collection features ice-blue leaves in varying hues of beautiful blue. I also love the thatched blue lines on the sheets – simple yet eye-catching.

This stunning colour lends itself to so many room inspiration applications, grey tones, neutral beige or even another pop of colour. I love the simplicity of the graphic, and I’m sure by now you can see how this pattern would work a treat for a boy or girl nursery.

Olli & Lime are experts in ensuring coordinating a nursery is a breeze, and there are great touches you can add to the room, including matching changing pad covers, blankets, wall art and amazing wall graphics (like that beautiful understated tree decal in the image below).

And in even better news, the collection is also available for toddler beds. The Forrest collection is rather new so you may have to wait for it to land on our shores – but you can shop the current collection at UrbanBaby. A standard cot set costs $219.95 and includes a quilt, fitted sheet and flat sheet.

*Please see the Sids and Kids guidelines on how to dress both baby and the cot for optimum safe sleeping conditions.

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Crazy for chevron? It’s a trend that’s sticking around thanks to its sharp, clean lines and adaptability to many types of decor. Now there’s a delicious new bedding collection from Kate Lauren Designs!

Navy and yellow, I mean really. It’s a match made in heaven, even though it has never occurred to me to pair them in my own home. Looks like a re-evaluation of one of my boys’ rooms could be on the cards with the release of the new Hudson Nate bedding range from Kate Lauren Designs.

We showed you the gorgeous Zachary Hunter range and now those for a penchant for navy can indulge. The Hudson Nate collection also has a comforter option ($220) – I have comforters for between seasons and find them brilliant for a quick and comfy change of look to the bedroom.

Find the entire range at Kate Lauren Designs – it includes cushions, sheet sets and a lampshade for that polished look.

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A statement nursing chair can make a great nursery into a stupendous one. We spend many hours cradling and rocking our wee babes to sleep, feeding them, reading to them as they grow and seeking refuge in a comfy chair when the rigours of parenthood catch up with us. We want a chair to look good and to wear brilliantly and if there’s also a line of homewares and bedding to compliment it, then all the more power to us! There’s a company doing all of this; making decorating a quality nursery an absolute breeze.

Olli Ella has recently opened up an Australian arm of the business, having originated in the UK in 2010. We have a whole archive dedicated to Olli Ella products here on Babyology and those of you who know us well, know that we don’t put our stamp of approval on any old product. We’re actually quite ruthless about what we will and won’t write about, so our Olli Ella posts stand testament to the brand quality we always look for.

Sisters Chloe and Olivia Brookman started Olli Ella from a desire to modernise the nursery by combining classic furniture design and manufacturing with a fresh colour palette and baby-friendly fabrics. Starting off with the impeccably-designed and executed Olli Ella nursing chairs, the collection soon expanded into baby and children’s bedding, rugs, wall art and nursery accessories.

Olivia and Chloe’s design vision is characterised by their love of mid-century furniture and textiles – these fascinating sisters also own an art gallery in London which specialises in mid-century works! As always, the Olli Ella products come to life from experience with babies and children – Chloe now resides in Sydney with her two small ones, husband and two dogs.

The most recent product release is the gorgeous sleep-safe Bumpettes, a stylish and safe alternative to traditional cot bumpers, allowing air to circulate in the cot, but keeping dummies and limbs in, and babies bump-free.

The Olli Ella ethos incorporates sustainability and organic materials as its guiding principles, as well as being manufactured locally (Olli Ella gliders are Australian-made). Browsing the stunning Olli Ella collection is an absolute must for comfort-focused, aesthetically driven parents. Creating a nursery for your baby is one of the greatest pleasures of preparing for parenthood and Olli Ella is proud to take part in this rite of passage for parents around the globe, having become internationally-acclaimed.

Visit Olli Ella to select your key pieces and then be sure to submit your nursery for our Show us your nursery section so your gorgeous product choices can be showcased. We just love to see the products we write about in your homes!

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This is one of those posts that’s difficult to write. Not because I have writer’s block, but quite the contrary – I just don’t know where to begin telling you about these brilliant pieces. Other than to say, if you’re in the market for children’s pillows and blankets, do yourself a rather huge favour and read on.

I’ll begin by telling you that this collection is beyond gorgeous. The pillows and blankets are made from ecological combed Egyptian cotton (translation – they’re insanely soft and luscious). And they are adorned with the most gorgeous designs, created by two very clever sisters, Lior and Paz Brouk. The Brouk Sisters’ fledgling brand is called 100% Brouk, and each piece is designed and manufactured in Israel – their home country.

The pillows are my absolute pick of the bunch. They’re unique and fun, and there’s no doubt they’d make a fantastic comforter for an older toddler who has hit the pillow stage. They come in two characters, Phillippe the cat, and my favourite, Oliver the long-nosed hedgehog. They’re a generous size (37cm by 37cm), and cost US$29 each.

Both of my sons are blankey boys – and there’s nothing sweeter than seeing them snuggle with their lifelong blanket pals as they drift off to sleep. The 100% Brouk Blankey Blankets are just beautiful – sure to become loved comforters long after they’ve ceased to cover the child for warmth. They measure 70cm by 70cm and cost US$29.

The large Phillippe Blanket is just as gorgeous (US$33), while the Oliver Warm Blanket, which is slightly smaller, (US$44) is filled with a warm lining and is a cosy buddy for cool nights.

100% Brouk also make stroller liners (US$33) which match the collection, and can even be used in car seats. You can shop the enter collection at 100% Brouk, and shipping to Australia is available.

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Pretty realistic huh? That’s because it’s an actual photo of a real astronaut suit so now little boys and girls everywhere can dream of rocketing into the stratosphere from their very own cosy beds. The bedding, by Dutch company Snurk, taps into two classic childhood dreams – to be a princess or an astronaut. While I tend to shy away from clothing and products which are too gender stereotyped, there is absolutely nothing stopping parents from buying the astronaut for their girls and the princess for their boys. It all depends on what your child loves! Snurk bedding sets, available in astronaut and princess styles contain a single bed doona cover and pillowcase for around $80 plus shipping, from Snurk.

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If you’ve had enough of the chevron craze, come take a look at what one of our favourite brands is up to. Oh, and there’s some long-awaited news as well!

We’re never ones to shy away from a beautiful print, so we’re happy to shout from the rooftops that Olli Ella has launched a gorgeous new print in its linen range – harlequin. It’s understated, classic, unisex… and we love it.

The Harlequin Dawn has just the faintest hint of a pastel colour, while the Harlequin Dusk is muted grey at its best. The cot bed sets ($195) include a reversible quilt that’s also perfect as a play blanket and two fitted sheets, one in the harlequin print and the other in Dusky Stripe. Each harlequin print is also available in the fitted sheet sets ($115).

And in even more exciting news, Olli Ella’s gorgeous range of linen is now available in single bed size. The bed sets, which include a single duvet cover, a pillowcase, fitted sheet and matching tote are $249. And they come in the new harlequin patterns, as well as the beautiful poppet, posey and piccoli. All of the sets are now available at Olli Ella.

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It’s day twenty-two of Prizeapalooza and we have sweet snuggly slumber on the mind!

Your chance of winning is even greater with today’s prize as we have ten – yes ten! – BedSOK sets to give away, valued at $89.90 each from SOK Australia.

The BedSOK means no more kicking sheets and blankets off which equates to more sleep for everyone! BedSOK is much like a handy sleeping bag for your child’s bed – they can zip up the sides of their all-in-one sheet and be as snug as a bug… in a SOK. Each BedSOK set includes a fitted sheet, a top sheet (for zipping), a matching pillowcase and a drawstring bag.

Winners have the choice of Multi-Pink Spot in flannelette (perfect for the coming winter) or Sage Green Spot in flannelette.

To enter, leave a comment below with your full name in the Post A Comment section telling us if it’s the Multi-Pink or Sage  spot you’d love to win and why, along with what other print from the BedSOK collection you love. You have seven days and entries close midnight, 28 February, 2013.

For full details, see our Terms & Conditions.

The post Prizeapalooza day 22 – tucked up tight with BedSOK appeared first on Babyology.

The wait is nearly over, Babyologists. Soon we’ll be meandering in total bliss through the aisles of Australia’s very first Pottery Barn Kids store.

Babyology can reveal that construction crews are following instructions to hammer, plaster and drill as fast as they possibly can to have the Sydney store ready for its planned grand opening in early May. We’ve got our countdown calendar ready for this one and will be sure to be among the first through the door to bring you all a look at the wonders inside.

The glittering new store in Sydney’s Bondi Junction is the first to open outside of North America. It will be housed within the Exchange Building, opposite Westfield Bondi Junction. And while Pottery Barn Kids will have the biggest place in our hearts in a few short weeks (fingers crossed), we’re also terribly excited at the thought of the other brands US homewares giant Williams-Sonoma is bringing to the party.

There will also be a regular Pottery Barn as well as upscale homewares and a cooking school from Williams-Sonoma and contemporary designer furnishings and decor via West Elm.

Pottery Barn Kids has been one of America’s premier retailers for children’s wares since 1999. It’s a veritable haven for any parent, with beautiful decorator items and furniture for nurseries and play spaces. The Sydney Pottery Barn Kids store will include furniture, bedding, bathroom accessories, window treatments, rugs, lighting, decorative accessories, classic toys, nursery essentials and gear like luggage and backpacks.

The Sydney store will also have specially trained associates for complimentary in-store or in-home design services. In-store monogramming and baby and gift registry services will also be available.

We can’t wait and we’ll certainly let you know when Williams-Sonoma reveal the exact, if somewhat elusive, opening date! Until then, here’s some more glorious Pottery Barn Kids nurseries and play rooms to keep you sated.

The post Update – Australia’s first Pottery Barn Kids on track for autumn opening appeared first on Babyology.

When you’re decorating a bedroom, it’s hard to go past the linen as the most important statement piece. We’ve found the most gorgeous bedding not just for cots, but for single beds and king singles too. Here’s our roundup of the bedding currently making our hearts beat a bit faster.

The simple but innovative new cot linen called Skip Hop Complete gives you a lot of bang for your buck. The patterned, contrasting side panel achieves a cot that looks dressed up, without the need for bumpers (and they fit better than bumpers too). We love them because at $39.95, they are beautiful and economical. Five of the beautiful designs in the range can be picked up from Urban Baby. They will fit standard sized cot mattresses.

My hands down favourite in the new line of cot linen from Bed Toppings is this instruction manual on sleeping. Because let’s face it – cot linen is really all about adult appreciation, and if these ones give you a little chuckle (even an ironic one!) as you put an unwilling child to bed, that’s money well spent in my book.  If only it came in preschooler size – I think my family could expand the market significantly. The fitted cot sheets from Bed Toppings will fit standard and Boori cots, and are $60 with free delivery throughout Australia.

Kids love to kick off covers. Parents don’t love to go back in and fix it at two and three in the morning. The problem has been solved by the team at BedSOK, with their innovative stretchy and enclosed sheet sets which we’re sure will also appeal greatly to kids who love sleeping bags. In fact, it might even solve my recent problem of a seven-year-old insisting on sleeping on a hard wooden floor with his sleeping bag because it’s more fun than sleeping in the comfortable bed. The BedSOK comes in cot ($79.90), single and king single sizes (both $89.90).

We were thrilled last year to see the range from Kate Lauren Designs expanding from cot linen to sheet sets and quilt covers in both single and king single sizes. The pretty and modern range of bedding includes a good smattering of unisex neutral options as well as classic pastels. Cot sheet sets start at $139.95, with single bed sets for $200 and king single sets for $220. The range includes other items which are worth a look and you can check it all out at Kate Lauren Designs.

Even more options for cots, singles and king singles are at Love Mae, with a bedding line made from super soft organic jersey cotton. The cot size will fit standard and Boori cots. At the time of writing, all the bedding at Love Mae is half price, which means cot sets from $55, single sets from $80 and king singles from $100!

The increasing trend away from small scale pastels towards decor that really packs a punch had us really appreciating the bedlinen from Marimekko that we reviewed last year. Children’s bedding should be fun, after all, and the gorgeous, bright and bold designs from Marimekko certainly fit the bill. You can check out the collections online at Marimekko.

Of course, this is a roundup with limited space, so there are many more beautiful bedding items we just couldn’t include. But you can read them all by looking at our past posts on linen.

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It’s never been easier to create a snug, eco-friendly sleeping space for your little one with Tetra now available from their own online store!

We love that Tetra look out for not only the health of our babies and ourselves, but also the environment by using sustainable tea tree flakes in their mattresses and pillows.

The whole family is taken care of by Tetra – you can buy Large Children’s Pillows in a pack of two for $129.95 and a favourite of pregnant women (or those with back and hip pain), the Body and Pregnancy Pillow is a savior for a blissful sleep and priced $149.95 . My hot tip is if you and a few friends are stuck for the perfect gift to give at that baby shower, all chip in for one of these and your pregnant friend will be eternally grateful!

The popular and portable Tetra Snuggle Bed ($174.95) and Cot Mattress ($239) are also available online and Tetra even offer a custom mattress service, where they can ‘build’ your mattress to your size specifications.

To see all that is available, head on over to the recently launched Tetra online store.

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A long time Babyology favourite, Jacob and Bonomi never cease to amaze us with how they get it right every single time – and this new design is no exception!

New design Village Life is beautifully enchanting with its dainty little houses, birds, bicycles, trees and owls print in grey, pink and green on a crisp white background. An absolutely stunning addition to any little Miss’ bedroom!

The Village Life print is available in a cot sheet set consisting of a printed fitted sheet, a flat sheet and pillowcase. The flat sheet and pillowcase are beautifully finished with a white cuff and coordinating pink piping, a quality finish Jacob and Bonomi are renown for. For an extra sweet looking bed, team the Village Life print sheets with the pink Sparrow or grey Tree Of Life blankets.

If your little lady is no longer in a cot, you will be ecstatic that Village Life is also available in a quilt cover set to fit single and double sized beds!

The Village Life cot sheet set is priced $99 and quilt cover sets priced from $145, both are available from Jacob And Bonomi.

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I had the pleasure of visiting the Harvest Textiles team in Melbourne recently and Lara showed me around the workroom which was brimming with creative talent. Evidence of workshops and artistic installations, plus a beautifully curated boutique for its stunning soft furnishings makes the Harvest Textiles experience a special one.

I couldn’t help but bring home a Totem Collection bed set for my eldest son and he simply refuses to let me rotate his bedding now. I have to take it off while he’s at school to wash it – the fuss created is too much otherwise!

These are handmade things of beauty, expertly hand screen printed fabrics, imaginatively combined prints with stunning colour impact. The Harvest style is to have a nice neutral backdrop for a gorgeously textured print in a bold colour. The team encourages you to get creative – selling kits from the store for you to put together your own cloud cushion, regular cushion or tote bag, they also cater for the time poor or creatively challenged by selling the completed product.

If you live in Melbourne or are visiting, there are some amazing workshops to take part in – learn how to screen print, make baskets or porcelain jewellery. This artistic hub of productivity is destined for great things, we are most certain. Calm and welcoming, the team will soothe even the most frazzled would-be-artist like me… otherwise order the impeccable and inspired products online and pop a workshop on your bucket list!

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