The Baby Cot Shop is a luxury children’s furniture boutique based on the famous King’s Road. In our latest guest blog, founder and chief designer Toks Aruoture sits down to chat with our team at Maurizio Pellizzoni and gives us an insight into her fabulously designed pieces of furniture and opens the doors of The Baby Cot Shop exclusively with Maurizio Pellizini.
Can you describe your design ethos?
The Baby Cot Shop was born out of the desire to create a boutique that offers the world’s finest furniture and furnishings for baby and child.. Within that our design ethos has always been about offering an experience and a cohesive, practical (the spaces are to be lived in and used by the littles ones after all!) aesthetically beautiful room. If I were to describe our design ethos I would work around our three core concepts that we base all of our designs around - individuality, high quality and attention to detail.Designing for children is different from designing for adults. Adults typically have their own style or preferences and that is used as a guide when designing grown-up rooms. Children on the other hand are very much in the discovery and adventure stage so we work using our signature style to create a space that is harmonious, promotes balance but still manages to be magical.
What do you think defines the perfect nursery?
We have often thought about this, what makes the perfect nursery? From a practical standpoint, the perfect nursery is, of course, one that matches our client’s vision and implements it perfectly resulting in a beautiful, functional nursery. So, in that sense each nursery that we provide furniture for or design is perfect for that client. If we expand on that idea, we go beyond functionality and aesthetics to create a nursery that fosters their imagination and encourages the fondest memories to be formed. To create such a space, there are certain principles or guidelines that we work with. For The Baby Cot Shop, we design our furniture to reflect the individuality of our young clients. We make sure that their imagination is given free reign in the space by creating pieces that encourage them to thrive. In addition, we use the finest materials and the best craftsmen. That way, this haven for the baby- which inspires creativity and growth- becomes more than a nursery; it becomes the child’s own space.
What do you see as the new trends for 2018 in children’s rooms?
We can divide our pieces and design into two distinct categories - traditional and contemporary, of course these can overlap but usually our clients are firmly rooted in either camp. In regards to trends, we have noticed that there is a resurgence in classic design for certain clients - those who want to create a traditional look with ornate, beautiful pieces full of textures and curves. However, other there are still a growing number of clients who also want a more contemporary design with sleek lines, more minimalist pieces and a more modern look. Overall, the two schools of design and aesthetics are both popular but I would say there is a slight nod towards more traditional designs for 2018. We expect to see more metallics being used, copper has been all the rage but expect some balance with silver or platinum and gold too. This year, we designed more grey nurseries than ever and while that cool colour is still very trendy, bold colours reminiscent of the seventies will be pulled in to add some spice to it.
Are there any particular colour schemes you’re championing?
We simply love working with more neutral colours. Beiges, creams, whites and greys (also used in our branding!) punctuated and populated with pastel colours are schemes that work so well due to their versatility. Within this, we love the idea of a showpiece within the room, usually a bed or cot, that carries elegant touches and flourishes to lift the room. Using a more neutral, cooler colour scheme also allows the details and intricate of the furniture to stand out more creating a real wow factor. Despite our love for the softer end of the colour spectrum, we are not averse to a bold splash of colour in the form of a single furniture piece or a feature wall either.
Are gender schemes still divisive or is the bridge widening to more neutral schemes?
When we design a room our clients usually tend to prefer the traditional blue for boys and pink for girls and within that the associated themes and pieces that are seen as traditional for boys and girls. However, neutral schemes are becoming increasingly popular which is more linked to a general minimalist, contemporary aesthetic more so that a decision based on gender. Creams, whites and greys have become very popular with our clients but even then the colours are usually punctuated with undertones of pinks and blues.Our themed nursery pieces, jungles, castles and boats to name a few, have become increasingly popular as our clients want to create a showpiece nursery or bedroom that allows their child’s creativity to develop, whether this is tied to gender neutral schemes, I am not really sure! Regardless, we work to understand our clients’ needs and ideas and offer our expert advice but ultimately, the client has the final say in the colour schemes and themes that they like or want to implement.
Have you had any unusual requests for a nursery?
Well, the most unusual request we have had was not necessarily for a nursery. We had one client who commissioned one of our cots not for a child but to house his holy ornaments. Of course, we understood the importance of the pieces to hi and how he wanted to store them in a beautiful place. If I recall he chose an organic, natural mattress with ornate lace bedding.
If you could work with any family’s nursery scheme, who would it be for and why?
That is always a tough question as there are many, many families that we would love to work with! Having said that, I have to say that Pippa Middleton is certainly one of our top choices. We are drawn to working with Miss. Middleton because of her immaculate fashion sense. She effortlessly blends contemporary and classic looks and we think that this would translate so well to a nursery space for her.
For more information on The Baby Cot Shop you can meet Toks and her team at 408 Kings Road, Chelsea SW10 0LJ or digitally via www.thebabycotshop.com and toks@thebabycotshop.com