admin Like any parent, Joseph Altuzarra’s lifestyle changed when he had a kid. Suddenly, sketches were for collections and coloring books, wardrobe staples included both trench coats and machine-washable onesies, and a good read could either be The New Yorker or Good Night Moon. So, obviously, his home had to change, too.
But there was a problem: Kid-friendly furniture felt disposable and temporary, despite the fact that childhood is an ever-evolving, decades-long period. “When I was working on decorating my kid’s rooms, everything I was finding was either very, very kiddie, and not something that I felt they’d grow into, or things that were too grown up,” he says. “I felt like there was an interesting space in the middle, where a room could transition from being a true baby room to being one for an older child that still feels appropriate.” So Altuzarra does what he does best: he designed what he was imagining himself.
Photo: Frank Frances Studio
On August 28, Altuzarra launches a comprehensive, 42-piece kid’s collection with West Elm that includes everything from cribs to pajamas and wallpaper. A rug is adorned with a pattern of puffy clouds and a hot air balloon, while a midnight-blue quilt features meteors and shooting stars. A clean-lined, seven-drawer dresser with a changing table feels appropriate for both a seven-month-old and a seven-year-old, and a fuzzy bouclé chair is equal parts sweet and chic. Some pieces, like an oval gold mirror, will even have adults wondering if it comes in their size.
