You have heard of designer clothes for kids. But designer furniture?
Coveted European furniture labels such as Kartell and Vitra have introduced mini versions of their iconic designs so that children, too, can fidget on their seats in style.
Kartell's classic Louis Ghost chair, the creation of revered French designer Philippe Starck, now comes in a child-sized version that can seat a tiny bum of up to six years old.
Available at upmarket furniture store Space in Millenia Walk, the Lou Lou Ghost is made of polycarbonate like the original. It comes in the same opaque red, black, white and six transparent colour variations as the adult ones, and is priced at $192.60 - a chip off the adult version's $588.50.
Another designer classic sold at Space is the mini-me version of the Panton chair by Danish designer Verner Panton.
The chair was introduced in 1959 and, soon after, Panton considered producing a child-sized version but did not do so because of high production costs then.
Now, German furniture manufacturer Vitra, which produces Panton chairs, offers the Panton Junior.
Made of polypropylene like the adult Panton and available in red, light blue and orange, it is shrunk by about 25 per cent to fit children of up to 10 years old. It costs $350, slightly more than the original's $290.
Space's senior marketing executive Eileen Tan declines to reveal sales figures but says the kiddie versions 'are flying off the shelves because the pieces are affordable enough to encourage design appreciation in kids'.
Renowned Italian furniture company Magis also has a collection dedicated to those between two and six years old.
Called the Me Too collection, available at upmarket lifestyle store Xtra in Park Mall, it includes chairs, stools and tables. Prices range from $100 for a chair to $700 for a bench.
Xtra's assistant retail manager Erricson Wong says the pieces are selling well, but declined to reveal sales figures. He adds: 'Kids live in a world of their own. An imaginative environment coupled with fun furniture make their lives much more colourful.'
Home-grown lifestyle label Lifebaby also has a range of kids furniture. Among them are a baby stool for $109 and a bed for $1,285. Lifebaby is owned by the Lifeshop.
Still, parents with tighter budgets need not fret that their little tykes are missing out on well-designed, size-compatible furniture.
Swedish furniture megastore Ikea has been offering pretty children's furniture for years and at widely affordable prices too.
Secretary Jill Ang recently bought a child-sized dining table and two chairs for her two daughters, aged four and three - all for only $140.
'The set is so cute and affordable,' says Ms Ang, 34. The girls not only eat at their own dining table but also do their colouring there. 'Kids' furniture fit their size better,' she adds.
Housewife Sarah Wong, 37, also has child-sized furniture from Ikea - a table and three chairs for $200 - for her three sons, aged eight, four and two.
'The furniture is lightweight, easy to move around and stash away when not needed,' she says. 'The plastic chairs are sturdy enough even for adults, so I doubt the boys will outgrow them so soon.'
Other parents have opted for children's modular furniture so that the pieces can be reconfigured to suit their kids' growing needs.
For example, with Danish kids' furniture brand Flexa, a single bed can be attached with a slide, or transformed into a bunk bed for two or more kids. Prices start from $659 for a single bed frame to $4,895 for a double-bunk bed frame.
Housewife Faith Chee, 34, who bought a bed and slide set from Flexa in United Square for her six-year-old daughter, says: 'The wood finishing is very smooth and there are no sharp edges so it reduces the chances of her hurting herself.'
Flexa Singapore's manager Cindy Chia says sales have been increasing since the store opened in 2006.
'When we started out, our customers were mostly expatriates. Now we see an increasing number of locals buying our furniture too,' she adds.
This article was first published in The Sunday Times.
