David Netto: Children’s Furniture

David Netto designs small things for small people, but not for small prices. The New Yorker’s furniture line for kids, NettoCollection, is the Hermes of baby furniture.

What drew you to the field?
Before my first daughter Kate arrived, my wife and I went shopping for furniture and couldn’t find anything thing we liked. There aren’t many industries that haven’t been touched by style or branding, but this was one. I had some qualifications and taste, and it was a market aching for design. I spent months researching the market and ended up deciding to manufacture in Poland, where I knew there were very skilled people making kids’ toys, and at the time the currency was very favourable.

How does your work differ from that of other designers working in the same field?
We were the first, so it was encouraging when people started to copy us. Although, our two closest competitors offer slightly different products. One brand is less finished and more industrial, and the brand that looks more like us contracts out their design work, while we design and manufacture. Our product is all about luxury, sensuality and fine finishes, but there is also an ethic of sustainability. We wanted to create kids furniture that you wouldn’t want to throw away, so our cribs can be converted into beds, daybeds or sofas. While a NettoCollection crib is at the high end (it will set you back $US1700), we also have a cheaper line CUB (www.cubkids.com) with cribs around the $US500 mark, which is the cheapest designer crib you’ll find.

Tell us about one or two of your favourite creations and why they are special to you?
The ‘Moderne’ crib was the first crib I designed and I think you often put the most thought into your first effort. It’s a snappy ebony colour with contrasting white lacquer and has a playful 1930s French feel. I also like our new release ‘Cabine’ changer. It looks more like a nice dresser than a change table, and it complements the ‘Cabine’ crib. I also like the polar bear rocking horse, but it hasn’t been a great seller. Perhaps because it’s quite large and most people only have small kids’ rooms.

What design challenges are presented by working on a small scale and what opportunities does it create?
The hardest thing in this market is to control price, because people have a perception that you shouldn’t spend decent money on baby furniture, so it’s our challenge to make the product usable after the baby grows up. And to make sure it looks good, while controlling price. Working on this scale means dumb ideas are quickly edited, because while big, indulgent ideas might have a chance of working in a larger room, baby stuff has to look good in a small space and also be functional. This means the good designs rise to the surface quickly, and are appreciated.

How do you see your work progressing in the future?
This industry is one of the most organic I have seen. We go to a conference in Vegas every year and we see thousands of tiny mom and pop businesses surviving. It’s our goal to grow from a small to a medium sized player, which is the hardest step. We want to move into the mass market because we believe the big stores (like Buy Buy Baby) should be providing more products like ours. I want to rescue parents from having to buy crap!