We All Need Childlike Design Right Now
“You’re being a child” is typically what you say to your s/o, sibling, BFF, etc. when they’re being annoying as hell. But in the world of design, crossing over into little-kid culture isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There are chairs resembling teddy bears (with ears!) that sit in luxury design galleries, and museum-worthy furniture made from the same stuffed animals that line most kids’ beds. And any youngster would feel right at home amongst Lalanne’s iconic fuzzy sheep sculptures from the ’60s. That is, if their parents can shell out a few million for a herd!
But in the past decade, cutesy, childlike designs have been popping up more than ever, and JUMBO founder Justin Donnelly has a theory why. For a monthlong exhibition at Brooklyn creative space A/D/O, Justin explored the concept of neotenic design, a.k.a. furniture, lighting, and objects with “anatomical associations and exaggerated proportions—big faces, thick legs, and rounded feet,” according to a press release.
JUMBO’s own lamp is part of the collection, but there’s also Faye Toogood’s Roly Poly chair, Moustache’s foam-covered Bold chair, and that teddy bear chair we were talking about earlier by Pierre Yovanovitch (in Baby Bear size, eep!). It’s one thing to look at all of these chubby, friendly designs together and state the obvious—it’s a thing!—but Justin suggests that the trend in design emerged around the same time as the 2008 financial crisis, and it has only proliferated ever since. Which begs the question: Is it these recent unstable times that have us desperately craving “cute” design?
The essence of neotenic forms, after all, is that their soft and round appearance elicits a positive emotional response. You know how when you see a tiny fur baby on Instagram, and you feel an instant wave of happiness? Or (embarrassingly) catch yourself with a goofy smile while staring at a chubby infant? That’s kind of what neotenic designs will do to you, albeit maybe on a lesser scale. (Nothing can compete with these cuties.) Still, when everything feels a little crazy outside, wouldn’t it be better to come home to a chubby, childlike chair or lamp that automatically releases some positive vibes? That’s our kind of upper.
Ready to add some adorable design to your home? A/D/O will carry a selection of pieces in its store during the month of March, but if you can't make the trip, shop some of our favorites below:
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Shop Our Favorite Neotenic Designs
