TEN QUESTIONS, TEN ANSWERS: bookhou
BOOKHOU’S natural, graphic style of children’s products is as big on ethical thinking as it is on restrained Scandi-Nippon Modern looks. With a constantly changing online store featuring hand-made chairs, a rather lovely maple ply mobile in the shape of abstract birds, modern patchwork bed throws and graphic animal-print cushions (as well as adult prints and furniture), Bookhou’s Arounna Khounnoraj and John Booth - graduates in art and architecture and parents to Lliam, 2 - offer a charming and less commercialized take on stylish goods for children.
Plus their work is affordable - their wooden ply and recycled furniture chair - a kind of 21st-century eco-chic take on the Eames - is just 95 Canadian dollars, approximately £47, the animal cushion toys just C$45 (approx £22) and even better, they’re happy to ship their furniture to Europe and beyond… We spoke to Arounna for more on Bookhou’s work and home style.
LB: What do you want your kids’ products to say?
AK: We didn’t want to make work that was overtly kid-like in a conventional sense. We wanted to design pieces that are just the same as we design for anybody - it’s just that they’re scaled appropriately and are a little bit more fun in terms of colour. And I really wanted the textiles to be modern and timeless and feel they can be part of their decor as they grow.
LB: Has having a child made you even more design-aware?
AK: It’s emphasized safety concerns. I think that some good designs are ones where you don’t have a time limit on their use - like the Stokke highchair. It works with most decors and is timeless.
LB: What influences have you tapped into for your children’s design work?
AK: I am influenced by Scandinavian design and Japanese zakka aesthetic. We are both interested in the Modernist period - in terms of construction and directness. But also John always thought the word ‘play’ in architecture was important. The idea of ‘play’ as in the play of form or how forms are combined as in collage - or perhaps bricollage - has always been an influence on what he does.
LB: What is the one thing you have at home that has surprised you by its child-friendliness?
AK: Lliam enjoys sitting on our Mies daybed to read and play. He also enjoys sitting on the stairs. I like when the stairs become seating - like a little theatre.
LB: What other pieces do you hope to add to your children’s collection over the next months / years?
AK: I am hoping to add clothing. I began printing on T-shirts and onesies, and that is fine, but I wanted to spend time creating pieces of clothing made from linen and cotton that have a similar aesthetic to our textile design for interiors.
LB: What’s the best piece of children’s design you’ve bought or inherited?
AK: Lliam inherited a quilt made by his Great Great Aunt Nettie Booth, made in 1967 and depicting the daily life of a fireman saving a dog. The craftsmanship and care put into the quilt are simply beautiful and it’s a reminder of the appeal of handmade over mass-production. And also how a fun story can be incorporated into a piece.
LB: What are you favourite online stockists for kids?
AK: I really like Mor Mor Rita for clothing, Enfant Terrible, and Little Circus.
LB: What are the pluses of Canadian culture that make for good child-rearing?
AK: Canada is very multi-cultural. Access to French immersion / dual language is beneficial for their development. Also we have universal medical care.
LB: What are Lliam’s favourite things?
AK: He enjoys books by Eric Carle - Brown Bear, Brown Bear and the Hungry Caterpillar - the images are collaged in a very graphic way. He is also going through a Thomas the Tank Engine phase and is excited when he sees a train and goes ‘toot tooot’. He has preferences but it’s hard to see if he is aware of good design. He is afraid of mechanical toys that make a lot of noise and flashing lights - I don’t know if that is a criticism of these objects or just good luck for us.
LB: Are you into design solutions and thought-provoking work, or just nice products for kids to be surrounded by?
AK: We don’t consciously try to design products that we need to improve the use of. There are certain attributes of children’s design we try to avoid - like the use of MDF. But other times it’s simply about making a nice object.
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