January 11, 2006

Romper Room--Not!

You like to think of yourself as a fun-loving, laid-back mom – and you are – but the fact of the matter is, you don't think of your couch as a jungle gym. Nor are you particularly fond of finding powdered Goldfish all over the leather chairs. And face it, your design vision is never going to include Spongebob beanbag seating. Still, you want your little ones to enjoy every room in the house as much as you do – you just don't want to have to worry about it.

Forget the plastic-wrap furniture look and meet California designer Jennifer Delonge. Her collection works in kid spaces, adult spaces and everywhere in between. The entrepreneurial Delonge (wife of Tom Delonge, lead singer for Blink 182 and now Angels and Airways) honed her design skills creating model homes in Southern California and running Papier Moderne, a high-end stationery shop in Solana Beach. Her trademark style is all about clean lines and bold contrasts, like hot orange with baby blue.

The highlight of this contemporary line is the Ava chair and ottoman, upholstered in microsuede, cotton or vintage fabric, in rich hues like orange, chocolate and red. Another soon-to-be-released piece is the unique Grace table, a grown-up coffee table that easily transitions into an activity table or homework station, with the addition of matching stools. Far from being unapproachable, the pieces are not only stylish, but comfortable and practical.

Delonge believes that the key to a well-designed room is the possession of memory: it's not how much you spend, but rather the telltale signs of a friend, a place traveled, or the wondrous existence of your own tots – Playdough crumbs, grape juice stains and all.

As long as they keep it on their chairs.

For more information and online resources to buy, call 858-759-4416 or online at jenniferdelonge.com.

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