the 'little helpers' children's furniture collection by elena nunziata: 'paddy' coat rack, 'charlie' hamper, and 'melvin the magic bedside table', all composed of beech wood

the 'little helpers' furniture collection, created by italian designer elena nunziata for her degree project
at the university of the arts, london, focuses on providing educational and engaging furniture for use by children.

nunziata reflects:
'the project examines contemporary families and relationships of their members, analyzing how children engage
with the domestic environment and their parents, with the purpose of turning ordinary chores into playful activities.
the relevance is on the one hand to improve how children interact within their space exploring their power of imagination,
on the other to allow parents to build a bridge between their own needs and those of their children.'

the 'paddy' coat rack collection has 'eyes' as knobs that can be spun around. on the rail model, each of the hooks can be slid
from side to side, while on the coat stand, users can adjust the rods' position through the central pole. the 'charlie' hamper
is nicknamed the ‘dirty clothes eater’, who stores clothes in a lycra sack that allows clothes to accumulate until its belly is full.
in this way, children have a visual indication of when it is time to load the washing machine with their parents.

the eyes of 'melvin the magic bedside table' can be rotated up to reveal lamps within, letting the device function as bedside lamp
in addition to table surface and, owing to a cutout shelf, cabinet. nunziata reflects that the table also serves metaphorically
as a figure of a night guardian that watches over the child.



paddy the coat stand



paddy the clothes stand



melvin the bedside table



charlie the laundry bin



designboom has received this project from our 'DIY submissions' feature,
where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication.