What do you get when you combine a mother/mechanical engineer and a baby who requires an entire pit crew to hold him down when changing his diapers?. Ubi, Sue Wong’s modern take on that nursery standard, the changing table.

I had this product demonstrated for me at a trade show over the weekend and it had me laughing out loud - not so much because it was being demonstrated on one of those eerily life-like anatomically correct infant baby dolls but because of its pure ingenuity! Your Ubi sits on the floor and can be oriented so that the feet are facing you or positioned to the side, the spring-loaded secret compartment underneath the wipe clean upholstered surface holds any brand and any size diaper from newborn to size 5, fastener strips on the table top hold the diaper open allowing you to simply lay Junior down, remove the offending diaper and pull a new one up between his legs. You can see the step-by-step instructional at the bottom of this post.

The Ubi is great looking as just an object and the selection of fabrics are quite nice. The company is brand spanking new and currently accepting pre-orders with delivery dates in July. The deluxe table described above is $119., and there is also a basic table that doesn’t include the ‘pop up’ diaper feature for $89.

And I should mention that each table comes with a safety belt even through its not pictured. The added benefit of changing the kiddo so close to the ground is that should he managed to roll himself off of the Ubi he only has a fall of a few inches versus a few feet with a traditional changing table.

What kid doesn’t dream of a room with hidden passageways, a revolving bookcase or disguised stairways to a secret hideaway? The geniuses over at Tickle Fancy have turned me on to the amazing acrobatic contortionist Flying Beds. These engineering marvels not only tuck away Junior’s bed but also an extra one for sleepover guests. Clean lines, simple styling and easy maneuverability make these modern day Murphy beds a fun solution to small spaces.

Twin bunk beds fold up into 11″ of storage space.

This sofa expands into a bunk bed with fingertip ease of operation.

Wall-mounted, vertical bunk beds folds up into 24 ” of storage space.

And after you spend a few minutes day dreaming about new room configurations and all of the space you’re going to free up with your new Flying Bed go spend some time over at Tickle Fancy where you’ll find all sorts of whimsical goodies for kids, big and little!

Driving around town a few months back I spotted a shop that for all intents and purposes looked like Willy Wonka’s workshop. Returning on foot I found the Oomp-Loompa confections were actually hyper-stylized candy-colored television sets stocked floor to ceiling. Enter the wonderful world of Hannspree. We’re talking LCD screens housed in casings shaped like toy trucks, plush animals, sporting equipment and fruit. And as if in a sugar coma, I wondered around for 45 minutes making the sales staff nervous as I touched every set within reach.

Regardless of your stance on kids and tv, you can certainly appreciate this charming marriage of technology and design. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an advocate of Junior having a television in his room but I could definitely see one of these in the playroom, family room or maybe even the kitchen. There are only two Hannspree stores in the US: Beverly Hills and San Francisco, but you can view the entire collection and purchase items from their web site.

Here’s a very Apple meets Target advertising style overview of the Hannspree collection which I should mention also includes several styles for adults as well including a wooden model I quite like.

From Dutch designer Marie-Louise Reesink comes Kast van een Huis. ‘Kast’ is Dutch for closet or storage cabinet, and the expression ‘Een kast van een Huis’ translates roughly ‘enormous house.’ It’s along the same line as the English expression ‘barn of a house.’ And so is named Reesnik’s line of children’s armoires fashioned after Amsterdam’s 17th and 18th Century canalhouses. They’re fully customizable with a selection of 3 sizes, 3 styles of gables, a wide palette of colors and the option of adding additional doors and windows. They’re moveable closets, the focal point of your nursery, kid’s bedroom or play room, and can be utilized as a room divider. I’m thinking these might look smart in the clubhouse.

What’s it like to live in a real canal house?
Check out one couple’s story.