The Muu Blog

All things Muu plus design, local manufacturing and sustainability.

Ray Crib Featured in Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine

Mar 15

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Check out the March issue of Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine to see a versatile use of the Ray Crib with Hazelnut Vines MuuPanel.  Their farm-themed nursery layout showcases how Muu furniture can fit numerous nursery themes.  Looking for back to nature?   The Vines design has you covered.  A nursery set for outerspace?  The Blastoff design works too.  If you (or your child) outgrows the look, simply swap out the design for a new MuuPanel.  As you know, we think this is one of the most exciting things about the Sam and Ray Collections — the ability to own furniture that grows with you and gives you all of the benefits of custom products without the lifetime commitment.

Pregnancy & Newborn March Cover

Preg-&-Newborn-Clip2

The March 2010 issue of Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine is on newsstands now.

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Sterling Cooper on Line 2….

Mar 11

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In case you missed this, the folks over at Ohdeedoh (via the NYT) picked up on the recent announcement of Mattel’s “Mad Men” series of dolls (sans 9am cocktail).

Mattel Does Barbie Mad Men Collection (credit: NYT)

Mattel Does Barbie Mad Men Collection (credit: NYT)

As a firm that named our recent collection for iconic mid-century designer Ray Eames, it seems beyond obvious to mention how much we enjoy Mad Men.  As good as the writing is (and it’s very good), we find ourselves often distracted by the subtle period details, whether the typewriter covers, Don’s office chairs or the Rothko in Bert Cooper’s office.  Between this limited-edition launch for Barbie and the Mad Men-inspired campaign for Banana Republic last summer there is a very good argument to be made that the Don Draperization effect has jumped the shark.  That said, it’s amazing to see how all of the furniture can seamlessly move between a Mad Men set and a contemporary home without seeming overly nostalgic or dated.  The understated simplicity of the design and honestly of the materials have an enduring quality that just works.

The dolls are being released in July to coincide with the new season.  Perhaps by then Mattel will rethink their decision to make Joan a size zero and add that loveable Burl Ives Bert Cooper doll after all!

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Ray Crib Named “One of our Year’s Favorites” by Pregnancy Magazine

Mar 3

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Thanks to the folks over at Pregnancy Magazine for including us in their wrap up of favorite cribs of 2010 in the March issue!  They featured the all slat version of the Ray Crib (in Hazelnut).

Pregnancy Magazine March 2010 CoverPregnancy-Clip2

(N.B. The price is actually $845.)

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People Magazine’s Celebrity Baby Blog Calls Ray Collection “Beautifully Crafted”

Mar 3

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CBB 2-18-10

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Supermodel Karolina Kurkova is a Fan of Muu!

Feb 19

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Check out an excerpt from a recent issue of Hello Magazine (UK) featuring Karolina Kurkova and her new family.  We were thrilled to see that her Sam Crib with blue whale MuuPanel was included in the photos.  Thanks for being a fan!

Muu featured in Hello Magazine's Karolina Kurkova article

Muu Featured in Karolina Kurkova Hello Magazine Article

Muu Sam Crib with Blue Whale MuuPanel

Muu Sam Crib with Blue Whale MuuPanel as featured in Karolina's Nursery

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Even Tough-Guy Canadians Like the Sam Crib

Feb 8

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For our Canadian readers or fans of HGTV’s home improvement show “Holmes on Homes” or fans of Mike Holmes’ “Make it Right” mantra or all three, we know you will enjoy the feature on eco-friendly kids rooms in the January/February issue of Holmes Magazine featuring the Sam Crib.  The fact that our products are made just over the border has been a source of significant enthusiasm for our Canadian customers and retailers alike.

Holmes Magazine January/February 2010Holmes Magazine Sam Crib Clip

If you are having trouble reading the text, here’s what it says:

“Robert Kwak’s penchant for good design and his Zen belief that there is no difference between people and their environment led him to found Muu, a company dedicated to selling items that are safe, non-toxic and useful.  Because the whims of children change with the wind, he developed a unique system of interchangeable crib panels attached with magnets.  A thumb hole makes it easy for parents to remove one panel and replace it with a different design to satiate their child’s obessions – whether butterflies or trucks.  Panels can also be customized and personalized.  The clean modern design of the cribs and youth beds are also reflected in Muu nightstands, storage units and dressers (www.muukids.com).”

The Sam Collection can be found across Canada at select retailers including ella + elliot (Toronto), Princess and the Pea (Edmonton), Tadpole (Waterloo), Flo Urbain (Montreal), Dream a Little Dream (Markham) and the Mom Store (Calgary). The January/February 2010 issue of Holmes Magazine is on the newsstands now.

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Ray Crib Featured in Los Angeles Times

Feb 2

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We are thankful that our hometown paper, the Los Angeles Times, has been kind enough to support us since we launched with the Sam Collection.  While last time we were over in the home section, this time we’re in the Magazine’s “Pretty in Green” section.  We particularly liked their twist on our zen name:

This furniture inspires peacefulness and is clearly thoughtfully designed. I imagine any baby would grow up to be a Zen master after sleeping in one of these cribs.

Check out the entire piece here.  Also, for interested customers, note that in addition to the three great Muu retailers listed in the article, My Little Bebe in Pasadena and Spoiled Beginnings in Costa Mesa also carry Muu in the Los Angeles area.  However only the Juvenile Shop (Sherman Oaks) and Spoiled Beginnings have the Ray Collection on the floor. . . at least for now.

Ray Crib in LA Times

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Great Design . . . Great Cause

Feb 2

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This past Friday we snuck out of work early to attend the opening of Upward Bound’s new family shelter facility in Culver City, California.  Upward bound is a terrific organization we support that provides, among other services, temporary housing to homeless families with children.

We learned about Upward Bound from our good friend and uber-designer Kelly LaPlante who was approached to design one of the recently renovated apartments at the facility.  Eighteen designers contributed materials and their design expertise to create truly incredible and unique temporary housing for people in need.  Known for her commitment to sustainable design, Kelly completed many of the pieces in low-VOC paints and remnant fabrics and finished off the table, bed and nightstands with inspiring hand-drawn artwork.

Upward Bound House by Kelly LaPlante (credit: Organic Interior Design)

Upward Bound House Project by Kelly LaPlante (credit: Organic Interior Design)

In addition to Kelly, several of the other designers created truly amazing rooms.  Wander on over to Inhabitat’s coverage of the event to see more photos and descriptions of the project.  Additional photos of Kelly’s work for the Upward Bound project can be found on her blog.  To learn more about the organization and make a contribution, check out the Upward Bound website.

Kelly LaPlante Shows off her designs (Credit: Inhabitat.com)

Kelly LaPlante Shows off her designs (Credit: Inhabitat.com)

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Apartment Therapy Features the Ray Collection

Feb 1

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We were very excited to surf on over to one of our favorite modern parenting and design websites, Ohdeedoh, and discover that they had featured the entire Ray Collection.  After challenging us with their “new from Muu” tongue twister (smells like a new marketing campaign) we were even more excited to discover that they proclaimed the Ray Collection “our new favorites.”  Read the entire post here.

Ray-Collection-on-Ohdeedoh

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Pregnancy Magazine’s MOM Calls the Ray Storage Unit a “Must Have”

Jan 27

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Thanks to the folks over at Pregnancy Magazine for spreading the word in MOM, their special issue, about the Ray Storage Unit and for showing off our new design “Blastoff”

MOM- Pregnancy Winter 2010 Cover MOM-Preganancy Clip

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