One of the things that I indulge in way too frequently is watching HGTV. I don’t love all the shows, but I think the real problem is that as the ability to buy a house is approaching, I’m completely enamored in the idea of knowing what I want to do with my someday home. Good grief, I’ve wished for a home since I was 14 and I asked my mom why she did something a certain way and she said “You do it your way when you have your own home”. My favorite shows have designers staging or redecorating (I love “Divine Design”!). Jared is a HGTV addict too but he’s much more interested in Holmes on Homes and the Home Buyers shows.
One of the common threads that I’ve found in all this TV watching is that a lot of parents let their children’s toys overtake the main rooms of their homes. In my parent’s home toys were banned from the front room. This is fine and dandy if you have a family room as well as a living room. But for those of us who have less space it’s tricky.
I came up with a wonderful solution… I designed a tummy-time play mat that uses the colors of my front-room and is a piece of art—using a bold contrasting pattern while mixing patterns and not being too garish—a visual delight. I used a combination of cotton, velvet, valor, and faux suede to indulge the tactile sense. The leaves make crackle noises while the centers of the flowers squeak.
Now my baby can play on the floor in happiness with lots of stimulation and my room still looks organized and modern. I’m considering opening up an on-line shop to sell these. I would customize them to match the colors of the room that they were made for (not necessarily the nursery colors). What do you think? Would you pay for something like this? Or would you rather have a pattern and make your own? I am planning to design some that are more gender-neutral/masculine as well if this idea is well-received. If you do like it, what would you pay for something like this?
Constructive comments would be very welcome.
