a peek inside the fishbowl

I am very happy to welcome Red Chair Kids to the Fishbowl family. This store has had a special place in my heart for a long time. Somehow they manage to embody a philosophy that I carry with me and think about a lot: Our Things Should Be Beautiful. And this is what really makes them stand apart.

Red Chair has been a fixture of West Wellington Village for a solid five years. They’re right near the centre of all the action – the Ottawa Bagel Shop, the Herb and Spice, Saslove’s – shops we love to support because there is SO MUCH TO LOVE THERE. Every time I am out buying our weekend bagels, and/or dinner fixin’s I pop my head into Red Chair to drink it all in. You see, Red Chair is my favourite kind of children’s boutique. They (a) focus on only the best, and (b) it’s clear that everything in store is chosen from the heart. The owners, Monica and Sarah, and I must be on the same design-related wavelength because when I cross the threshold I catch my breath and my heart goes GALLUMP and I choke back that constricted feeling in my throat that happens when I am surrounded by beautiful things. And this just does not happen in big box stores, you know?

I can’t even begin to tell you about all the great stuff we’ve bought at Red Chair: puzzles and games, plush bunnies, toys and baby gear for expectant parents, repositionable wall stickers for bedroom walls (you know the kind) … I could go on. One of the things we haven’t bought there is bedding and nursery furniture. This is where I have to shake my fist and howl, with a note of sadness and remorse: RED CHAIR, WHERE WERE YOU 12 YEARS AGO. Twelve years ago, when bedding for children was all so boring, lame, and populated with Barbies and badly drawn kitty cats.

Perhaps I was just ahead of my time? Nevermind. I digress.

Red Chair is the only Oeuf retailer in Ottawa, a brand that is renown for its classic design and simple lines. They carry Stokke furniture too, which is so smart I want to cry. (Once again, I am SO sorry we missed the bandwagon for this stuff.)

It’s good to know that one of the two owners is always in the store, and that they offer free in-store design consultation too, which is a real help to frazzled parents (like the kind I was!) who need a hand to hold while they’re in the thick of it all.

Can I point out a few of the things on their website that I really like (and I think you would too):

• 3 Sprouts Mouse Caddy – for toys, or diaper supplies, or socks… whatever! It is terribly cute.
• Oeuf Library – easy to reach storage for kid’s books and precious collections.
• P’kolino Giraffe Rocking chair – oh man.
• Heirloom Eco Friendly Baby Rattle – made from wood that has been sourced from an Ontario sawmill. And is filled with corn kernels! Not only is it adorable, but it falls into my “toys should last A Very very Long Time” philosophy. It would make a great gift.
• Petit Collage Owl Family Mobile – Hoo hoo!
• Skip Hop Tree Top friends Pillow – just look at those colours. Those are my colours!
• Plan Pull-Along Snail – I bought this for a friend… isn’t it sweet?

I’ve often joked with my friends that Red Chair almost, almost makes me want to have another baby. Unfortunately (or fortunately) that is not going to happen, so I will have to make do with the goods that are geared to slightly older children, and continue to shop there for friends with younger ones. :)

Anyway, thank you Red Chair Kids for coming on board as a Fishbowl patron! Your support is appreciated very much.