Q & A: David Netto
Nursery Know-How with the Designer of NettoCollection
by The Cradle Staff
o need to compromise when decorating the nursery - NettoCollection offers stylish, modern furniture that’ll compliment any contemporary home. Not only that, it’s eco-friendly, too!
Here David Netto, founding partner and creative director, shares his nursery know-how with The Cradle.
The Cradle:
Where, or how, do you find inspiration for your designs?David: Anywhere there’s something good in the adult world that would translate well for children. I was amazed at how few stylish options there were for baby furniture when we started Netto in 2003, when the grownup world of design was exploding (magazines, Design Within Reach, etc.). I look at the qualities people love in their own furniture and I want them to have that for their kids, too. I particularly love French modernism of the 1930s, which is sleek but always playful.
The Cradle: Tell us about your new collection, Cabine.
David: Speaking of [the 1930s], the name of our first two-piece collection is inspired by ocean liner interiors, which were compact but luxurious. For a long time people asked us to do a crib that is open on four sides, so here it is. But even though that was the main idea, I think this is one of our very prettiest designs. And the changer/dresser has great presence, too. I wanted you to get the impact of three pieces even if you had room for only two.
The Cradle: Do you have any personal faves in your collection?
David: I have to say the Moderne crib because it was the first thing I designed, but I’m really in love with that Cabine changer right now, yes I am.
The Cradle: Okay, say I’m an expectant parent about to decorate my baby’s nursery. Right now I have a blank palette. Where do you suggest I start?
David: Call us and get some beautiful furniture! That’s what we’re here for, to give you the background that makes your child’s room serene and bright as things change, and it gets messier... and messier. Aside from this, which really is important, as with any decoration, go WITH the architecture. If you have a big window, frame it with dramatic tall curtains to make it look even bigger. If it’s a small room, paint one wall a color, the rest white, and hang a group of different pictures with beautiful frames on the color wall.
The Cradle:
What would you like to see more of in childrens’ nurseries? And what would you like to see less of?
David: More quality, less compromise. It’s no less important than the living room.
The Cradle:
You seem to have your finger on the pulse of all things fabulous and stylish. In the world of David Netto, name your……favorite childrens’ song.“Two Kinds of Seagulls” sung by a guy whose last name is Chapin. I hear it on Sirius 116, the kids’ station. It’s [my daughter] Kate’s favorite, so it’s my favorite.
…favorite childrens’ book.Amos & Boris by William Steig.
…favorite way to spend a Saturday with your children.Taking a tennis lesson with Kate and kicking a soccer ball around the park with [my other daughter] Madelyn. Just being outside in LA with them is a dream, being from the East.
…favorite childrens’ toy.Whatever [my daughters] love at the moment. The love affairs tend to last a week or so. Right now there’s a pirate ship which is very popular, but I really do love to build Legos.
…favorite childrens’ movie.This year:
Surf’s Up. [My favorite] of all time:
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the
Gone with the Wind of kids’ movies.
The Cradle:
Now that eco-lifestyles are even more popular these days, how is your company eco-friendly?David: Many people don’t understand that the best way to be eco-conscious is to keep furniture OUT of landfills. The disposability of baby furniture was one of the things that drove me crazy when we started, along with there being no modernism. We make baby furniture that never needs to be thrown away. Everything converts to adult use. The build quality and finishes are the best. This is the best way to be eco-friendly, period - to make something that isn’t junk.
It goes without saying that we use non-VOC finishes, and Netto manufactures in Europe with a factory where you actually can verify the sustainability of the materials, instead of just throwing that term around. It is also something that is built into the price of our furniture, because being eco-friendly definitely comes with a cost. But it is the way things are going, and I’m proud to say our furniture was all about that long before it became fashionable.
The Cradle:
What’s next on the horizon for you and your company? (Give us the inside scoop!)David: I think there’s enough modernism out there, and I’m going to introduce a crib with a Louis leg at the end of this year! I’m serious. You’ve got to keep giving people something new. Netto will always make the best furniture, but I would never confine it just to one style.
