Design Notebook

Oh, baby

The flow of the modern home no longer stops abruptly at Pooh Corner. Tomorrow's leaders new-born today can drool, fuss, nap and make the usual baby messes in contemporary style with custom furniture and bedding from nurseryworks. Take the Two Wide Changing Table, for instance. It uses classic modular principles and comes in two configurations: six drawers or three drawers and a cabinet. Hamper and shelf options are also available. The top changing tray can be removed, turning it into a dresser for an older child. Colors, door pattern and legs are your choice. Price is in the $1,100 range. Check out pieces at Collective, 5323 Ballard Ave. N.W., Seattle, 206-782-1900 or at Merry-Go-Round, 1014 116th Ave. N.E., Bellevue, 425-454-1610. See the line and a list of online retailers at www.nurseryworks.net.

Earlier this year, designer Jonathan Adler introduced his furniture line at the International Home Furnishing Market. And now Velocity Art and Design brings it to Seattle. This is the first complete collection of upholstered furniture and lacquered accents from Adler, born in 1966 and designing in the mod style of that year. The pieces refer to the past but feel quite modern. Groovy. Adler began his career with a line of pottery, and one interior designer has said of him, "Jonathan Adler does for American pottery what Noel Coward did for cocktail parties — he makes life witty, sophisticated and simply delicious." Expect the same from his furnishings, made by Rowe. The chocolate chair ($1,550) and ottoman ($750) shown are from the Woodhouse line. It draws on Regency architecture using crescent corners and scooped arms. Wood legs are splayed and tapered. Ivory welting accents the silhouette. Available in 64 fabrics and four wood finishes. Check out the line at www.JonathanAdlerFurniture.com and locally at the Northwest source for Adler at Velocity, 2118 Second Ave., Seattle, 866-781-9494, www.velocityartanddesign.com.

Fun with fiberoptics

There's more than one way to make a kitchen counter sparkle. Here's the other way: Illumistone, concrete slabs speckled with twinkling lights. The 2-inch-thick pieces are made by Coastal Concrete Counters of Pensacola, Fla., and prices start at $125 a square foot for Illumistone. The glow comes from a 75-watt bulb sealed in a paperback-sized box with a switch. You just plug it into a wall outlet. It is safe for outdoor and damp environments. Fiberoptic strands bring the light to the countertop from below. Each fiber is individually placed within the surface, so you can let your imagination get the better of you, if you choose, from a random star field to a corporate logo; variations are endless. For more information go to www.coastalconcretecounters.com.

Rebecca Teagarden is assistant editor of Pacific Northwest magazine.