Everyone is talking about Bratt

When Mary Bauer was pregnant with her first child in 1995, she did what most new parents do--searched for the right nursery furniture. But for Mary and her husband, Stephen, that search proved futile.


"The face of juvenile furniture was very different," Mary said. "We were trying to find sophisticated, well-designed baby furniture. But it was either very high-end European or Babies "R" Us. There was nothing in between."


After finding nothing that suited their tastes, Stephen, who at the time was working as a commercial illustrator but has a background in furniture making in his native South Africa, designed a crib from scratch--a four-poster iron crib with ostrich feathers. The couple realized there were likely others parents out there that wanted the same level of sophistication and elegance for their nurseries, so the couple formed Bratt Decor. "We incorporated while I was still pregnant," Mary said.



From 1995 to 2000, Bratt Decor

She's due any day now with twin girls, but Numb3rs actress Diane Farr has it all under control. "When I found out it was twins, I said a lot of expletives," the actress told Life & Style during a July 3 visit to the girls' new nursery in Diane's West Hollywood home. The nursery features a Bratt Decor Venetian Crib in gold (the same one she has for son Beckett) and a Chelsea Double Dresser in Espresso.



Farr loved the crib so much that she "couldn't imagine getting anything different" she says.



The twins' ballerina themed nursery follows Diane's decorating rule of thumb: "You should splurge on a really high-end piece," she says "then one medium piece and a bunch of things to fill it in."

If you're expecting for the first time, you may be wondering how one tiny infant can require so much stuff! Between new furniture, stockpiles of essentials such as diapers and wipes, shower gifts of toys and clothes, not to mention the car seat, swing, bassinet, play yard& whew!, you may have noticed your home rapidly filling up with all of baby's things  whether or not you've actually had the baby yet! As your child grows, and accumulates more stuff  namely toys, which get bigger and bigger  your living quarters may begin to feel a little cramped! So, what's a new mom to do?



Resolve to simplify your life this year by starting it off right -- with an organized nursery. Sure, things are bound to get a little messy (okay, very messy) once your little one arrives, but if you have items in place to help keep

Mompreneur-- Local mom Mary Bauer began creating European-inspired infant furniture in 1995. Today, the company has blossomed into a multi-million dollar company with an international presence. Donna Hamilton and Stan Stoval talk to Bauer about balancing her life as mom, wife and CEO, her baby furniture designs, the latest trends and working with Hollywood's biggest stars.


To see the video clip, please click on

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Versatility and multifunction have always been big in youth furniture. Lofts, under-bed drawers and trundle beds all make keeping a kid's room organized and user friendly an easier task. But the furniture in today's market goes beyond solving storage and space issues, offering a life span through college and beyond.



A MATURE SENSIBILITY

Youth Furniture manufacturers, keen on parent's tight purse strings, are introducing collections that easily transition through the years. Youth furnishings are built with a lot of versatility, says Jackie Hirschhaut, vice president of the American Home Furnishing Alliance (AHFA), High Point, N.C. I think what manufacturers are trying to do is come up with looks that are appealing to youngsters as well as teens, so that a parent can hopefully make a single investment and have it satisfy the child throughout that period.



At Broyhill Furniture Industries which recently launched a comprehensive children's line, Ready, Set, Grow

Lorena Bendinskas and Melissa Lemer, of The Silver Spoon were the featured guests on The Montel Show. The ladies showed the audience and viewers the best baby shower and kids trends--including Bratt Decor's Chelsea Lifetime Crib, which is one of the hottest cribs on the market and a celebrity favorite!

First came love, then came marriage, and now Trista and Ryan Sutter of ABC's The Bachelorette, have welcomed a baby boy, Maxwell Altson Sutter, to their fairytale love story.



The couple welcomed the baby into the world on July 26th. Little Maxwell (5 pounds, 3 ounces and 18 inches long) is the first child for the Sutters, who met on the first season of ABC's The Bachelorette and were married on television in December of 2003.



Max sleeps in a fun striped nursery decked out in furnishings by Bratt Decor. His nursery, which was designed to be unisex, now screams "BOY!" with the added touches of color and hints of pale blue. Max currently sleeps in Bratt Decors Zanzibar Rocking Cradle, as he grows he will move into his Casablanca crib in Pewter, and then on to the Casablanca Daybed. Maxs changing table will also transition and grow with him, as

Bratt Decor designs gorgeous room decor that is pure luxury for your little angel. A favorite to the stars, Angelina and Bratt Pitt, Heidi Klum and Seal, Courtney Cox, and Marcia Cross's newest additions have all slept in cradles, cribs and nurseries by Bratt Decor, to name a few.


"Each Bratt product is designed by International artisan Stephen Bauer, whose unique works define Bratt Decor and have fueled the company's growth since its start in 1995. Today, in an age of fad and modern nursery design, Bratt Decor remains at the top of the baby industry with its elaborate designs, intricate detailing, superb craftsmanship, and unmatched quality."


To view this glowing write up visit Boutique Mom

We just got back from lalaland, where we hung out with the stars in the Boom Boom Room. It was so great to see so many happy customers, including: Samantha Harris, Nancy O'Dell, Ali Landry, Tisha Campbell and more! We fell in love with Aaron Staton and his gorgeous wife, Connie, who are expecting their first baby in July. Hopefully, they'll be clients soon!

Designer Tracy Hutson transforms the boys' bedroom in one family's home into a cozy, girly nursery that the mom-to-be goes gaga for. Using furniture from Bratt Decor's Jane line in pink, this room is all girl!


Fans of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition are used to watching Tracy Hutson completely overhaul run-down homes for deserving families. For this project, however, the designer and author of Feathering the Nest: Tracy Hutson's Earth-Friendly Guide to Decorating Your Baby's Room didn't have to do major demolition or reconstruction. This labor of love involved teaming up with REDBOOK to warm up the nursery in Teresa and Scott Humr's home, in Twentynine Palms, CA.Teresa, a full-time mom to Caleb, 4, and Noah, 2, was expecting her first girl, Zoe Elizabeth (due date: June 22, 2009), and wanted to dress up the nursery, a room her two boys once shared. Our help was necessary because Scott, an

Marcia Cross' twins Savannah and Eden Mahoney's nursery is completely decked out by Bratt Decor. Back in December, Bratt Decor's Mary Bauer flew to L.A., where she met with Marcia and her husband, Tom Mahoney. She worked with the famous couple to create a gorgeous nursery for babies Eden and Savannah.


Mary said, "Marcia was radiant, kind, and easy to work with and Tom was absolutely beaming! They are a beautiful couple, with a gorgeous nursery and it was a great pleasure to work with both of them."


Marcia and Tom chose the entire dick collection in white for a pure, classic look. The nursery walls are painted with Benjamin Moores Spring Lilac for the walls because Marcia wanted girly, but not too frilly. Window treatments in the same fabric as the bedding with delicate lilac pom poms to add a feminine flair. The dick crib in white is made up with

When the time came for Samantha Harris to design her baby's boudoir, she called on the ladies at Bratt Decor, Caden Lane and Nursery Couture to assemble the room. By pairing traditional, neutral furniture with a classic pink and chocolate color scheme, the design team created a stylish girly space for baby Josselyn.

Check out some of Samantha's favorite pieces...(do you notice that Bratt's all over the page?!)

A few stars were spotted loading up on free goodies for their kids at the Boom Boom Room's Children's Gifting Wonderland held at the Century Plaza Hotel in honor of the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards.




Check out the pics!

The customer was clearly in a dilemma when she walked through the shop's door.



What can one possibly purchase as a baby shower gift when the sex of the tiny newcomer is still unknown?



Debbie Melnikoff was quick with her answer.



The owner of Dream Baby Boutique on the Loudoun Street Pedestrian Mall in Winchester propelled her customer toward a wall covered with Loved Baby apparel -- a neutral-colored, mix-and-match clothing line for infants, whether they're made of either snips and snails, or sugar and spice.



Customers "love the 'Loved Baby' butt on the pants," Melnikoff said with a laugh, indicating miniature pairs of rompers with the logos emblazoned on the seats.



Another display features a menagerie of stuffed animals with fuzzy faces and in a variety of species, including ducks, giraffes, bears, frogs and, the most popular item, according to Melnikoff, an impish monkey. They are also available as teethers and are washable,

The biggest trend in youth decor? To make the nursery or tot's room blend in with the home's overall design scheme. Modern Youth Furniture, textiles and decor are taking cues from the fashion world and from mainstream furniture designs. The results are new "decor greats" that comfort baby and appeal to parent's sense of style.


Designed to meet those needs, Bratt Decor introduces its first-ever mod collection, Blu by Bratt Decor. This special addition to the company's line of children's furnishings offers yet another option for today's chic parents and parents-to-be--a bold, contemporary statement for the nursery.


The sophisticated and cool line is styled in ash wood with a rich oak veneer stained in wheat and mocha finishes. The natural wood grain is left exposed. The Blu line includes a panel crib, a convertible changer/dresser, a storage cubby, and a wall shelf. The crib utilizes stationary side rails, and offers

A man's home might be his castle, but his children's rooms are their kingdoms, lavished nowadays with kiddie-customized accouterments from crib to computer station.


If a boy wants to sleep in a custom-built space ship, with fiber optic lighting and engine roar sound effects, he can. If a girl wants her bed in a super-sized doll house, she can have it, according to Diane DeWald, owner of Mega Kids Inc. in Park Shore Plaza. De Wald has been concocting the fantasy beds her clients request for the past 12 years, as well as providing more typical juvenile furniture in her 12,000 square-foot showroom.
It depends upon the age, she explained. Infants don't say much about their room design, she quipped, so the mothers make the nursery decisions. Right now, many are influenced by celebrity moms. They see what the stars have for their babies and they want the same for their own.


DeWald

Creating your dream nursery can be an easy task when you focus your goals and wants for this special room. Many moms-to-be already have their dream nursery in mind, but are unsure of how to get started. Here is some helpful advice on how to overcome this obstacle. One of the best ways to decorate a child's room is around a baby nursery theme or color scheme.

Following are a few suggestions to get you started:

The best way to get an idea for your nursery theme is by selecting the baby bedding that best reflects your unique style. Choose a main print that will set the tone for the whole room. There are many options available today that go beyond the traditional babyish themes. Maybe pretty pink polka-dots or purple flowers for a little girls room, and blue gingham to dress up a little boys room. Be sure to

New Yorkers are known for their love of design. Recently the well respected writers of New York Spaces explored design for the littlest of clients, and among the hottest looks, was Bratt Decor's chelsea collection in silver. The hand carved details and timeless design make this a must have for babes and moms alike.

J-Lo talks about life with her twins and her new nursery which includes two Bratt Decor Casablanca Cribs in gold and what I think is Art 4 Kids' Madison Bedding.

A beautiful, delicate cradle is a special luxury for your little one and for you. This stunner, crafted from swirly wrought iron in your choice of finish color, comes with not only a complete set of snow-white bedding, but with the dreamy tulle netting, too.

Sweet dreams Baby, weve SO got you covered! Youve been waiting so patiently for 101 and here it is!!! Weve looked all over for our Favorite Crib and we are in good company with our choice of celebumom favorite Bratt Decor! From cribs to dressers, cradles to big kid beds, Bratt Decor truly has it all. Their quality is unmatched and their unique style is absolutely breathtaking.



We reviewed the Casablanca Premiere Crib in Venitian Gold& WHICH, ahem, just happens to be the same crib that diva-turned-mommy Jennifer Lopezs babies Max and Emme dream in too! Just one look and theres no wondering why. Its truly fit for royalty. Each and every detail was captured with such magnificent quality and craftsmanship that it makes it a shame that your little one will only be in it for a few years! Oops, they thought of that too as it fully converts into

In 1995, Mary and Stephen Bauer were expecting their first child. Stephen had his own business as a commercial illustrator and was enjoying great success. Mary was a marketing director for a local architectural firm. They both were excited about their new addition. Stephen showed his excitement by designing a gorgeous wrought iron crib for their new baby.



With that crib, Bratt Decor was born. Since then, the Bauer family has grown, as has the business. Bratt Decor designs include baby cribs, dressers, changing tables, childrens furniture and coordinating accessories. Stephen works full-time designing, creating and manufacturing products while Mary manages sales and marketing. Sebastian and Raiff, their sons, do product testing and design input.



M&T Bank won this banking relationship in January of 2006. Bratt Decor has seen significant expansion since then. Michael Pietropaoli, assistant vice president and relationship manager, and Carl Hairston, vice president and team leader, both of

A mini diva in your midst? Your little galmour-puss might like the beautiful, hand-rubbed finish of the Chelsea sleigh crib in Antique Silver from Bratt Decor. Victorian-inspired relief carvings and a metallic patina transcend time, as the other pieces in the collection--a dresser and an armoire--could easily fit into a growing child's or even a parent's room. Also available in buttermilk and espresso finishes.

Bratt Decor introduces new looks and designs for nursery and beyond. This in depth article has six great shots of some of our most popular cribs, along with tons of info on available finishes and price ranges. Thanks Baby & Children's Product News!

Pregnant actress Halle Berry has been busy decorating the nursery in her two homes-one if Malibu and one in the Hollywood Hills-with identical items for her March baby.


In Touch Weekly is reporting that Berry, 41, purchased two of Bratt Decors Chelsea Sleigh Crib ($1452). Your baby will sleep in style in this elegant crib. Dancing with the Stars cohost Samantha Harris also purchased this luxury crib for her baby girl.