O – bjekt Studio has designed a hanging cradle – Little Nest – using 100% natural materials: Merino wool felt handcrafted and leather. Budapest-based designer Oszkar Vagi took into consideration the child’s experience in the womb, before birth.
The designer’s description
Egg? Cocoon? Capsule? Cradle!
Shaped out of one single wool felt the cradle hugs around the baby as a protective shell taking care of it’s peaceful rest. Due to perfectly simple geometry, 100% natural materials and the single-point suspension, babies can enjoy gentle care very similar to what they experienced prior to their birth. The cradle reacts to every move and wiggle the baby makes and calms them down with gentle swaying.
The cradle is the outcome of an idea springing from rather personal motivation. Touched by the restless knights of my own child i got inspired to design a childbed providing the most natural conditions for sleeping. Following the pattern of nature we achieved the final shape of the cradle by making it void of any frippery.
Due to perfectly simple geometry, 100 per cent natural materials and the single-point suspension system babies can enjoy gentle care very similar to what they experienced prior to their birth. The cradle reacts to every motion and wiggle the baby makes and calms them down with gentle swaying. Suspended cradles are not brand new innovations though: the Egyptians had already used them too but hudreds of years ago Hungarian mothers also preferred to hang their children in dough troughs beside their beds.
The shape of the cradle is made of a double layer of Merino wool felt handcrafted by master hatter László Girardi (girardi.hu) with traditional wool felting technique. Due to the leather strap suspension system the movement dynamics of the cradle could be best characterized by natural easiness and flexibility. Naturally, several clinical tests have been carried out with babies to find out the effects of this bed on these small beings. Meanwhile the design of related products has also begun.