In Design: Baby boom

Two neighboring stores in Rishpon take buying children’s gifts and essentials to a whole new level.

By ORI J. LENKINSKI
Children turn Lego toys into robots 370 (photo credit: Courtesy World ORT Kadima Mada)
Children turn Lego toys into robots 370
(photo credit: Courtesy World ORT Kadima Mada)
As any new parent can tell you, having children is a gateway to a bustling world of products. Bath hammocks, swaddle cloths, slings and sterilizers are words that instantly become assimilated into a person’s vocabulary the moment a child comes into the picture. Then, amidst diapers, bottles and the soft wailing of a newborn, parents face the challenge of organizing all these items into two categories: necessary and extraneous.
“After you give birth, you get a lot of gifts.
It’s usually something like eight blankets and some newborn outfits,” says Einat Dor Shahar, owner of Tuti Bamoshav in Rishpon. “We get a lot of mothers who come in to exchange their gifts a few weeks after giving birth. To save parents that hassle, we now offer a registry service. The parents make a list of the essentials, and their friends and family can purchase those items. We then keep the gifts here. After the baby is born, the family receives a lovely delivery full of the things they really need.
Registries are very popular abroad but haven’t really caught on yet here in Israel,” she explains.
Shahar is confident that the trend will soon prove itself to the Israeli crowd.
Unlike most, Shahar was curious about the world of children’s products long before she began planning her own family.
This month, she will celebrate the 10th anniversary of her store, which occupies a sprawling one-floor building on a tree-lined side street.
“I was 26 when I opened the store,” she says. “These things, they always spoke to me.”
Her store, which is connected to Yael Oz Carmon’s Hollamama boutique, serves as a magnet for parents, family members and friends from all over the country.
After finishing her studies in business and management, she took a brief moment to consider a career in finance.
“But I knew that banking wasn’t for me,” she says.
Shahar continued her studies at the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design.
“After I finished my degree, I wanted to open a place that would bring together lots of different kinds of products such as clothing, accessories and interior design.
At the time, the market in Israel for children’s goods consisted of Shilav, and that was it. If you wanted something a little bit special or different, you just couldn’t find it. I knew that I wanted to create a place that would be beautiful,” she explains.
At first, Shahar dedicated herself to collecting Israeli products.
“With time, I realized that lots of great products were being made abroad,” she says.
Today, Tuti Bamoshav contains products from all over the world. Shahar recently began to offer customized, personalized linens and decorations that are made on site by a seamstress. To meet the growing demand of customers around the country and abroad, Tuti Bamoshav opened a website on which expectant parents can browse the baby checklist and order what they like.
When asked to name her favorite of the thousands of items in her store, Shahar thinks hard for a moment and says,“Can I pick something that is my daughter’s favorite?” As it turns out, three-yearold Libby is in love with a rabbit-shaped LED lamp.
“She named it Yungis, and she takes it everywhere. It costs NIS 90 and is a fantastic gift,” says Shahar. “I can say, though, what I think is necessary for a new family.
My picks are the Beaba bath hammock; Aiden and Anais’s swaddle cloths; a nursing apron, which we make here; a stroller pad; and a good activity mat. I think those are all really essential,” says the maven.
Though Shahar had been a fan of Carmon’s Hollamama boutique for years, the two became store mates of sorts four years ago.
“They are two separate businesses that happen to be connected,” explains Shahar.
Unlike Shahar, Carmon, who is 33, had never really taken interest in children’s goods before her first pregnancy. With a baby at home, Carmon discovered that the regular stroller bag was not up to snuff.
“I made myself a stroller bag that got a lot of great feedback,” she says. “I didn’t want to make a classic mom bag. I chose the materials, the pattern and the shape based on my aesthetic. I took a few bags that I loved and combined them into one.”
With her daughter, Danielle, in a carrier, Carmon ran around Tel Aviv looking for fabrics. She also took her with her to Bezalel, where Carmon was working toward a master’s degree in design. Carmon brought that first bag to Shahar, who quickly bought up stock to sell at Tuti Bamoshav.
“Most mom bags are these huge backpacks.
Yael’s bags are beautiful and practical,” says Shahar.
Carmon now sells the third generation of that first bag, in addition to a collection of jewelry inspired by the hamsa (palmshaped) amulet.
“At Bezalel, I started to look at the hamsas that people like to give each other to hang on a baby’s stroller. There was very little design in these objects. I started thinking that as a mother, I wanted a charm that would represent me. So I developed the four women,” she says.
On the back wall of the Hollamama store stand two large wooden boards that display Carmon’s women and creatures.
The four women are Japanese, Chinese, Indian and Eastern European.
Recently, Carmon added a series of animals to her hamsa line. There are three jungle animals, three from the forest and three from the barnyard. Each woman or animal represents different qualities such as strength, intelligence and power. They come in a variety of forms, from charms on necklaces and bracelets to mirrors and the classic stroller hamsa. In each, Carmon has found a way to seamlessly weave in the palm shape.
In the coming months, Shahar and Carmon will launch their new joint venture called Baby Bird. The company will offer hand-picked gift kits, such as a do-it-yourself mobile and other bits and bobs from the two stores. The name is taken from the shape of the mobile frame, which looks like an open birdcage. ■ Tuti Bamoshav and Hollamama are located at 17 Haprahim Street in Rishpon. For more information, visit www.tuty.co.il