Sweet Talk - Cristina from Ekokids Chats Work and Family

Get to know the people behind the brands you love.   

We welcome Ekokids to The Little Kidz Closet this month. We got to know the gorgeous Cristina a bit better!

Q1 For anyone that doesn’t know, can you tell us about your business?

Ekokids is a furniture and decor brand for the eco-conscious family. Ekokids celebrates children's imaginary world, through playful design and sustainable materials. We want to help parents contribute to a healthier planet by enriching the children's environment one product at the time. All of Ekokids children's furniture is designed and made in Australia.

Q2 What inspired you to start your business?

At the time I had a handmade business, where I was doing plywood decor for children's rooms. As my daughters grew older, I was looking for something very specific for their bedrooms, that could gather all the elements, I found essential.  But I couldn't find it in the market in Australia. That's when I realised,  I could use the knowledge from my background in Industrial Design to create playful furniture where I could combine Aesthetics, Sustainability, Functionality but also, incorporate a very simple assembly, so mum could do it frustration-free. With the Viking joinery, found while researching, no screws system it was possible to do so. And then I was on the path of creating the first product, a desk, and stool that would come to life when casting cool shadows. That's when Ekokids was born.

Q3 What inspires you to create the products that you do - your source of inspiration?

I believe children's furniture should be playful and functional. I really love to link the imaginary and/or natural world, to create a little story for each of the collections and be able to translate it into shapes. One of my favourite parts of this is the process is when an idea comes up, usually with a natural or animal shape, I work on it through hand drawings, to see how I could implement it,  then I redraw it in the computer in CAD, to eventually turn it into a prototype. Designing for children, the possibilities are endless, it's like a giant playground.

Q4 What’s your favourite memory from your childhood?

I would say Summer holidays, on the southwest coast of Portugal where the sun goes down at 8:30 pm and also, the first time I tried a type of (small) snails and loved it ever since.

Q5 What is the biggest lesson you have learned from your kids / family?

The biggest lesson, let's see... You forcibly become a master in psychology (haha) what works for one child, doesn't necessarily work for the other and trusting that you're doing your best as parents.

And the most important thing is for them to feel supported mentally and emotionally.

Q6 What is your favourite activity with your kids / family?

Traveling would be number 1. And on a smaller scale, we are lucky enough to live in a beautiful coastal town, where the park and beach are around the corner, so we take advantage of that. We also like to stay around the house, with our animals.

Q7 What is your favourite place to holiday in Australia?

Seal Rocks! It's sooo beautiful. Hubby and I used to go there at the beginning of our relationship. I haven't been there for ages!

Q8 Do you have a kids room style tip?

If you fall more on minimalism style, I find that keeping nice-looking storage under the bed, will help feel the room uncluttered and tidying easier to do. If you're adventurous, for a feature on the wall, go for (removable) wallpaper, so many beautiful options out there. 

Q9 From one parent to another - how do you keep it all (ie life) together and on track?

That's a difficult question, as sometimes I feel I'm all over the place (haha). One thing that I find really helpful to do, is self-care, sounds simple, but it's very effective. Whether it is an hour to yourself, to go for a walk, paint, bake, create, allow yourself to replenish. That will help everything else to fall into place.

Hubby and I work from home, so we work together as a team, and try our best to manage our time efficiently with family-work-kids.