The market for kid’s furniture has gotten pretty competitive in the last five years, but husband and wife team Bob and Nicole Springer believe their Omaha-based Spot on Design has a decided advantage. The couple combined their experience—his with IBM and Whirlpool, hers in elementary education—to start their furniture company just last year, and in their debut here at ICFF they are offering something many of their competitors don’t: environmentally friendly designs that are made in the U.S. and ship in 7-10 days. “You can find things that are made in America, but you usually have to wait 12 to 16 weeks, because they are making them one at a time,” says Bob, who worked with Richard Sapper and studied under Stefan Lindfors. “And you can find eco-conscious pieces, but they are typically high-priced.” While not cheap, the Spot on Square line is reasonably priced, with the crib running around $679 and the toddler bed starting at $449. They use FSC-certified birch, Teragren bamboo, low-formaldehyde MDF (they’re switching to a zero-formaldehyde version next year), and low-VOC paints. Plus, because the company is in Michigan, they are able to monitor production quality. The piece that best represents the marriage of their backgrounds? The orange rocking chair is both pleasing to the eye and includes a bookshelf in back to encourage learning.
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