kinder MODERN + Lora Appleton
kinder MODERN was founded in 2013 by gallerist, designer, curator and child design expert Lora Appleton. kinder MODERN began as a contemporary and vintage design gallery, and evolved into a movement celebrating the past, present and future of design for children. Appleton’s ability to identify exceptional, international and American designers as well as shine a focus on this historical niche in design enabled her to charter the high design, collectible landscape for children’s furniture. kinder MODERN works have been acquired and shown by museums, collectors and families worldwide including the Brooklyn Museum, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the HBC Global Art Collection, among others. In 2018, Lora contributed to Phaidon’s Design for Children, a comprehensive, genre-defining survey of children's product and furniture design from Bauhaus to today.
From 2013-2020 kinder MODERN engaged in dialogue in design through its thought-provoking gallery program and exhibitions including: Collective Design, Nina Johnson Gallery, ICFF, Sight Unseen OFFSITE, Dutch Design Week, USM NYC, PULSE New York + PULSE Miami Beach among others. The kM historical collection included rare child design pieces dating from the 1890s through the 1990s and was admired and noted for its unique focus on form, function, materiality and charm. The works included design icons such as Hans Wegner, Ko Verzuu, Isamu Noguchi, Jean Louis Avril, Hans Wegner, Bernard Holdaway, Alvar Aalto, and many more.
Architects, interior designers, developers and retail brands continue to call on Appleton to curate fresh, playful installations and exhibitions and present immersive design experiences for brands, galleries, and showrooms.