Painted Wood Cuteness! Part Two

So, as promised, let's talk about Irmi. First off, lots and lots of people love Irmi. Check out this Flickr group called "In Love With Irmi". My favorite is the super rad gnome lamp (oh, how I wish it were mine):

The little mushroom lights up as a nightlight. This photo belongs to sewdeerlyloved.

Who was Irmi? Irmi (also called Nursery Plastics) was a company formed in 1948 in New York by a couple, Fred and Irmi Bering. Fred and Irmi met and married in the United States after each had independently escaped Nazi Germany. They started with nothing and gradually built their company into a thriving business. As a child, Fred's father had given him a note stating, "If you should ever find yourself in a position where you have more than you need for yourself, think of those who are less fortunate." Honoring this in later years, Fred donated $2 million to the Danbury Hospital in Connecticut in memory of his beloved wife.

Isn't that a cool backstory? 

Irmi produced really cute and well-made nursery and children's decor, primarily lamps, switchplate covers, music boxes and wall hangings. Mother Goose and fairytale stories were the most common themes and virtually all the products were hand painted in wood.

Obviously, our house had to have some Irmi magic. It probably looks like only a 5 year-old lives here.

Jack and Jill switchplate in our bedroom.

My bedside table lamp. You twist the cat, music plays, and the girl's chair rocks back and forth.

Cat Playing the Fiddle Switchplate in my studio.

Humpty Dumpty lamp in my accessories closet (yes...I have an accessories closet).

Humpty Dumpty switchplate in our study.

Noah's Ark wall hanging in the upstairs bathroom.