I can't tell you how many times I've looked around my child's nursery and thought, “Ugh, all these boring furniture legs, if only I had some cute little wheels!” Not really. But, when I found these rotund characters from Smiles :-), it did get me thinking. Another fine example of Germany engineering, these unique wheels were developed by TENTE in the Bergische Land, a company that proudly dates its creative, innovative heritage back to the Neanderthals. (No joke! If you don't like the wheels, at least check out the website to brush up on your industrial history of the Ruhr Region. From the “famous” (did I miss something?) pre-historic Solingen blades, to plastic wheels for kids, they've come a long way baby!) Made of metal castors and sturdy plastic wheels, Smiles :-) offers a creative way to accessorize your child's room. The brochure even shows a child interacting with one as if it were a separate toy. ("Honey, the baby's talking to the furniture again!") Is this a sublimonal way of suggesting that they encourage creative play? Maybe so. The wheels come in 4 endearing models: white cow, silver airplane, green bear and yellow mouse. Or, since the wheel, face and base are actually separate pieces, you can contact Tente directly for your own custom design. For me, these cutesy characters may be a little too much. But I have to admit, they are a design innovation. If only the Neanderthals hadn't died out, who knows what creative use Tente might put their minds (and their brows) to! [...]
