by Christine Chagaris
Tasteful and exclusive could best describe the merchandise that Laura Beth’s Baby Collection offers. Nestled in a cozy space on East 75th Street, the store has elegant essentials to outfit the rooms of children infant to toddler. These essentials include everything from cribs to linens, with choice accessories sprinkled in the mix. And, for those parents who want their offspring to travel in style, the boutique also offers “Moses” baskets and custom strollers as well.
Manhattan resident Laura Beth Levine is the owner/manager of Laura Beth’s Baby Collection. She explains how she got her start in the business of babies: “I graduated college, and for eight years worked at Barney’s New York as the senior buyer in their baby department.” Laura Beth opened her store seven years ago. “Originally, I would visit people’s homes by appointment, but eventually I wanted to show more things, so the store grew out of that,” she says.
Laura Beth’s Baby Collection caters not only to Upper East Siders but also to parents from the tri-state area as well. “My clients are people who mostly want unique and different merchandise for their children’s rooms,” she says. To that end, the boutique has also furnished the rooms of several celebrities’ children. Laura Beth can arrange for furniture to be custom made if possible, and other pieces (such as cribs, changing tables, armoires) are pre-designed.
NettoCollection and Nurseryworks are among the furniture lines that the store carries, along with other exclusive designs. “We offer designs from stylish adult vendors who also do children’s furniture,” says Laura Beth. Catalogs with scores of different designs grace the “consultation” table at the boutique. Furniture can be custom painted to accommodate any color scheme.
Of course, furniture needs accessories as its compliment, and Laura Beth’s Baby Collection delivers those goods as well. These include fitted sheets, coverlets and colorful bumpers for the crib, custom trash pails, tissue boxes, unbreakable (a practical feature for babies and toddlers) lamp bases, gliders and decorative wall art. The linens are so popular that some parents of children slightly older than toddler age invest in them as well. Laura Beth can also custom order various stroller models from the Bugaboo brand as well. These range from average to expensive in price. The boutique also carries catalogs for birth announcements and baby showers. Laura Beth’s Baby Collection covers the gamut when it comes to an elegant room, plus offers extras that are sure to delight.