There’s a heartfelt dedication in Eva Chen’s first children’s book, Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes, thanking her parents for always allowing her to read at the dining table. It was these simple yet impactful gestures that helped shape Chen, author and Instagram’s director of fashion and shopping partnerships, into the passionate reader she is today. It’s also what inspired her to cultivate this love of reading with her own three children: Ren, Tao, and River.
“I was very shy as a child and growing up a first-generation American, I learned a lot about culture and the world through reading,” Chen shares with Vogue over Zoom. So when she teamed up with West Elm Kids to design a line of playful, functional children’s furniture, it only made sense that books would be at the heart of it. “I wanted to design a collection around the concept of raising readers and being surrounded by books. It’s something that I believe strongly in—giving children access to as many good old-fashioned paper books as possible.”
This philosophy shines through in the 26-piece West Elm Kids collection, available exclusively online on September 5, where standout items like a modern lofted bed with soft pale-yellow accents anchor the lineup—with prices ranging from $19 for items like the patterned pillowcases to $2,499 for the bunk bed. The versatile bed is thoughtfully designed—with Fair Trade and FSC certifications—featuring built-in nooks and crannies, ideal for both book storage and peaceful reading moments. “The lofted bed features bookshelves and includes a built-in fortress-slash-reading nook, giving kids their own little quiet space,” Chen shares, noting the intentional details. “Honestly, I’d love to crawl in there myself,” she laughs. The collection is further enhanced by vibrant pieces such as a shape-embellished rug—available in 5’x8’ and 8’x10’—perfect for “criss-cross, applesauce,” along with cozy, portable floor cushions that kids can easily move around.
In fact, nearly every piece in the collection caters to budding bookworms, including the arched reading bench-bookcase, available in both a calming Dijon or Ocean hue, wall-mounted workstation, adjustable desk chairs, pastel reading lamps, and a colorful play table and stools. “Even the clothing dresser has bookshelves on the side. There’s no such thing as too much book storage,” she adds.
