STYLE : DESIGN : What’s Hot for Tots

Little did Barbara Bartman know that when she redecorated her children’s bedrooms a few years ago, she was redesigning her future as well. But after Bartman, already the owner of two fanciful kids’ clothing stores, outfitted her son’s room with a Western mural and vintage cowboy memorabilia and her daughter’s room with charming cherubs, other parents inundated her with requests to create old-fashioned environments for their children.

And so began Auntie Barbara’s Antiques. Across South Beverly Drive from one of the clothing shops, the store stocks a wide-ranging collection of “seasoned” children’s furniture and accessories. There are old garden chairs (all lead paint has been removed), Davy Crockett lamps and children’s books. Found at flea markets and through a network of contacts across the country, some items are small and relatively inexpensive, like the never-before-used Roy Rogers yo-yos tagged at $20. Bartman’s most popular merchandise is pricier: Baby bedding, which includes quilts and crib bumpers made from vintage fabrics, runs $250 to $500; upholstered sofas cost $750, and upholstered armchairs and rockers are $450 to $550.

“Many of today’s homes are decorated in this style,” Bartman says. “Now the baby’s or child’s room can relate to the rest of the house.” Adding to the fun is the nostalgia of Auntie Barbara’s baby-boomer customers . Often, she says, they come into the store, spy a familiar item and shout: “Oh, my God, I had that when I was a little kid!”