Kose began with a small, stubborn idea: that the things in a family home can do more, and ask for less.
A word for closeness
There’s a Norwegian word — koselig (we say it “koh-seh-li”) — that doesn’t quite translate. It’s the feeling of warmth and closeness: cosy, unhurried time together. A cuddle before bed. A toddler at your elbow while you cook. Ordinary, gentle closeness.
We named ourselves Kose for that feeling, because it is the whole point of everything we make. Not more things — more of those moments.
Why we started
We went looking for one honest piece of furniture that could hold all of those early years — something that let a small child join you at the table and the kitchen bench, that felt safe and gentle and genuinely lovely to live with. We hoped it was out there. It wasn’t, not quite.
The clever, developmental pieces were often plastic and loud, and outgrown within a season. The beautiful ones did a single job and asked a small fortune for it. And almost nothing was made for the way most of us actually live, where space is precious and every single thing has to earn its keep.
So we made The Kose One
We wanted one heirloom-quality frame that could quietly become whatever a child needed next — a highchair for those first messy meals, a learning tower at the bench, a chair, a step stool, a desk, even a small wardrobe — then fold flat and tuck away when the day is done. Six pieces of furniture in one object, with an optional slot-in second seat, made to grow with a child from around six months to about eight years.
We spent the evenings measuring real rooms, reading about timber and joinery and the safety standards that matter most, and making and remaking until it felt right in the hand and right in the room.
What we believe
Closeness over clutter. A child learns by being near you — reaching, climbing and doing small, real things beside the people they love. We build for that, not for a cupboard full of plastic.
Beautiful isn’t a luxury. The things in your home should feel like yours, and sit happily in the rooms you actually live in.
Made to be handed down. We build from responsibly sourced birch ply and non-toxic finishes, to last for years and for the children who come after. It grows with your child, then folds away. Heirloom, not landfill.
Thank you for being here. We hope Kose brings your home a little more of that warm, unhurried closeness — and a little more room to live in.
Grows with you. — the Kose team, Perth