They say necessity is the mother of all invention and that goes doubly so if you're hip parents like Daniel Kron and Geane Brito in search of cool kids stuff. With the birth of their first child, the couple had such a difficult time locating modern yet fun and playful children's furniture, toys and clothes that they opened Genius Jones store in Miami Beach in 2003. A few years later, they've added another child and a larger store in Miami's Design District.

"We needed more space to display complete furniture collections and all our items," says Kron of the 2,000-square-foot space with swimming-pool blue concrete floors, colorful enameled light fixtures and a tented ceiling that mimics a peaked roof. "Since it's about kids, we didn't want anything too sterile. Décor reflects a child's viewpoint."

Twenty percent of the floor is devoted to NettoCollection's unique, modern furniture for newborns to teenagers. Designed to last long after junior has grown, wood and lacquer pieces convert such as a changing table into a sideboard or a wardrobe into a media cabinet. "The company is introducing a line for older children and a less expensive line in 2006," says Kron.

Vintage lovers will be thrilled to discover miniature Bertoia chairs in black or white and one-of-a-kind Odegard rugs featuring beloved children's characters like Babar and Celeste. "Neither item is produced anymore," he says.

The store also specializes in Miami exclusives like Bugaboo's limited edition stroller illustrated by Dutch artist Bas Kosters or simple, two-toned patterns by Dwell linens. French bedding from Catimini features pirates, flowers, or Japanese prints.

"Some parents want fun minus Disney characters," says Kron.