Dream Room, Age 8.

Here’s a fun one: gummy bears.  It’s weird how much they’ve been popping up in my life lately.  I originally saw the chandelier below on a design blog, called Likecool, this past March.  Then in August, I saw stills from Nickelodeon’s TV show, iCarly, of the main character’s bedroom and knew I wanted to write about it.  In September, a friend sent me a link on giant gummy bears.  I’ve since seen a commercial on TV for adult gummy vitamins.  And finally, it culminated in a nostalgic discussion of the cartoon Gummi Bears and their Gummi Berry Juice with my co-workers.  It’s funny how life works like that, as soon as you become aware of something, you see it everywhere.

Gummy Bear Chandelier, Designed and made by Kevin Champeny, Acrylic, Edition of ten, For sale at Jellio.com

Anyway, back to design.  What is it about gummy bears?  I’ve always liked them, and clearly, I’m not alone.  I had a bracelet made up of acrylic gummy bears growing up.  They’re like shiny, glowing gemstones, that are sweet and gooey.  As a child, I don’t think it could get much better than this.  And even though I was growing up in the 80s, thirty years later, they are still as popular as ever.

Gummy Bear Bracelet, available on Etsy.com

Of course, it’s not like I was the first child to have this fascination.  In the early 1970s, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (based on the 1964 book by Roald Dahl) came out in theaters and we all caught our first glimpse of a Gummy Bear tree.

Gummy Bear trees in the foreground at Willy Wonka's factory

Carly Shay’s bedroom, is every little girl’s dream room.  Colors abound, like an over-sized jewelry box, every surface in that room sparkles or twinkles.

Carly Shay's bedroom, and yes, that's a trampoline at the end of her bed. Photo Credit: Lisa Rose/Nickelodeon

While the chandelier is a known design object, as well as some of the other lamps, the rest of the set was created by a very talented and young-at-heart, art department. (Here are their credits on IMDB.com.)  With Harry Matheu as Production Designer, Jason Howard as head of Set Decoration and Art Direction by Jim Jones, they managed to create a candy palace.  A sort of Dylan’s Candy Bar as a bedroom.

Carly's wall of gummy bear lights, a shrine to gummy bears! Photo Credit: Lisa Rose/Nickelodeon

These lights, pictured above, are also available at Jellio.com and are LED, battery operated lights. The practical adult in me thinks, “oh good, so there’s no electrical cord to mess with.”  But, eight year old me thinks, “cool! so you can put them anywhere and take them with you anywhere too!”  I like the eight year old me.

Gummi Lights, also by Kevin Champeny

The plot of the episode of iCarly where the gummy bear room is revealed, “iGot a Hot Room”,  starts with Carly’s older brother making her a gummy bear lamp of his own design, for her birthday.

Carly's birthday gift from her brother, Spencer, based on her favorite candy, the gummy bear. Photo Credit: Lisa Rose/Nickelodeon

But when Spencer’s gift ends up setting her room on fire, her bedroom is re-created into the gummy bear wonderland that we see pictured.

And just in case your sweet tooth wasn't filled with a cavity yet, there's this setee that looks like an ice cream sandwich. Photo Credit: Lisa Rose/Nickelodeon

If you’re wondering how to make this room in your own house, Nate Berkus created his version on his show.

Now …who else has a craving for gummy bears?  What’s your favorite flavor?  Mine’s pineapple.