History of The Nugget

Here at Nugget HQ, our mission is to grow imaginations through thoughtfully designed, surprisingly fun kids’ furniture — and we’re always innovating, evolving, and reimagining our products in the pursuit of that ambitious goal. Buckle up and take a trip through Nugget history to see just how far the Original Play Couch has come!

Two college age girls sit on the kickstarter version of the Nugget couch

2012-2013

Nugget 1 - The Prototype

The original concept couch was 11 pieces (!) including a bamboo base and hard foam “feet,” each with foam bumps that plugged into the underside of the boards like puzzle pieces. Designed to replace the cheap, ubiquitous college futon, the prototype had many pieces, and wasn’t super easy to move from place to place — but it did demonstrate that a couch with separate, unattached pieces could be possible.

Blown out schematic version of an early version of the Nugget play couch

2014

Nugget 2 - The Kickstarter Couch

We debuted our second iteration on Kickstarter, and 574 backers took a chance and helped us make it a reality! The Kickstarter version was covered in microsuede (just like the Nugget today), came in six bright colors — orange, navy, lime, chocolate, pink, and blue — and featured a twisted nylon handle and white zipper. The interior was made from a combination of foams, with a base piece made entirely of pool noodle foam!

2015

Nugget 3 - Ready to Roll

The third stage in Nugget’s evolution was the same dimensions as Nuggets made today. The interior was made 100% from solid polyurethane foam, which meant, unlike the Kickstarter version, that we could compress and roll it for shipping. (Which was a good thing, because soon enough, we would be shipping out a lot more of them.)

2017

Nugget 4 - Leveling Up

In 2017, the Nugget really leveled up, with a design very similar to the one Nuggeteers know today. We reoriented the zipper placement to make Cover Sets easier to take on and off for washing, color-matched the zippers and fabrics, and transitioned to a straight nylon handle, removing the “twist” from earlier models. We also introduced more colors than ever before — and put a new emphasis on playful, unique color names, like Honeybee, Starfish, and Neptune.

2020

Nugget 5 - Focusing on the Details

We swapped out the white backing on the Cover Sets for black backing, and we changed the foam from white to gray. We also updated the zipper pull and zipper tape to increase strength. Ultimately, all these changes helped increase durability for active play!

2023

Nugget 6 - The Glow-up

Three years since the last Nugget updates, it was time for a few more design tweaks! We added a zipper garage to keep the zipper tucked away, and redesigned the pull with a little reminder to “Play On” emblazoned on it. We also revamped the handle to make it softer, stronger, and sleeker. What’s still to come? We don’t know yet. But if history is any guide, it’s going to be great.

Color Evolution

Throughout our history, we've also introduced and retired a variety of hues, from the brightest aquamarine and ultraviolet to subtle pastels and neutrals. Here is the definitive guide to all Nugget colors, current and retired.

Available Colors

Moonshot

A fresh, futuristic lilac in microsuede

Lemonade

A cheerful, classic yellow in microsuede

Dunebuggy

A beachy, vintage beige in our double-brushed microsuede

Surfside

A breezy, eventide blue in our double-brushed microsuede

Bearhug

A plush, caramel brown

Lilypad

A fresh, fern green

Fairway

A crisp, kelly green

Toy Story

A nostalgic nod to Andy’s playroom, with our friends at Disney and Pixar

Coco

A celebratory pattern inspired by Miguel’s love of music, with our friends at Disney and Pixar

Neptune

A bold cobalt blue

Brightside

A sunny, cheerful mango

Elmo

A lovable, huggable Elmo pattern with our friends at Sesame Workshop

Lolly

A cool, candy pink

Blueridge

A classic, grounded navy, cloaked in our cozy, double-brushed microsuede

Willow

A verdant forest green, cloaked in our cozy, double-brushed microsuede

Starfish

A bright, vibrant coral

Koala

A calm, cool gray

Harbor

A cozy charcoal, cloaked in our cozy, double-brushed microsuede

Atlantis

An exotic, peacock teal, in our cozy, double-brushed microsuede

Bamboo

A comforting, mossy sage

Sandcastle

A sandy, golden neutral

Retired Colors

While we don't sell these colors in the Nugget Shop anymore, lucky participants of our Cover Club drawings take home a select few retired colors, all while benefitting our nonprofit partners!