Rockin’ mom

Emily Reid, 27, is the co-owner of the Chocolate Bar, four-months pregnant and about to open up a new store called Rockabye for modern babies and their parents.

What can people expect to find at Rockabye?

First, can I tell you really why we’re doing it? Even before my husband and I talked about having kids, we went to Babies ‘R’ Us, and it was the grossest stuff. So I went online and started to find all this non-frilly stuff. … There’s a ton of stuff out there, and I thought, ‘Who wouldn’t want this?’ So much baby stuff is disposable. I wanted things people could buy that they won’t just throw away after a few years.

What kind of things did you find?

Super modern, everything pretty modern. Although classic and retro, too. I think dads will want to shop there, also. It won’t be all pink and little teddy bears with balloons. Nothing like that.

What will it be like?

It’s concrete. It’s all white. You might feel like you’re shopping at a gift store in an art museum, but it’s not so bad that you won’t want to touch it. I hope people will think my prices are moderate. … I tell people I’m having a baby as a business decision. It’s not true, but …

Which came first, the idea for the baby or for the store?

The thought came at the same time. We were talking about the business while we were talking about having a baby. Then I got pregnant. … It’s cool, too, you guys did an article on Diane, who’s my midwife. I’m going to have my baby in the spring.

That’s great. When are you due?

March.

Tell me more about what your store will be like.

I don’t want to say I’m super stylish, but it seems like with the options right now, I’d have to have some crappy looking stuff in my house. People don’t even know there are options out there. I think they’ll be surprised with the stuff we have—it’s functional and stylish and cool.

Anything in particular you can describe?

OK, here we go. There’s a high chair a European company makes. It helps your child with his posture, and then after the kid is grown, you can use it as a chair. It comes in cool colors. It’s not like the plastic high chair with the tray and the cracks in the seat that get dirt in them that you have to get rid of after you spent $200 bucks on it or whatever—it can function as a chair afterward. It’s so smart!

You are co-owner of the Chocolate Bar with your husband.

Yeah! But we brought in a third person—I do very little with the bar now.

A bar and a baby store are pretty different, but are there ideas you expect to carry over from that?

I think we offer something different at the bar, like we’re going to do at Rockabye. I think it’s something people want but just don’t know exists. Like a nonsmoking chocolate bar, who wouldn’t want that? The [Chocolate Bar] is kind of modern, really, and so’s the store. … I think at this store, mostly parents will come in, but I really think people will come in and think, ‘Wow, that bean bag is pretty rad, I could use that in my house, and I don’t even have kids.’

So when are you going to open?

I think we’re a week out.

And where are you?

We’re in Plumgate, the corner of Plumb and Arlington, almost next door to Little Digs, which is a high-end clothing store.

Will you have clothes, too?

No. Furniture, gear, like strollers—all the gear you need for having a kid, and cool gifts, like toys, something for pregnant mamas and dad’s-to-be.