Each week Mansion Global tackles an interior design topic with an elite group of designers from around the world who work on luxury properties. This week we look at how to design a stylish playroom.
A child’s playroom is a world of wonder—filled with the toys and trinkets and educational games that enrich her daily life. Beyond being a place to play, the space can still have style and a design point of view.
"A playroom should always feel fun and welcoming for children. However, the style should not stray too far from the general aesthetic of the rest of the home," says Jenny Kirschner, principal ofJDK Interiorsin New York. "For example, if your home is more traditional, grounding the overall feel of the playroom in a traditional style will allow it to feel cohesive within the scheme of the entire home, while still allowing for a fun, child-themed space." Here are more tips from design pros for a playroom that merges form and function, so your tyke has room to grow.
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Design with intent
"Delineate areas within the room so that when multiple children are playing, they can have their space. Contrary to what we designers warn against doing in any other room, keep a large area within the center open and free of furniture, and lay an area rug on the floor for children to play with their toys. It’s also great to locate a playroom close to an area of the home where you spend lots of time, like the kitchen. This way, it’s easy to keep an eye on them.
"Every useful playroom should have an art table with chairs, a reading nook or an area with lightweight bean bag chairs, accessible bookshelves, whether they are built-in or freestanding—or even wall mounted—and plenty of practical storage.
Mixed patterns and vibrant blue rug and furniture give this playroom designed by Jenny Kirschner a playful punch.
Ryan Dausch"Great art storage is a must. Keeping art supplies organized can be tricky, and I’ve found that the more of it you can compartmentalize, the better. There are all sorts of storage carts and multi-drawer cabinets that can either be placed inside a larger built-in cabinet or under a desk or art table where loose paper, small canvases, tubes of paint and brushes, markers, collage materials, and almost any type of art material can be kept neat, organized and out of site.
"Though it’s fun to have a few baskets clustered in the corner for items like stuffed animals, balls, and other miscellaneous odds and ends, I prefer to have most of the storage concealed within cabinets. Inside those cabinets, I like to use stackable containers or bins with lids that are very user friendly and in varying sizes.
"I typically try to incorporate some sort of child-accessible corkboard or magnetic board in any playroom so that children can hang up their own art, photographs, and keepsakes. … If you have very young toddlers, you may opt for a magnetic board until they are old enough to use push pins on corkboard."
－Jenny Kirschner, principal ofJDK Interiorsin New York
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Determine the details
"For a recent playroom we designed at Muse Residences in Sunny Isles, Florida, we created lots of open, flexible spaces. Kids like to play without feeling boxed in. With that in mind, we designed distinct areas that can be used in several ways. For example, our lounging area that overlooks the skyline can also become an area for reading. Similarly, the game corner can be used as a movie zone.
"Our main intention for theplayroomfurniture was to keep it fun and light. We focused on seating groups and used architectural elements to shape the rest of the space. We were careful to select soft pieces that are easy to move, with no sharp edges.… We installed soft rubber flooring all throughout in order to minimize any potential hazards.
"As we had to design with a wide range of ages in mind, our intent for thisplayroomwas to combine a bright color palette and anchor it with classic black and white. In this case, the floors and walls are neutral elements and the pop of color comes in the form of the selected furniture pieces.
"In lieu of art, we took the idea of a coloring book and gave it our own twist. The walls act as an oversized coloring book with a space theme and are treated with a specialty finish so that kids can color on them and create their own art.
— Ruby Ramirez, principal at ANTROBUS + RAMIREZ in Miami
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Keep function in mind
"When designing a playroom, I think it’s important to include fun but functional furniture. I like putting a small round table for children to play around. Chairs are optional as kids don’t always want to sit in a chair while playing, but if you do use chairs, I like to mismatch them.A neutral sofa with lots of fun pillows livens things up. If there’s room, add a tent, teepee, or some sort of play area where kids can use their imagination.
A combined playroom/ bedroom designed by Quinn Cooper comes to life thanks to modern artwork, a colorful rug, and splashy patterns.
Quinn Cooper Design"In terms of style, I prefer to use colorful decor that’s not babyish. Colorful pillows, rugs, and art that you wouldn’t necessarily pair together in an adult room can be super playful in a kid's playroom.
"I love using Etsy to find prints, fun embroidered fabrics to frame, and vintage trinkets for shelf styling. You can usually find some pretty quirky, fun pieces or objects to hang on the walls at flea markets. Hanging colorful abstract art that appeals to everyone is another way to dress the walls, so they grow with your child."
— Toronto-based interior designer Quinn Cooper