Spaces 4 Living

An Architect's Idea Book: Sharing ideas and inspiration to help create beautiful living spaces.

Tag Archives: children


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Playroom Storage Ideas

Awesome bedroom or separate playroom either way if you have the space that your little one can call their own is a great step towards their independence.

My son has a nice little room but things are always pulled out into the main space. For the most part, it is life as we know it when all the living areas are on the same floor. His room is a bit small which is half the problem. As he is growing, the want for constant supervision from a baby to toddler is making way to preschool independent play.

 

 

Bright room brighten minds! Well I like the sound of it anyway. Quirky layouts, hide-away spaces and peek holes are always a delight.

 

As great as a space may look, it must have storage, whether it is built-in, stacked baskets monochromatic or colour coordinated, it is a necessity.

 

 

 

Zones for activities

There is a place for mess! Who wants to knock down the “perfect” tower, racetrack or fort every day. The photo above has a loft which is a perfect area for creating and keeping masterpieces for a few more days.  The loft also doubles as a sleepover area for guests.

 

 

Open shelving can be daunting, but by adding baskets, or grouping smaller containers can minimize the mess. Still not for you? Add a few doors to keep things out of sight.

 

 

Let your kids input help guide your space. Be realistic about how you will treat the space, a new space will not “make” everyone tidy over night.

If you are a “everything has its place” minded family, open shelving would go down a treat.

If you are more ” I clean up after my kids and have very little time at the end of the day” minded family, then think about bigger “dumping” or pull-out bins. Everything is at their finger tips and it is really quick to put things away at the end of the day. It is even easy for the children to help.

Most of us land somewhere in between. Assorting collectibles in appropriated sized bins, some open and some closed shelving and also larger baskets for your children’s most used toys. Mix and match and see what works best for you.

 

You just can’t stop the toy migration…but good storage solutions at least reduces the clean-up frustration.


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Kids Bedroom Ideas

Spring Break is just around the corner. What a great time to get the kids involved into spring cleaning and revamp their bedrooms.  A child’s bedroom is an important place. It is where he sleeps, plays and studies. This space is where he can develop and express his own personality.  First and most important criteria is to create storage for toys, books and clothing. Secondly, free floor space for playing and lastly as he gets older, is a seated desk area for study.

So not everyone has 9 foot ceilings, but this is an amazing space none-the-same. The custom lacquered plywood unit is a great example of using a relatively low cost material to produce a fantastic finished product. I love the built-in staircase rather than the use of a ladder. The child-size cupboard is great use of space. I like the idea of the duel function of the drawers as steps, but I could foresee the child not shutting the drawers properly and could potentially be a bit of a trip hazard. Love the idea, but kids will be kids. But you know your own children and know if they are messy or tidy at the end of the day.

The project could be a great bonding experience for the child to design their own cut out shapes, colours, and patterns with help from Mum and Dad.


Contemporary Kids by New York Interior Designers & Decorators Tamara H Design

This free standing loft bed is great for any child. Who wouldn’t love a tent canopy over their bed!! The corners of the tent are lifted by a pulley connected to the ceiling on either end of the bed for a great hidey spot. The incorporation of the bedside table/tray and magazine rack on the outside of the bedrails is necessity that is often overlooked. The storage beneath the stair tread is perfect for books, games and tubs of toys. I would suggest a non-slip applique on the treads for added grip, since socks and smooth finishes don’t really mix. The pull-out sofa bed is great for hanging out and sleep overs, but a desk space could be placed here instead if it could not be placed anywhere else. The added detail of the treed wall mural gives the room that added visual that sets his room apart from every other.


fancy wall murals

Traditional Kids by Raleigh Interior Designers & Decorators Driggs Designs

This daybed style is great for all ages. The custom plinth (can be created from modified kitchen bases) can be made to fit a single or double mattress. The built-ins add great added storage space in drawers, cupboards and shelves for an assortment of things. It also doubles as a great bonus room when they’re off to college without much alteration.

Eclectic Kids

For those creative types why not used a painted peg board to organise all their crafts and projects. The mounted cups hold pens and pencils, while other boxes and clasps hold coloured paper, ribbon and string. This set up is not limited to the bedroom, it could be suited for a family rec room or  hobby room.

Contemporary Kids by Toronto Interior Designers & Decorators Sarah Gunn, Interior Stylist

For the Tweens, a dedicated work desk is essential for studying. Creating a pin board is great for organising assignments. Most of the furniture you will probably have already so why not paint to refresh the old furniture, add statement pieces like a special chair and light fixture to create that uniqueness for your child and new contrasting bed sheet and curtains to complete look.