Of all the rooms in the house, the children’s playroom is the most fun. After all, that’s the whole point of having one for your kids.
But besides serving as a safe space for the kids to play and enjoy their ever-changing hobbies, this area is also an enjoyable project to design.
Still, you mustn’t get ahead of yourself by simply throwing in whatever tickles your fancy. Instead, be smart and pick out elements that suit the purpose of the room while ensuring that your little ones appreciate how it looks at the same time.
If you’re not sure on how to go about this, below are five smart tips you can try when designing your children’s playroom:
Begin with a sensible layout
Whether you’ve dedicated your entire basement or a corner in your family room, designing a playroom should begin with a sensible layout. For you to do that, interior designers recommend creating zones to organize the play space.
Children are notorious for switching activities at lightning speed, only to tell their parents how bored they are. Depending on your children’s age and personality, here are some sections you can incorporate in a playroom:
Floor play area
With playrooms, a spacious floor is considered one of the most critical elements. Since kids like to move around, having a floor play area is the perfect spot for some out-of-the-box fun, both literally and figuratively.
That said, be sure to keep toys and furniture out of this zone. This will ensure that your child has a safe space to walk, stand, and crawl in, especially if you still have little ones. It can also evolve into a spot for completing puzzles, building block towers, and even dancing as they grow older.
With all things considered, this part of the room would need an excellent wall-to-wall or tile carpet flooring, especially if your child still moves around on all fours. Area rugs also work as these can be removed easily when necessary.
Reading nook
Once all that gross motor play has tired them out, children could use a spot to snuggle up. This is where a cozy reading nook comes in.
Fill it with soft and plush blankets and pillows. This area can be placed in an out-of-the-way corner to achieve that comfy nest atmosphere where kids can enjoy a good book or maybe even take a nap. Examples of the perfect spots for this include the area underneath the stairs or a dormered window. It could also use some floor cushions and a ledge for book storage.
In the absence of a nook, you can try adding a teepee or any play home around the same size to create a kind of hideout for your children.
Themed zones
In some cases (if the available space and budget allow), parents can also choose to design a section around some of their children’s favorite play themes.
For example, if your children love to pretend cooking, having a play kitchen will surely be a good treat for them. Just remember to place baskets and bins nearby so the kids can pack away the pretend food items once they’re done playing.
Meanwhile, dollhouse zones need to have drawers or shelves close by where the kids can keep accessories. Make sure that you categorize all items, so that everything has a designated space.
Keep the space bright
Besides zoning and layout, another important design element you should remember when laying out your kids’ playroom is to make sure it is bright.
The most straightforward way to do this is to install enough lighting. Of course, you can save on energy costs by coloring the walls white and other bright hues, like the ones in this quick ship wallpaper collection.
Don’t forget to add storage – lots of it!
Besides light, storage is another element that should always be present in a playroom. Otherwise, you’ll be left with unending piles of mess in the area.
When designing a playroom, you need to keep in mind one universal truth — children come with a lot of stuff. This means that the best playrooms must keep the clutter in check and make even the most assorted mix of toys and items a part of the interior design.
When adding storage, the first and foremost consideration should be the kind of family you have.
If your brood is composed of avid readers, you need plenty of bookshelves to hold precious titles. For a family of gamers, a tricked-out entertainment center might be the highlight of the area. Meanwhile, children with a menagerie of stuffed animals could use plenty of cubbies around the space.
You may also need a combination of storage pieces, especially since children can have more than one interest at a time (and may change frequently). Since storage is one of the most expensive elements in a playroom, you have to pick pieces with multiple functions and come in neutral colors that can grow with your kids.
Color with accessories
Color is what livens up a room, and this is even more crucial with a playroom. But how you add color should be thought through as there’s nothing worse than needing to change the entire room from top to bottom only to be told that your child’s preferences have already changed.
While wallpaper shops in Dubai can help you with quick wall color changes, it would be smarter to add color to the room using accessories that are easy to move and replace. That way, you can easily swap them out as quickly as your child’s taste changes.
Decide on a budget
Considering the number of elements and options available, designing a playroom can quickly get out of hand money-wise. To save a couple of bucks and avoid going through the trouble of decluttering items that would end up unwanted or unneeded, set a specific budget for the project.
Whether it’s big or small, having an amount in mind could also help you narrow down your options to only those that truly suit the playroom.
Give the kids a playroom they can grow in
Coming up with the perfect playroom design is much harder than it looks.
While your design should capture the children’s attention and spark creativity, it also needs to serve its purpose in keeping them occupied while ensuring that the house is clutter-free. With these tips, you are one step closer to giving your kids the perfect playroom they can grow in.
AUTHOR BIO
James Prathap is the General Manager at NGC Nafees, one of the leading distributors of wallpapers, floorings, and fabrics in the Middle East and South Asia. Formed three decades ago, the business also offers high-quality panoramics, coordinated fabrics, and creative stickers for residential and commercial projects.
