Designing the perfect playroom for your child

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If your home is lucky enough to have space for a playroom, the chances are that you’ve spent hours thinking about how to decorate it; well, this is a space that will inspire happiness and fun, after all. From favorite children’s characters and bold colors to practical furnishings and bright accessories, the choices you make for the playroom are likely to dictate the kind of space it becomes. Is this a book nook or an arty corner? Is it a training haven, or space for princess' castles? Designing your child’s playroom is your opportunity to let your imagination run wild, and to unleash the creative streak you’ve been hiding behind rows of magnolia paint pots and conservative curtains. Indeed, you’re likely to enjoy creating that room just as much as your kids will adore playing in it.

We’ve gathered together a little inspiration for you, as it can be hard to know where to start sometimes! The perfect playroom should...

Be light, bright, and colorful

Playrooms should be fun, and nothing says fun quite like bright colors, bold patterns, and brash accessories; create the kind of space you’d have enjoyed as a child, weaving shapes, textures, numbers, and colors, into the design to aid your kids' development as they play. Such spaces need to be light and airy, inspiring creativity and happiness. Poor lighting can lead to children straining their eyes, or becoming fatigued. To maximize natural light, consider walls that are predominantly white with flashes of color, and avoid cluttering the windows with fabrics or accessories.

Make the most of the floor space

Forget tables and chairs; make the most of the floor space that you have available, laying down activity mats, and plush rugs, to engage your child with tummy time and dramatic play. Carpets can be further padded with cushions to create a beautiful seating area or reading nook, or you may wish to build whole worlds out of building blocks, train tracks, miles of road, and jigsaw puzzles. Do your children own any toys that can be added to, playtime after playtime? A playroom is a fantastic place to create such constructions, with toys such as the Magic Tracks Mega Set really coming into their own as your child’s imagination develops.

Have savvy storage

If your child is to have enough room to play freely, you’ll want plenty of storage in the playroom. Shelving units with bright cartons and boxes are particularly useful to keep toys stored neatly and tidily between playtimes. You could also consider customized toy boxes, hanging baskets for soft toys, and themed toy chests to match the space you’ve created; anything goes provided you’re mindful of keeping toys organized and safely stowed. Keep art supplies in higher cupboards or drawers though.

Be a creative space for young artists

Your child’s playroom should be a space in which he or she can express him or herself; a room where imagination is king. This means leaving plenty of room for your child to draw, paint, cut and paste, or model if space allows. You want your playroom to capture your child’s imagination. Consider introducing a table and chairs for such an occasion, encouraging your child to remain seated while he or she gets creative. For the adventurous, consider black and white wallpaper that can be colored in; you’ll watch the room grow day by day, as your little one grasps colors, patterns, and shapes.

Grow with your children

While it might be easy to say what your child is into at the moment, you’ll want a playroom that grows and changes with him or her, rather than a space that needs to be decorated from scratch frequently. Consider leaving walls a neutral shade such as white, cream, or beige, and create color with decals, borders, and stickers that can be removed and changed as your child ages. As seasons, allegiances, and favored characters come and go, so too can the playroom undergo its own transformations. As your child reaches school age, begin to introduce learning aids, including a study corner when appropriate. However, you’ll always want to encourage play – even in those more serious moments.

When it comes to creating the perfect playroom, you should also consider safety features, including the storage of wires and cables, be securing blind or curtain ties, and be hiding breakable items. If your child is likely to spend any unsupervised time in their playroom, you need to be able to trust that he or she will be safe. Now is also the perfect time to think about fastening larger items of furniture to the wall, and the kinds of paint you’re going to be used to decorate. Is it non-toxic, kid-friendly paint? Above all, have fun; you’re designing a playroom, so give your children a choice of color, prints, or accessories. You may even decide you’d like to spend a little more time in there, too...