Interior Designer,  Katharine Pooley, who has been shortlisted for the design et al International Design & Architecture Awards 2013, reveals her top tips for designing space for children that is tasteful, fun and practical.

“There are a number of important practical factors to consider for children’s rooms; the space should be suitable for active work and play, combined with areas to encourage relaxation and sleep and incorporating adequate storage to clear away toys at the end of the day”

Work and Play

Creating an engaging space suitable for work and play is key when creating dedicated rooms for children in your home. Make the most of the available space and include as much storage as you can so that toys and games can be cleared away at the end of the day. Children love being together but can find sharing hard – I allocate each child their own coloured chair and carry this colour theme for accessories throughout which works well if they are sharing.

Sleep and Relax

A bedroom should be personal and specific to the child, yet enable them some growing room for the years to come when preferences and hobbies can change. Keep bright colours to upholstery and curtains against a neutral backdrop. This will help make the interior fresh and fun rather than overwhelming.

Innovative Storage Solutions

In a recent project we maximised the amount of storage in each of the children’s bedrooms, covering the cupboard doors in vibrant fabrics that correspond well with the colour palette in the room. Inside we designed a combination of shelves, hanging rails and drawers so that everything can be organised and cleared away efficiently. The key is to consider both appearance and functionality in children’s bedrooms.

Unique space

Though we may not all have space for a climbing wall in our homes, it is important to embrace our children’s personalities and interests within the home. We know that children’s hobbies tend to change as they grow up so I recommend using ‘sticker art’ as a way of bringing a child’s personality to the design of their room in an effective yet temporary way as we did in a recent project

Katharine Pooley, London – www.katharinepooley.com