It can be a challenge creating a safe and conducive home environment for children to grow and learn. Here’s a list of things to consider when you’re planning a child-friendly space, and versatile design solutions that ensure the room caters to the growing needs of a kid.
It can be a challenge creating a safe and conducive home environment for children to grow and learn. Here’s a list of things to consider when you’re planning a child-friendly space, and versatile design solutions that ensure the room caters to the growing needs of a kid.
To create a soothing and restful environment for children, global colour training and knowledge manager of Dulux Stephanie Kraneveld suggests warm earth tones, or calming blue hues. These colours give the impression of a safe environment, reducing anxiety in children – especially hyperactive ones, who may find it difficult to unwind and fall asleep at night.
COLOURS
Colours can set the mood in a room, and play an important part in influencing a child’s psychology. We want our little ones to find peace and comfort in their personal space, and be rejuvenated to face each new day. To create this effect, experts recommend a light colour palette consisting of pale blues, greens and yellows.
Nikki Hunt, founder of interior design firm Design Intervention, tells parents to consider how long a design scheme can stay relevant to their growing kid. She recommends removable accessories, such as wallpaper, that keep the look of the room fun and can be easily removed when children outgrow the design.
1 Dulux paint in First Edition. 2 Dulux paint in Arboretum. 3 Dulux paint in August Moon. 4 Emily Isabella Strawberries in white, $95 (roll), from Hygge & West. 5 Laundry Studio Pajarito in blush, $189 (roll), from Hygge & West.
6 Rafa bunk bed and toddler bed, $5,610 and $2,960, from Actus Hause. 7 Oliver seaside low cabinet with six rooms, $850, from Cuckoo. 8 Bliss shelf with leather straps, $198, from Deer Industries. 9 WF sideboard in red, $3,900, from Actus Hause. 10 Nofred Mouse table and chair in white, $465 and $395, from Cuckoo.
FURNITURE
Kids’ furniture come in all shapes, shades and sizes, and are usually adorably designed. One thing to note is that children will outgrow their kid-size crib within a few years, so it’s worth considering modular furniture that can be fitted with additional parts so they “grow” with your child. Other than that, you and Junior should have fun with the furniture! Here are some some lovely options to dress up his room.
When it comes to stashing away toys, the ubiquitous storage box or bin often comes to mind, into which scattered playthings are dumped in willy-nilly. It does the job of clearing up the mess, but there is a much better way of doing this.
Caroline Lim, supervisor at Salvation Army Tampines Childcare Centre
“The best way to organise toys is to have open-concept, low shelves for children. The open shelves make it easy to see and categorise items according to their types – so each shelf is a dedicated space for a type of toy or book. The shelves should be at their height level, so that they can access items easily.”
11 Kartell Discovolante toy car by Piero Lissoni, $1,190, from Space Furniture. 12 Kartell H-Horse by Nendo, $470, from Space Furniture. 13The Butter Flying cloud mobile in turquoise, $52, from Stylodeco. 14 Moon rug, price upon request, from Circu. 15 Vitra wooden dolls, from $200, from Grafunkt.
LIGHTING
Singapore has one of the highest percentage of childhood myopia in the world, where 83 per cent of kids are set to develop it by the age of 18, according to a study published in the medical journal The Lancet. But by providing adequate lighting in your child’s room, you can ensure that they don’t have to strain their eyes and harm their eyesight as a result.
Alan Chen, product marketer at Philips Lighting Singapore “When lighting your kid’s room, consider using a lighting system that can be adjusted to suit different activities, especially if the bedroom is also the study and playroom. The Philips Hue White Ambiance offers up to 50,000 hues of white. While studying, children can stay focused with bright white light, which can be changed to a warmer shade of white as she prepares for bed.”
16 Kartell FL/Y by Ferruccio Laviani, from $510, from Space Furniture. 17 myKidsRoom Zoo suspension lights, $79, from Philips. 18 Hue Go, $109, from Philips. 19 Qeeboo rabbit outdoor LED lamp, price upon request, from Journey East.
LIGHTING
Jet Lee, founder and principal of Yi Culture “As a general rule of thumb, places that generate wealth – such as the study – need to be brighter than the rest of the house.” He adds that brightness plays a role in facilitating the flow of qi, by shifting the balances of yin and yang in a space.”
FENGSHUI
Adding the right fengshui touches to the children’s bedroom can create positive effects that lead to harmonious, healthy and vibrant growth. Good fengshui is said to help promote a clean and open area where qi, also known as natural energy, can gather, and eliminates the problem of cluttered space. Parents may decide to incorporate fengshui elements to support their child’s growth and mental development.
FURNITURE
In terms of furniture, Joey says to ensure that there are no major objects obstructing the entrance of the room, so as to sustain a smooth flow of qi within the bedroom to the entrance.
When you have active kids running around, you want to make sure that your home environment is safe and easy to maintain. Vinyl flooring is a smart, child-friendly option, as it is slip- and impact-resistant, meaning it can provide some cushioning to accidental falls. It is also very easy to maintain, being water- and stain-resistant, so you won’t break into a sweat whenever your child spills a drink.
20 Evo High End Resilient Flooring in hazelnut, from Evorich. 21 Evo High End Resilient Flooring in glacial pine, from Evorich. 22 Evo High End Resilient Flooring in Amsterdam light tan, from Evorich. 23 Evo High End Resilient Flooring in Amsterdam egg shell, from Evorich.
CHILDPROOFING
Young kids are still developing their coordination and motor skills, so they are more prone to bumping into things. One way of reducing the risk of injury at home would be to childproof your house with features such as corner protectors that round the sharp edges of furniture.
24 Armadillo&co Flower Weave Daisy ‘Gumball’ rug, $699, from Cuckoo. 25 The World rug, $149.90, from Deer Industries. 26 Adventure rug, $119, from Deer Industries. 27 Patrull corner bumper, $4.90 for eight pieces, from Ikea. 28 Patrull drawer/cabinet catch, $3,90 for five pieces, from Ikea. 29 Patrull bathtub mat, $7.90, from Ikea.
text ISABELLE TOW
