A Beginner’s Guide To Designing the Perfect Playroom
Creating the perfect area of your home for your kids to play, learn and develop can be tough - it can be an overwhelming task to take on. After all, where do you start when there are so many options to consider?
It might not be immediately obvious, but having a dedicated, well-designed space for your kids can help their development and creativity, so it’s worth giving the interior design some thought. Here are a few tips on how to design the perfect playroom. Scroll to the end of the article for a selection of fun playroom imagery.
Choose the right location
The location of the playroom influences the design, so it should be your first port of call. You might have a spare room which you just want to decorate to make it suitable for your kids, or you might be planning on expanding your property to make it more suitable for your growing family.
If the latter is your go-to, consider under-utilised areas of your home that can create additional space, such as your loft or basement. Remember that if you’re extending the property, you may need to get planning permission and seek approval from your neighbours before the building work takes place.
Inject the space with personality
A playroom is just the same as any other room in your home. You want it to be a reflection of the people living in the property, and that includes your kids. So don’t stick with plain, bland colours. Instead, add personality and fun – after all, it should be a place where children feel inspired.
Go bold with colours and prints, get creative with textures and get the kids to create their own artwork to go up on the walls. Children should feel able to put their stamp on the room and feel like it represents them, so ask them how they’d like to decorate or if there’s a theme they’d particularly like.
Consider adding an indoor basketball hoop to the mix, which can offer a fun and active way for kids to engage with the space, promoting both physical activity and creativity.
Think about the materials you use
Materials play an important role in designing a playroom. You want the materials you use to be low maintenance, easy to clean and, above all, safe for little ones. Plastic, for example, is lightweight and scrubbable, so it’s a great option for tables and chairs.
Likewise, when you’re choosing flooring and walls, think about how easy they’ll be to keep clean and hygienic from spills or crayons and paints. Kids spend a lot of their time playing on the floor, so add in floor cushions, pouffes and beanbags, and plush rugs to keep them cosy and comfortable while they’re playing.
Install plenty of storage
Your kids are bound to accumulate plenty of toys and games over the years, and you’ll know how quickly a room can become chaotic when they start to play.
Rather than have it spread all throughout the playroom, install plenty of storage so that the kids have enough places to put their toys and belongings away after they’re done playing with them.
This might be wall shelves with buckets and boxes, or cupboards and drawers that will keep the mess hidden from view. Canvas bags or boxes that can be folded up when not in use are handy to have and can be packed away if you declutter at any point in the future.
Divide the space into zones
No matter what age your kids are, from toddlers through to tweens, they’ll use the playroom in different ways, sometimes as a place to play, or do their homework or simply relax.
Why not have a space for them to relax (or for naptime, if they’re younger) as well as a place to learn or get creative? You want the space to fulfil all their learning needs, and creating zones can really help with this.
As a bare minimum, make sure that the playroom is well-lit and has spaces for stimulating their learning, development and quality play time.
Plan for the future
Age-proofing the playroom means you won’t wind up having to decorate the space again every six months as your kids go through a growth spurt or have a new hobby.
Planning for the future means keeping the space suitable for your kids as they grow, so it doesn’t get abandoned in the future as they grow up.
For example, adding an adjustable table provides little ones with somewhere to play and draw but as they get older and start to have homework to do, it’s somewhere they can work in peace.
Enjoy the opportunity to get creative
A kids playroom is the perfect opportunity to get creative and have some fun, away from your usual decor style. If you’re lucky enough to have space for the kids to enjoy their own dedicated room in the home, make sure you’re creating an environment that’s inspiring and stimulating to their learning and development.
From colourful patterns and comfy materials to thinking about how you can keep the space low-maintenance without it being bland and boring, hopefully these tips will ensure your kids have a great place to play and grow.
Jenny Kakoudakis likes to blog about interiors. She launched award-winning Seasons in Colour in 2014 and the luxury interior design blog All The Pretty Homes in 2024.
When she is not chasing criminals out of the financial system (her day job), she gets creative by redecorating her own home.
