Creating Functional Spaces for Little Ones

by Marissa Warner | The Home Narrative

A home that caters to a family’s lifestyle can be transformative to their daily lives! Whether that is a physical feature(s), flow or overall functionality, they all contribute to how well a space works.

When my husband and I built our current home, we knew we wanted to have a dedicated play area for our son. Specifically, we wanted a designated area to put all the toys and “things” that come along with tiny humans. In order to do this, I designed custom built-in cabinetry for storage, keeping both the current purpose in mind and future resale.

When I put together the design of the play room and custom built-ins, I kept these principles in mind:

1. Ensure there are low level drawers, cabinets and shelves to allow easy access to toys, books and items intended for children. The lower bank of drawers provided a space to store toys out of sight, where the cubbies and open shelf on the coffee table act as reading nooks and a spot for bins.

2. Create different size spaces - Although our space will be used as a play room for the next few years, in the future the room will be used as a secondary family room to watch tv and relax. It is important to create a variety of different sized storage options for ultimate functionality. The reality is, not all of our household items are the same size and neither are children’s toys. Having a combination of drawers and cabinets that can service the immediate purpose and those to come will ensure you are able to fully utilize your storage options.

3. Even tiny humans need a lot of SPACE - When you are thinking about what to put into the space, keep in mind children are curious and want to explore. To encourage this exploration, make sure there is enough space left to allow movement to naturally happen. Do not pack in too many large toys or furniture, this could prevent them from freely moving around or the ability to fully play with the toys they do have.

4. Incorporate multi-purpose pieces - not all homes have the ability to have a dedicated play room, but whether you have space or not, it is ideal to incorporate pieces that are multi-purpose. This could be a table that turns into a track or sand box, or a craft table that has storage options. The multi-purpose aspect keeps things new and fresh for the child, but also provides space functionality for many to benefit from.

If you are currently in a space or looking at purchasing a home, focusing on what your family needs to make the most of the space can help you target your efforts on what will have the biggest impact on your daily lives.