Kid-Friendly, Designer Approved
Designing Kids’ Spaces: How to Create Rooms That Are Fun, Functional, and Built to Last
Designing a home for a family comes with a unique challenge: kids need spaces that can handle real life, but that doesn’t mean the design has to look like a playroom exploded in every corner of the house.
The best kids’ spaces strike a balance between function and personality. They give kids room to play, create, sleep, and grow while incorporating thoughtful materials, smart storage, and design details that still feel cohesive with the rest of the home.
From bunk rooms and playful bathrooms to creative bedrooms and dedicated play spaces, we are sharing some of our favorite ways to design spaces that work for kids and the adults who live with them.
Start With How the Space Will Actually Be Used
Before choosing colors, fabrics, or finishes, think about what your kids will actually do in the room.
Is it primarily a bedroom? A place for sleepovers? A homework zone? A playroom? A combination of all four?
The answer should drive the layout.
For example, a bunk room might need built-in beds, individual lighting, storage for each child, and space for homework. A playroom may need durable flooring, easily accessible storage, and room to spread out. A child’s bathroom might need finishes that can handle plenty of toothpaste, water, and general kid chaos.
Make Storage Part of the Design
Kids come with a lot of stuff. Toys, books, sports equipment, stuffed animals, clothes, art supplies…the list seems to multiply overnight.
Instead of trying to hide all of it after the fact, incorporate storage into the design from the beginning.
Built-in shelving, drawers under beds, window seats with hidden storage, baskets, cubbies, and custom cabinetry can all help keep the room organized without making it feel overly utilitarian.
Not to mention, if there is a home for all of your items, your children might even be inclined to put them away! Well maybe!
Choose Materials That Can Keep Up
Kid-friendly design doesn’t mean everything needs to be indestructible but it does mean being thoughtful about where you splurge and where you choose practicality.
In high-traffic spaces, consider durable flooring, performance fabrics, washable textiles, and hard-working surfaces. In bathrooms, materials such as stone and porcelain can provide both durability and a polished look.
The goal isn’t to eliminate every possibility of a spill, stain, or scratch. (Good luck with that.)
It’s to choose materials that will continue to look good after the room has actually been lived in.
Let Kids Have Some Fun With the Design
A child’s space is one of the best places in a home to take a few design risks.
Unexpected wallpaper, bold patterns, playful lighting, colorful artwork, unusual mirrors, or a fun tile can give a room personality without requiring the entire space to feel themed.
The trick is to create a room that feels playful rather than overly juvenile.
That might mean choosing a whimsical wallpaper that can grow with a child, incorporating a statement light fixture, or using an unexpected color combination instead of relying on traditional “kids’ room” decor.
Projects: (Left) Zenobia Street, (Right) Elk View
Don’t Forget the Bathroom
Bathrooms are often overlooked when designing children’s spaces, but they are another opportunity to bring in personality.
A kid’s bathroom can be practical and durable while still being a lot of fun. Interesting mirrors, patterned tile, unique lighting, colorful accessories, and unexpected materials can transform a functional space into something memorable.
In this Aspen bathroom, for example, playful animal-shaped mirrors bring personality to an otherwise sophisticated space. The result feels fun enough for kids without looking like a bathroom designed exclusively for children.
Projects: (Left) The Aspen, (Right) Zenobia Street
Bunk Rooms Are Made for Creativity
Few spaces give you as much freedom to have fun as a bunk room.
Bunk rooms are inherently playful, but thoughtful design can make them much more functional, too. Built-in bunks maximize sleeping space while creating a cohesive look. Individual sconces or reading lights give each child their own little zone, while integrated shelving or drawers help keep belongings organized.
And then there are the details: patterned bedding, layered textiles, interesting lighting, and accessories that make the room feel like a place kids actually want to spend time.
For vacation homes especially, a bunk room can become one of the most memorable spaces in the house.
Create Spaces That Can Grow With Them
Kids’ interests change quickly. Designing a room around one very specific phase can mean you’re redecorating again before you know it.
Instead, consider investing in elements that have longevity (quality furniture, custom built-ins, timeless flooring, and versatile lighting) then bring in personality through pieces that are easier to change.
Artwork, bedding, rugs, accessories, and paint can evolve as a child grows without requiring a complete redesign.
The result is a room that feels personal now but won’t feel completely outgrown a few years down the road.
Projects: (Left) Niblick, (Right) Brindle
Give Them Spaces to Be Kids
Not every space needs to be perfectly styled.
A well-designed playroom should have room to build a fort. A bedroom should have somewhere to pile up books. A bunk room should be able to handle a sleepover or two. And sometimes the best design decision is simply giving kids enough room to spread out.
Play spaces can be especially creative opportunities. Built-in reading nooks, climbing walls, craft areas, hidden doors, cozy corners, and dedicated zones for toys can turn an ordinary room into something much more imaginative.
Kid-Friendly Doesn’t Have to Mean Kid-Looking
Ultimately, designing for kids is about creating spaces that support the way a family actually lives.
That means durable materials where you need them, storage where it matters, layouts that make sense, and plenty of opportunities for personality. It also means remembering that a home can be beautiful and comfortable enough for kids to actually live in.
Because the best family-friendly spaces aren’t precious. They’re inviting, functional, a little bit playful and ready for whatever happens next.
And yes, that includes the occasional marker on the wall.