Working with a children’s interior designer
DESIGN, Decoration, Living
You may have come across children’s interior designers whilst searching for ideas for your child’s bedroom make-over. Maybe you’ve considered working with one. So what do children’s interior designers do, and who are the people hiring them?
Children’s interior design is a relatively young practice, which I first became aware of some ten years ago. It’s become well established in the USA and Australia, but there are quite a few designers elsewhere in the world too, including Europe.
Some of these, like myself, are trained interior designers who specialise in kids’ room design. Others are talented stylists with an amazing eye for children’s spaces. We all have different aesthetics, and come at it from different angles. But what we share is a love of creating amazing children’s rooms.
I became hooked on designing children’s spaces whilst working for an architectural practice where I headed up the interiors department. During the refurbs we used to undertake, I really enjoyed working on kids’ rooms. Our signature style was quite restrained, purist, architectural, but in the children’s rooms I could use a much softer, decorative and playful side of me. I found there was a lack of good design for children in the UK at the time, in contrast to the Netherlands, where I grew up. So when I set up on my own, I decided to specialise in children’s spaces.
So who are the people working with children’s interior designers?
Well, all of my clients care deeply about the surroundings their children grow up in and value design. They want a beautiful and functional space for their child, a place where they can retreat, dream and be creative. Being busy parents, they lack the headspace and/or time to come up with a plan and carry it out. And that’s where me and my colleagues come in.
As children’s interior designers, our focus is on kids’ rooms – whether it’s nurseries, toddler rooms, tween rooms, playrooms or family spaces. We’ve got the experience and resources to know what works and where to find those special pieces. We create the plan and make it easy for you to pull it all together – or, if you have no time or rather spend it differently, we can do this for you too.
If you need help, my best advice is to approach someone whose style you love, as this will make the process of working with a designer so much easier (take a peek at my portfolio here). Also read previous clients’ testimonials, to find out what they valued most about working with the designer – and see if this resonates with you. Many interior designers offer distance design packages, so you don’t have to be tied to someone in your town. Get googling, and get inspired!
PS: See more of the finished room here.
