Artful Spaces for Children

"Go to your room” isn’t quite the punishment it used to be. For today’s children, designers are creating fun, artful spaces that can easily transition from infants to toddlers to teens. 

According to Amy Becker, vice president of Masterpiece Design Group in Winter Park, children’s rooms these days are less themed and more adaptable. “Trends tend to have a shorter lived time span as the kids grow and interests change,” she says.

Designer Michael Martinez, owner of Michael Joseph Designs, says neutral colors are best and need not be changed as furnishing and decor changes. “The key to a well-designed children’s room is incorporating new accents,” says Martinez. “That includes rugs and lamps, removable artwork and graphic elements that can be easily changed over time.”

Nurseries should be warm and relaxing not just for the baby, but also for parents who need a space designed for easy diaper changing and late-night feedings. “We use furnishings that are transitional,” says Martinez. “We have cribs that can be transitioned into toddler beds and then twin-size beds.” 

For older children, factors such as personality and interests should be taken into account. Packrats and collectors need storage. Readers need bookshelves. And every kid needs a desk for homework. 

The following pages show how some of Central Florida’s top interior designers are mixing traditional concepts with out-of-the-box ideas to create rooms that suit a parent’s sensibility and a child’s sense of fun.