In the past, furnishing children’s rooms was no more than getting the young occupants their own single or double-decker beds, with a standard chest of drawers, and a study table and chair, as well as a book shelf. A vanity dresser was a luxury. As long as it was a functional little space, aesthetics like themes, colour schemes and matching furnishings ranked low on home improvement plans. And parents made all the decisions.
Fast forward to today and the new generation of discerning parents is not just keen to set up the kid’s room comfortably but attractively too – with definite input from the opinionated little ones. Furniture makers and interior decorators have been quick to capitalise on the changing lifestyles, tastes and demands of modern parents, particularly those who are willing to spend on getting the coolest stuff for their brood.
Yiki Teoh, a senior interior designer specialising in children’s bedrooms, knows what she’s saying when she offers this piece of advice: “Parents, listen to your kids.”
She urges parents not to exclude the kids when they go furniture-hunting for what is to become the children’s own sanctuary.
Teoh, of Jashen Interior Design in Klang, Selangor, usually starts by talking to the young customers. “They know what they want, even those as young as five. And what they like is important; after all, they will be occupying the room. So I start by finding out their favourite colours and interests. And depending on their ages I may also ask if they’d like to incorporate cartoon motifs or certain designs in the plan,” she explains.
Jason Chong, an interior designer with Swedish furniture giant Ikea, whose Malaysian outlet is located in a sprawling facility in Mutiara Damansara in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, says most customers don’t have a clue when it comes to furnishing their children’s rooms.
“At Ikea, they can check out the display sets at the children’s section for ideas,” he says.
Colour preferences are among the first things to note. Boys tend to go for blue and green and even orange and yellow these days, while girls traditionally favour pink, yellow and purple.
Teoh says where bold colours like orange and red dominate, lighter shades will be added to the mix. Problems may arise when the room is shared by two or more kids.
“I will then have to do a fine balancing act of incorporating their likes and dislikes,” she says.
With young children in the house, safety is undoubtedly a priority. A reminder from the designers is that the furniture should not have sharp edges but rounded ones. Ikea has a series of furniture that features doors with a soft closing mechanism called a damper. Chong points out that this helps prevent little fingers from being caught as the doors will not slam shut.
Practical as Malaysians are, many parents would request for a design that accommodates their child’s growth, even up to their teens.
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