Kids' room design

Rooms We Design

• Nursery - a calm room for the first years, with space for a changing station, a chair for night feeds and dimmable light.
• Kids' room - sleep, play and the first desk in one room, with storage a child can reach.
• Shared room - two children in one room, each with their own bed zone, shelf and light.
• Teen room - a room that feels like their own: a proper desk, a place for friends, more privacy.
• Playroom and homework space - when the house has room to keep play out of the bedroom.
• Kids' bathroom - see our bathroom design service.

A Room That Grows With the Child

We plan the room for the next ten years, not the next one. The fixed parts - built-in wardrobes, the lighting plan, outlets and the place for a desk - are designed for a teenager from the start, while the parts that change - the crib, low shelves, play mats - are loose furniture that can leave when the child outgrows them. Walls get neutral, washable finishes, and color comes from textiles, art and pieces that are easy to replace.

Safety Built In

Dressers, bookcases and tall units are anchored to the wall. Since 2023 clothing storage furniture sold in the US must meet a federal tip-over standard, and we still anchor it. Upper-floor windows with low sills need fall protection under the residential code in Washington, so we specify opening limiters that an adult can release. Outlets are tamper-resistant, cords from blinds are avoided, corners of built-ins are rounded, and every bedroom keeps a window large enough to serve as an emergency escape, which matters when a basement or attic room becomes a child's bedroom.

Storage a Child Can Use

Children keep a room tidy only when putting things away is easy. Low open shelves and bins for toys, hooks at their height, deep drawers under the bed and a closet with an adjustable rod that moves up as they grow. In Residence 11 the built-in storage combines closed cabinets with open niches, so favorite things are on display and the rest is out of sight.

Light for Sleep, Play and Homework

Seattle winters are dark by late afternoon, so a kids' room needs more than one ceiling light: soft general light, a task lamp at the desk, a reading light by the bed and a dim night light for the way to the bathroom. Warm, dimmable light in the evening helps the room wind down. Blackout shades matter in summer, when the sun is up before five and sets after nine.

Materials and Healthy Air

We choose low-VOC paints and finishes and furniture with low-emission certifications such as GREENGUARD Gold, durable flooring that is warm underfoot, and wall finishes that survive markers and stickers. Rugs soften sound and falls, and fabrics are washable. A quiet, well-ventilated room sleeps better, so we check the airflow of the heating and ventilation before placing the bed.

Two Children in One Room

When siblings share a room, each child needs a place that is clearly theirs: their own bed zone, a shelf, a light and a hook. Bunk beds or a loft bed free the floor for play; a low partition, a curtain or a bookcase can divide the room later when the children want more privacy. We plan outlets and lighting for both halves so the room can be split without new wiring.

How We Work

We start with a conversation with the parents and, from about school age, with the child too, then measure the room and develop the layout, a concept with renderings and the drawings for built-in furniture, lighting and finishes. We select furniture and textiles through our furniture selection service. A kids' room can be designed on its own or as part of a whole interior design project, where we also plan how the children's rooms relate to the parents' bedroom and the rest of the house.