Two experts review the options for children's furniture and provide valuable tips to make the right choice.
From the closets to the children's bedroom bed and the desk where they will start to study, in this article we tell you everything you need to know about children's furniture so that the children's furniture you choose meets your child's needs and adapts to the stages of growth.
1. Storage and play pieces
Choose children's versatile furniture that accommodates the stages of growth, i.e., it can be used for both a baby and a toddler. For example, a modular shelf is a great ally that will allow you to keep in order all the stories, stuffed animals, and the decoration of your child's nursery. In addition, these shelves can be fitted with basket drawers. In decorating a small children's bedroom, the solution can be to hang these modules on the wall, as in the image, freeing up space on the floor. Another critical piece to decorate children's bedrooms is the chest of drawers. A piece of furniture that will serve in all stages of the child and is very practical for storing clothes and diapers. On the chest of drawers, you can adapt a changing pad that will change diapers during the early years but will continue to be useful later. If the size of the bedroom allows it, creating a play area is an exciting idea. This play area can have an Indian tent or teepee (pictured above), a low table for playing or drawing, or a mini-kitchen, among other ideas, as well as drawers to store all the toys.
2. Children's closets
Interior designer María Bermúdez, head of Quefalamaria, is currently working on decorating two children's rooms for a client. "For corners and heights of the room, I would make a custom closet. I favor giving it a neutral and timeless aesthetic so that the children's closet will still be valid when the child is 18 years old. For this, I would go for smooth doors or doors with molding, depending on the style, and in wood or in tones that do not go out of the scale of powdered white-beige or light gray," says Maria.
As for the layout of a children's bedroom, the expert shares one of her interior designer's tricks: "I like to put a couple of exposed drawers at the bottom, which can be opened without having to open the closet door. When they are younger, you can put folded clothes and pants there. This way, the child will be able to choose and put the clothes away by themselves, something that encourages their autonomy when they start to dress themselves," she says. Eva M. Cebrián, the founder of the EMCQ studio, insists on the importance of the interior layout: "The ideal closet is the one that grows and changes with the child; if they can't do it on the outside, they should do it on the inside with shelves, drawers, shelves and hanging rods that can be moved and adapted to the height of the children's clothes. Then, when they can dress, it is essential that they can see and access their clothes and accessories," says Eva. An excellent tip to give children's furniture a personalized look is to find a theme - animals, travel, a sport - and integrate it into the closet. Use children's stickers, for example; the advantage is that these stickers can be easily removed and, when we want to restore the cabinet to its original state, all we have to do is peel them off.
3. The children's desk
You may not need it for the first few years, but they need a comfortable space to do their homework as soon as they start going to school.
The children's desk height should be appropriate to their current height, as should the chair. In this way, the child will gain autonomy and confidence.
- The material the children's desk is made of must be resistant and easy to clean. Avoid glass and softwoods, which will end up with scratches very soon.
- Place the children's desk near a window so that your child has the right light to write, paint, cut out, etc.
4. Children's beds
If you start by buying a crib, look for one that converts into a bed or is more significant than usual. This will allow you to use it for a more extended period. In the next stage of growth, when you need a bed, place it at ground level or on a bench: it will serve as a step and help the child to climb up and down independently. In addition, the court will help to place other auxiliary furniture. Another type of solution is a trundle bed, with a pull-out bed underneath. "Whenever possible, I prefer to use a trundle bed instead of bunk beds, to avoid having a very tall, static piece of furniture that detracts from the brightness and makes the room feel crowded," says María Bermúdez.
Eva, from EMCQ, adds the solution of train beds for the children's room: "Bunk beds can be dangerous and, in addition, the beds are more uncomfortable to make. Therefore, if they are very young, I would recommend trundle beds, and if they are a little older (7 and up), bunk beds. The train bed option is also very versatile because it adds closet under the bed." Wrought iron beds are also ideal for children's beds; they are visually light and will not overload the space.
In addition, they adapt to any decorative style -vintage, rustic, or modern-depending on the textiles, accessories, and colors we choose. As a last option, we have the children's bunk beds, which take advantage of the space in height; something interesting when children have to share a room. Put a protective barrier at the top of the children's bunk bed to prevent possible falls. The ladder to climb is another element that defines it: being with steps, broader and more comfortable, or vertical.