An industrial design leader and creative director, Bikram has global experience in consulting, entrepreneurship, corporate leadership-level design and new product development. He is holding a masters degree from the Royal College of Art, London and an undergraduate degree from the National Institute of Design, India. He has worked in both the UK and Indian markets.

When designing a child's room, it is crucial to balance the use of space and minimize clutter at the same time. In designing a kid’s room, besides considering the micro-dynamics of the space, what you need to consider is how to design a kid’s bedroom that stands out from the rest of the home. Kid’s bedroom cannot follow the same design and decor ideas that favour the rest of the home. Maximizing floor area and deploying vertical space through shelves or wall-mounted organizers can help to save space and make the process of cleaning up easier. Designing designated spaces for frequently used items and occasionally used items is essential. Smartly designed storage systems in wardrobes, study desks, and beds help children foster an inherent ability to organize their space by creating a mental map of where they keep their items.

Key elements like furniture needs to have included a high degree of ergonomics to support children of different ages, safe materials, and most importantly a design style that inspires a child to view their space as a collection of animate objects. The final layer of expression in a child’s room is through tactile materials, colours, and accessories.

Importance of Kid’s Furniture in Growth & Development
With a multifunctional interior design for children’s bedroom not just throws up many possibilities but also helps you become more inventive to the kind of furniture you will use. Lifestyle shift in India with nuclear families preferring apartment living, a reduction in child-friendly public spaces, as well as technology is replacing the need for physical interaction for learning and entertainment. The child’s room has now become a space for learning, play, rest, rejuvenation and social engagement. The child’s room has now taken center stage within the home and plays a pivotal role in enriching the formative years of your little one’s life. We have learned through research that children perceive objects differently from adults -Most children don’t view furniture as functional objects but as objects to be touched, experienced, and interacted with. Children are naturally curious and tend to see their environments as imaginary spaces by mentally assigning personas and characters to objects. It is wise to design their bedrooms, in such a way that the design lasts for at least a couple of their growing years. Therefore, ensure there are separate chairs and tables for their homework and keep the play area with carpeting separate.

Important Principles Need to Focus

Children grow dramatically in physical size and intellect from toddler to teenage years. Therefore, it’s important for a child's room to factor in accessibility during this evolutionary process. Accessibility is the concept of designing spaces that are easy to use and navigate. In children's room design, this means creating a space that is inclusive and accommodating to children with different needs.

There are several ways to incorporate accessibility into a children's room design-

1. First, it's important to consider the layout of the room. Ensure that the room is spacious enough to have free space for movement which is essential for every child. Depending on the space of the room, try to position furniture alongside the walls so that you free up the central part of the room. Additionally, consider the placement of furniture and other items in the room to ensure that they are easy to reach and use. For example, placing shelves and storage units at lower heights can make it easier for children to access their belongings. Secondly, ensure a child’s bed is large enough to accommodate them till they reach their full growing capacity. Lastly, the study desk area is a space for learning and creativity. Ensure that your child is using a chair that is suitable for their height.
2. Another important aspect of accessibility in children's room design is natural lighting and this can help with a child’s circadian rhythm. Ensure that the room is well-lit during the day to help children feel positive and closer to the outdoors. Conversely, have dim and pleasant lighting during night-time to prevent overstimulation before bedtime.
3. You can create inspiring spaces within a child’s room, i.e. ‘room within a room’. This could be through play tents, jungle gyms, or reading nooks. This further gives a child a sense of personalisation as well as makes them view their room as a bouquet of mini-environments, further enhancing creative thought.
4.Finally, consider incorporating sensory elements into the room design. Sensory elements such as soft textures, calming colours, and soothing sounds can help children with sensory processing issues feel more comfortable and secure in the space.

Children love whimsical things, as it reminds them of castles, fairies, secret gardens, the night skies and journeying into a dream. So the corners of the room can be recreated with lace curtains, airy and feathery curtains, little nooks for them to hide and layered furnishings.

Few upcoming Trends in Kids furniture

Fitness Area of the Home: The new mantra for happiness is fitness. In today’s time every adult is into a physical activity, be it running, sport, or yoga. On the other hand, we see that children are getting less physical activity than in the past and this is due to increased use of technology within the home as well as reduction in outdoor physical activity. There is also an increased tendency of obesity in children compared to a decade back. While online fitness classes are gaining popularity, there are also options for physical intervention such as standing desks or play mats. Therefore, furniture within a child’s room will have to allow for a level of mobility and fitness. This could include climbing walls, active play furniture, or even standing study desks. For an example, Smartsters have taken a few leaps ahead on this issue with the Clibmr bunk bed which has a climbing wall that promotes muscular development or our Castle Loft bed which replicates a jungle gym and slide experience within the home.

Sustainability: It is very important to teach the value of environment to our future generations so that, instead of exploiting nature, they can embrace and protect and preserve them. The child’s room can play an important role in putting this into practice. Furniture that is long-lasting in both durability and adaptive, as the child grows is one way to ensure that you don’t need to keep purchasing new furniture, thus reducing environmental impact. From creating large wall maps that they can spend hours poring over, to animal origami figures adorning their desks, from walls embellished with varied butterfly species to furnishings of different types of eco-friendly materials, colours and textures. Additionally, choosing materials that are sustainable help your child make an impact on their carbon footprint like few bed linens which are made from bamboo rather than water-intensive cotton.

Gender Neutrality: This is a crucial factor in designing children’s room to keep them away from gender stereotypes and enable children to think in an inclusive and neutral manner. This effective learning will help them to observe the broader view of the world and develop empathy as they mature into adults. The use of colour also has an impact on gender perception and therefore choosing neutral colours such as greens, salmon as well as earthy tones is trending and important to balance equality and eliminate gender difference.

In Conclusion, designing an accessible children's room is all about creating a space that is inclusive, accommodating, and easy to use for children of all abilities. By considering the layout, lighting, and sensory elements of the room, you can create a space that is both functional and fun for children to enjoy.