A child’s room isn’t complete just by painting it bright blue or hanging colourful curtains anymore. How about adding a butterfly mat? Or a princess clock? Or maybe a sailor’s bed? Children’s rooms have gone way past funky colours to include an exclusive range of themes, designs and accessories, where you can literally do anything, from creating a princess hideout to a sailor’s den to a sporty locker-room.
Woody Wood Kids’ Furniture, based out of Vanilla Children’s Place in R.A. Puram, is one place to go shopping. “Customised kids’ furniture improves the wellbeing of a child because it is comfortable and well made. We also ensure it remains classic because we use sober colours and neutral whites,” says Annalease de Jong Gomez of Woody Wood.
Vanilla has its own range of children’s furniture, designed by 24-year-old Arun Raja. “With kids, the main things to look at when designing furniture are dimensions, safety and themes. We don’t do cartoon-based themes but prefer general ones; such as a sailor, animal or princess theme, where we use chosen motifs to create a line of customised furniture,” he says.
Peek-a-boo Patterns has been in the business for seven years now and owner Garima Agarwal says it’s all about making furniture that is ‘built to grow’. “Children are excited and they’re always changing their minds. If you pick a Winnie the Pooh chair, the child might outgrow it in a year or two and then you’ll have to spend again,” she says. Garima suggests themes that will retain interest for a longer time and sizes that can be adapted to growing children.
The range on offer is amazing, beginning from cribs and cradles for toddlers to wardrobes and bunk-beds for pre-teens and teens. “We have a separate range for teens,” says Rahmath Ullah, store manager, Woody Wood, “with bigger wardrobes and study tables and bookshelves.” Arun Raja has separate lines for infants and for children ten and above. “Most families want storage space and multi-functional furniture like pull-out beds or benches with storage areas. We give them plenty of options to choose from, according to their children’s age.”
Garima, on the other hand, works on moods and spaces. “I don’t put too much in a room. We have everything from beds to activity tables and hobby stations, but I make sure there is space for the child to move and play in the room. Our beds are usually designed against the wall.” Peek-a-boo plays with themes like garden or safari, where the furniture is simple and minimalist and the furnishings bring the themes to life. “You can keep changing things like rugs or bean bags as and when your children want. The basic furniture remains the same and the smaller additions keep your child happy. For example, when people want customised study tables, we make sure there’s space for a computer later. If there’s more than one child, we look at spaces for all of them.”
The new range of kid products are child-friendly, with rounded corners and non-toxic paint. “We don’t use interlocking fixtures and all the joints are hidden. This helps keep the furniture sturdy. We use rubber wood since it’s long-lasting,” says Raja. Woody Wood uses rubber wood as well. “We have lab reports to prove that the paint is non-toxic. All our furniture comes in knock-down forms, ensuring safe and easy self-assembly,” says Annalease. “We don’t use attachments that kids can remove and choke on or injure themselves with. The ergonomics keeps in mind the posture of a child.”
Peek-a-boo uses Canadian plywood and non-toxic Sirca paint. Garima also looks at the whole room design. “I make sure the room is accessible and there aren’t bookshelves so high that the child can’t reach something. I also add some Feng Shui elements to help them to sleep well. A room should make a child feel comfortable but not over-excite them,” she explains.
The list of customised children’s room accessories available today is endless — clocks, bookends, soft boards, lamps, rugs, mirrors, clothes hangers, and picture frames — you name it and you can get it made.
WALL ART
And here’s a whole new idea to brighten up your child’s room. Joyston Christopher Vaz, contemporary graffiti artist, creates magic with paint to transform children’s rooms into their fondest dreams. From football matches to the Mr. Men series, Joyston paints designs to suit various tastes under his banner Coloured Particles, started in 2009. Call Joyston to conjure up a stadium, a garden, or a space station on the walls. “I don't compromise on quality,” he says, “and unless there are problems such as leaking walls, the graffiti stays on a long time.” Check him out at www.facebook.com/coloured.particles.
