Architects: Children's rooms are often a storage for old furniture

Brno - Children's rooms often become a storage space for older furniture discarded from living rooms. Many parents are hesitant to invest in new children's furniture, partly due to fears of damage and partly because children quickly outgrow their rooms. Architects who presented four different designs for children's rooms at the Brno housing fair Mobitex agree that children can grow with their room and gradually transform it.
    "Parents often invest hundreds of thousands into equipping the kitchen and representative spaces in the living room while somewhat neglecting the children's area. However, if they choose neutral and timeless designs for storage furniture, desks, and beds, the room can easily adapt to the needs of a growing child with wall colors and decorations," said Lucie Barešová from the interior studio In2, who created one of the four children's room designs together with her colleague Halka Maršálková.
    According to architects, the most important element of a room for the youngest should be plenty of colors and light. According to Maršálková, children's rooms are often sad, uninspired, and unoriginal. Second in importance is free space for playing. "Many people want to have a lot of storage space in the room from the beginning. However, a small child only needs a sleeping corner, one or two cabinets for clothes, and a box for toys. Other furniture like desks and wardrobes can be purchased later," Maršálková said. She noted that the more furniture people have at home, the more unnecessary items they accumulate.
    According to Barešová, children's rooms are also often used for storing rarely used items. "People tend to focus on making the living room as beautiful as possible and store things like skis or seasonal clothing in the children's room. This space is perceived as less important," Barešová added.
    However, according to experts, the culture of furnishing not only children's rooms is gradually improving. More and more people are no longer relying solely on themselves but are consulting with designers and architects. Television programs where experts suggest apartment renovations also have a significant influence. "People are increasingly reflecting on what kinds of items they surround themselves with," said another interior designer, Barbora Nováková Barathová from the Brno studio Štěpán, to ČTK.
    Design in furniture is still a very expensive affair in the Czech Republic. The price for equipping children's rooms designed as part of the fair project 4x30 often exceeds 200,000 crowns. However, basic furniture can be acquired at a third of that price, with the most expensive items being stylish accessories like sofas, partitions, and lighting.