Designing for the inner child Designing for the inner child (December 19, 2003)

Kids' rooms reflect interests, offer safe haven

By Kate Lilienthal

Peggy Liu faced the daunting task of converting a guest room in her Los Altos home into a baby nursery. She was expecting her first child, a son, and wanted the room to inspire him with wonder. She also wanted it to be gender-neutral so that it might also be appropriate for a girl some day.

Liu didn't know where to begin. The abundance of options was overwhelming.

"I had a long list of ideas, but all I knew for sure was that I didn't want just another Disney character baby nursery. I needed help paring down and getting started," she said.

Liu called children's room designer Florence Goguely of Bille et Plume in Palo Alto, whose work she had seen in the Sunset Idea House in Los Gatos. Goguely works with parents and children to create spaces that address both the concerns of the parent ("no shoes on the bed!") and the unique interests and traits of the child.

When Goguely approaches a design task, she likes to get down on the floor and play with the child. Through play, she gains a sense for the child's needs and for the activities the room should accommodate. She reads books with her young client to learn what kinds of stories, themes and illustrations appeal.

"The ideas come from the children. If you stimulate their inner artist, they will let you know how the room should feel and function," she said.

Goguely believes that children today are overwhelmed with images and activities, that they aren't permitted the time and space to dream and experience softness. In response, she tries to create rooms that bring nature, and its peacefulness, inside -- rooms that offer children a respite from their fast-paced world.

"After 9/11, I began to reassess the ways in which kids are raised, and to question their exposure to violence. I concluded that their rooms should provide relief from a driving, often harsh, world. Children need a softer nest," she said.

Goguely's room designs often include hand-painted illustrations on the walls, hand-sewn curtains, valences, spreads and cushions, and furniture carefully selected for its simple lines and multi-use functionality. She believes that with the basic elements in place, a nursery or child's room should grow with the child.

Goguely advises a handful of basic guidelines when approaching a project:

Choose double-duty furniture. Select multifunctional furniture that will convert to other uses as the child grows. For instance, a crib may become a set of chairs or a changing table may become a dresser.

Keep it low. Take the design elements down to low horizontal levels so that the perspective is the child's rather than the adult's. For example, create a sitting area with diminutive chairs and paint the lower part of the wall a contrasting shade.

Transcend gender. Gender-neutral colors will give the room a more organic, softer feeling.

Bring in the outside. Incorporating nature into the room will help create a sense of calm. In the Sunset Idea House, Goguely painted a poppy as a growth chart on a nursery wall and created a valence of felt leaves that blows with the breeze when the window is open.

Create display areas. Offer special display areas for your child's artwork and collections.

Add soft floors. Children spend lots of time on the floor. Include a soft carpet on solid surfaces.

Be organized. For infants and toddlers, organize the room such that important items, diapers, creams, etc., are within easy reach. Make sure emergency and scheduling information are plainly visible.

Go for durability. For older children, choose furniture that can take a pounding.

Keep safety in mind. Choose furniture with rounded edges. Make sure bookshelves are fixed to the wall. Electrical cords should be bunched and tied. Avoid halogen torches. Lamps should not be accessible.

Emphasize natural light. Don't cover windows unnecessarily.

Goguely and business partner Gaelle Devic-Legris helped Liu craft the space she envisioned for her baby's first room. Liu wanted an elaborate illustration of a pond scene. Instead, Goguely turned the room into an entire pond environment. She replaced mirrored closet doors with simple sea-blue curtains. She stitched detachable fish onto the curtains and cut portholes to look like air bubbles.

A ceiling of stars, a canopy of doves, and a growth chart painted to look like bamboo gave the nursery the feeling of a lush, playful campsite.

A cozy chair, set of drawers and shelves from Ikea helped Liu stay within budget.

"Inexpensive European imports are changing the way American parents are addressing the design of baby nurseries and children's rooms. The trend is away from highly decorative items that kids quickly outgrow and towards more simple, gender-neutral pieces designed to grow with the child," Goguely said. "Designing your child's room is becoming less expensive and easier."

Goguely's design process unfolds in discrete phases. In the first phase, the designers develop a concept and rough color scheme. With the client's feedback in mind, Goguely and Devic-Legris then create a detailed design and budget. Depending on the scope and size of the project, Goguely charges about $500 for the first phase and $2,000 for the second.

In the third and final phase, Goguely and Devic-Legris craft much of the design elements themselves, and charge by the individual piece.

"Though our pieces may be considered expensive," Goguely said, "we don't charge for the total number of hours we spend on each one. If we did, we would price ourselves out of the market. But we think of our work as art and don't want to give the client anything less than our best."

Decorating for teens can be a little more challenging. "Teens want to provide the decor themselves," said Alison Johnston, of Westover Studio in Menlo Park. "You need to accept that they're going to display teen idol and sports posters on their newly painted walls. Don't cringe. Instead, give them a place to do it. Hang a large bulletin board.

"Also, it's key to include effective storage areas for teen clothing and memorabilia. Give teens the power to keep their room neat and ordered on their own," she said.

"As your child gets older, it's important not to superimpose your taste. Discuss ideas with them; encourage their creativity and input. Involve them in the process," added Ann Bertelsen, who worked on last summer's Sunset Idea House.
Resource: Bille et Plume children's room designers, 473-1232, www.billeetplume.com

Easy ways to create display areas:

* White board or magnet board -- Hang at the child's eye-level.

* Picture frames -- Frame artwork in frames that allow you to easily swap out the pictures.

* Clipboards -- Nail clipboards to the wall (especially fun if imbedded in an illustration).

* Cables -- Hang a wall-to-wall cable system. Attach art with small clothespins.

* Display shelves -- Use shallow shelving to display framed pictures and other items.

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