If you want to find out all about the interior design trends for the next year, there is no better place than the Salone del Mobile, which is held each April in Milan. This year, we made the trip to the city of fashion to report back on the latest news and trends for children's rooms. For the first time in years, the world of design focussed on interiors for the little ones, and the results are truly inspiring! Design for kids does not need to be childish. However, it has to be imaginative, adaptable and practical.
During the Milan fair, we noticed that manufacturers are turning their attentions on space-saving and adaptable furniture as well as wallpapers with geometric patterns. Triangles, diamond shapes, octagons and circles were everywhere. When choosing wall décor, kids’ bedrooms are particularly suited for strong colours and patterns because they lend a certain je ne sais quoi to a simple room. There are no limits to the imagination as the environment for our children should primarily be fun and inspiring.
A thousand red polka dots, for instance, instantly transform a white room into a playroom or a child's bedroom, proving that wallpaper can be used to determine the function of a space. Graphic wall-coverings are very popular in kids' rooms: they can be a constant backdrop as the child grows up, and they never look "babyish".
Another development we spotted outside the fair, especially with young designers and new labels, is furniture and interior design elements which whisk us away into the world of fairy tales. And what child wouldn't like to live in a wonderland for a while?
At the Kids Design Week at the Museo della Scienza, visitors could rough-and-tumble on a gigantic, 16 square-metre bed, build forts using triangular padded cushion elements, and discover "growing" beds and shelving in the shape of apple trees. Apple trees and ivy wallpapers turn a child's room into a fairy tale forest in an instant. Wall décor can inspire youngsters and provides the backdrop for their next big adventure. And those who want to discover the Sleeping Beauty within themselves should put their four poster bed in front of a wallpaper featuring a sea of roses.
In the legendary super studio in the Zona Tortona, beds looked like houses, chairs had bear's ears, and chests of drawers appeared in the shape of stacked suitcases. These designs show a sense of humour; they are simple, graphic, but with a huge amount of imagination. Be it Hansel and Gretel or Goldilocks, the latest furniture designs and wallpapers enable you to transform your child's room into a stage for stories old and new.
