In space-poor Hong Kong even the little people can feel crowded out. On a recent trip to Ikea in Causeway Bay, I saw one woman struggling to pull her two-year-old daughter away from the children's play kitchen. The woman was also wrestling with her mobile phone - trying to persuade her own mother to install said kitchen in her flat. 'But ma,' she said, 'can't you please reconsider? You know [little granddaughter] loves to play with it and we don't have any room in our flat - it's already stuffed full with furniture and toys.' It's a common problem in Hong Kong - what to do in a small flat when you have children? And how do you design so that it's entertaining enough to keep them in the corner while you grab a cup of coffee and a bite to eat? Architect and interior designer Jill Lewis says that when designing for a small space it is important to evaluate the area you have. 'Don't try to do too much,' Lewis says. 'Children don't respond well to cluttered, chaotic spaces any more than adults do. They like their environment to be quite orderly (even though they may disrupt that order often). If their toys and clothes are a mess they get bored very quickly.' Lewis says the key is intelligent storage solutions that are easy for children to use themselves. 'If you don't take the time to teach children to tidy up their own toys, you have to be prepared to do it until they move away from home,' she says. Lewis suggests keeping everything at the child's level, whatever their age. As a mother of two, with another due in November, Lewis says she has learnt that big, traditional toy boxes are useless, because even though it's easy to dump everything inside when playtime is over, a big messy jumble of toys means kids can't find anything the next time they play and lose interest in what they already have. 'If you don't have drawers, use bins that are small enough for even toddlers to pull from the shelf. Dedicate each bin to just one type of toy so that kids can put all the parts and pieces back in one spot.' Lewis says thoughtful book storage is also important - just make sure the bookshelves are low enough to reach easily. If books aren't visible and easy to access, children won't read. The space underneath furniture is valuable real estate. Lee Hsu from Interiors by Di'zai'n says try going vertical with your storage without taking up valuable square footage - a sliding wall of storage that hides all the toys can also be painted with a chalkboard or hung with a whiteboard to keep kids occupied. Interior designer Candace Campos says even without the storage, it's a good idea to create one wall in your child's room dedicated to art. 'Cover it with chalkboard paint and your children can use the wall to sketch doodles, write lists, practise vocabulary, and so on.' This will keep them occupied for hours and is great for rainy days. Another option is a low bench that incorporates storage underneath in the form of sliding drawers on wheels which can be pushed in and out. 'Add cushions on top of the bench and you automatically get a seating area too,' Hsu says. 'An additional space-efficient trick is to create a mezzanine floor area so that kids can climb up there and play or sleep. Of course this depends on how high your ceilings are.' Trundle beds or beds with storage underneath are equally effective in freeing up floor space. Campos says you can get more mileage from your furniture by ensuring it can serve at least two purposes. 'Build a bunk bed with a cosy reading area underneath,' she suggests. 'And a wall-mounted drawing desk that lowers only when needed will help keep furnishings to a minimum, so there is more open space to play.' To save space and money, avoid dedicated changing tables. Instead, consider using the top of furniture that can also double as bookshelves or a chest of drawers long after nappies become a distant memory. Designers recommend avoiding childish finishes and fabrics because children's tastes change quickly. Hsu says parents are thinking more about decorating their children's rooms for the long-term. 'They don't want the hassle of renovating again when they get older so they often ask for neutral rooms that children can grow into,' Hsu says. 'Before, we'd get cliched requests for themes like ABC, animals or pink for a girl and blue for a boy. But nowadays parents want more gender-neutral rooms with graphic patterns. Primary colours are no longer popular and we've recently done a few green rooms because they are unisex, and even one with a white and milk chocolate brown combination.' Lewis advises buying gender-neutral white furniture so that pieces can be passed down the line to each child. 'Punch these up with some fun and easy-to-change fabrics on pillows or bedding. Even in artwork, the subject doesn't always have to be for kids only. Look for pieces that will appeal to them at any age,' she says. 'We have to remember that children grow up quickly and their needs and preferences change overnight. While children are small, they want to be near you. Toys will creep into any room of the house you're in - so don't try to pretend you can keep them sequestered only in the child's room.' Lewis recommends including low drawers in main living areas where little ones can store a few of their favourite toys. These low drawers make it easy to quickly hide the clutter when the common space needs to revert to adults. As the children grow up, those extra drawers will come in handy for your own storage needs. Help is at hand JL Architecture - Jill Lewis Tel: 9442 2824 www.jlarchitecture.com jill@jlarchitecture.com Interiors by Di'Zai'n - Lee Hsu and Shamim Din Tel: 2882 1708 www.interiorsbydizain.com info@interiorsbydizain.com Candace Campos Tel: 6706 7921 www.candacecollective.com info@candacecollective.com
