“The sort of people who buy from us are house-proud,” says Sarah Codrington, of the Children’s Furniture Company (020 7737 7303), one of the new breed of stores selling childhood chic to design-conscious parents. “They are up on interiors trends, buy the magazines — they want nice things, and that means nice things for their kids, too.” Codrington’s customers, whose numbers have more than doubled in the past two years, typically snap up smart single beds in natural beech, her current bestseller, for a mere £495.
At Lion Witch Wardrobe (020 8318 2070), which specialises in handcrafted furniture for little angels, storage has become an art form. The Bridge oak toy box (£750) looks good enough to double as a designer coffee table, and perfectly encapsulates the new desire to make the transition between big and little folks’ stuff look seamless.
“People no longer want to open their child’s bedroom door and be faced with a wall of pink that doesn’t go with the rest of the house,” says Robin King, of the hip new toy and interior store Enkla (01225 339789). “And we’re all knocking through our kitchens to make one big eating, socialising and play space. Once the kids have gone to bed and our friends come round, we don’t really want to sit looking at crates of Brio.” King suggests powder-blue weave baskets — “very Cath Kidston” — as a more pleasing alternative. His customers can’t get enough of them (sets of four £59.99) for hiding oodles of kiddie tat.
Back upstairs, simple lines and quality materials rule in the bedroom, too. Flick through catalogues from must-buy companies such as Mini Marvellous, Wigwam, Urchin and Bump, and there isn’t a knotted-pine bunk bed in sight. Apparently, the preferred paint effect of the modern-day miss is antique white, and shapes are sophisticated. This comes at a price — expect to pay upwards of £400 for a good-quality child’s bed — but buyers are seduced by the promise of the furniture’s longevity and, therefore, value for money.
“Parents have a greater awareness of interiors these days,” says Codrington. “That’s why they want pieces that are childlike, but not too childish. They also want flexible furniture: cot beds that turn into bigger beds, then sofas — and back again if needs be.” Indeed, Rebecca Sharman, of Lion Witch Wardrobe, says that many of her pieces are bought as heirlooms. “Parents are looking for quality furniture that their children’s children can enjoy.”
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Before the whole story starts to sound too, well, grown-up, there are some fabulous flashes of colour, playfulness and humour out there that parents are lapping up, too. In fact, so desirable are some of these new slices of kiddie cool, adults want them too. Mothers and daughters have squabbled over who gets the Kids Collection Lucy Locket fabric from Designers Guild — a confection of handbags for £25 per metre — while many a mum hankers after a grown-up version of the mini-sized armchairs that are so in this year.
Claire Phillips-Stanford, who designs heavenly bed sets for Childhood Interiors, says she is constantly being asked if she does it in a double. “I was sick of not being able to find anything that followed current trends for my own kids,” says the former fashion-textile designer (she worked for everyone from Louis Vuitton to Topshop), who now creates collections of some of the best children’s accessories available. Her candy-coloured duvet covers (£45), bright letter cushions (£20) and stick-on stars (£6) are good value and, she adds, perfect for dressing up basic retail-park furniture.
Before you mamas with a taste for glossy magazine interiors start signing up to another credit card, take note of what Bill Amberg, one of the country’s top designers and the father of three young girls, has to say. “You don’t have to spend a lot to get your children’s rooms looking good. We went to trusty Ikea for the basics, and added details such as stools made from rope fenders and an old rocking horse from a junk shop,” he says of the girls’ rooms in his stylish west London home. “What kids really need is plenty of floor space, easy access to toys and no computer or television.”