Modern Furniture

The answer to this question will influence how you distribute your space and decorate it. Sleeping space is the first consideration: do they  need separate rooms or can they share? Children usually draw the short straw when it comet to handing out bedrooms, but if they are prepared  to share, it could be worth giving them the biggest room and freeing up the smallest for a study.

You should also consider their schoolwork and extra-curricular activities. These will vary according to age. but at different stages you are likely to need space for toys, homework, music practice, teenage rock groups and sleepovers. If this space Is not provided by their bedrooms, you will have to create it in other areas, and these will need furnishing in a robust style: white sofas and cream carpets may not be practical.

The natural focal point of the bedroom is the bed itself; this means the selection of the bed is important in establishing the overall design of a bedroom, particularly if the frame is unusually interesting. The variety of bed styles available ranges from a simple futon mat, to a traditional box spring and mattress, to a waveless waterbed, with variations and alternatives in between.

In the United States, standard sizes were established in the 1950s for bed frames and mattresses: King, 72″ x 84″; Queen, 60″ x 75″; double or full, 54″ x 52″; and single or twin, 39″ x 75″. Unless your bed is older than this, it will be one of these universal sizes, regardless of the type of bed frame. And although the sizes of American beds and bedding were standardized in the 1950s, the closest-to-standard sizes in pillows include: king, 26″ x 36″; queen, 26″ x 30″ and standard, 20″ x 26″. Other pillow sizes include French continental or eurosquare, 26″ x 26″ and the Russian pillow, 14″ x 14″.

Futons are ideal for studios and small spaces, as are Murphy beds. First introduced in 1905, the Murphy bed folds into a closet to open up more floor space when not in use. Some are hinged at the head and some hinge at the side.

Bunk beds and trundle bed styles are space-saving alternatives to an extra bed in the guest room. Bunk beds are stacked on top of one another, while trundle beds have a second bed that slides out from underneath the first bed. Bunk beds are primarily found in children’s rooms.

At this stage it is enough to stress that the most sensible floors should be hardwearing and easy to clean but not uncomfortable or cold or noisy. Young children spend a lot of time on the floor, sitting, crawling, lying, playing, so the covering is important. Fortunately there are plenty to choose from: planed-down and polyurethaned wood, vinyl-coated cork tiles, cushioned vinyl tiles, linoleum.
If you are going to put rugs on hard floor surfaces, make sure they are held in place with a non-slip backing; on fitted carpet they can be prevented from rucking with strips of Velcro touch-and-close fastening stitched to the back - use only the hooked side of the strip so that it will catch on the carpet tufts or loops.

The lighting should also be planned at this stage. Begin with simple wall lights on a dimmer switch. These have two advantages: they can be turned right down at night and the fact that they are built into the wall means that there are no wires or cords for a child to tamper with or trip over. Moreover, this sort of light will be far pleasanter than that given by a central ceiling pendant.

Simple Venetian blinds at the window will filter the light during the day at rest times - or use roller blinds backed with suitable blackout material.

Given the way most children prefer to sit on the floor anyway, you would think there was little need for chairs at an early age. In fact there are quite a number of chairs associated with each of a child’s growing stages and all of which are very necessary to them.
In the beginning you need a good comfortable chair for nursing and feeding the baby. This should be low with either no arms at all or the sort that will allow the mother plenty of unrestricted movement. An ordinary straight-backed wooden kitchen chair with the legs shortened is ideal, padded out with cushions for comfort. Out of the baby stage you need the sort of relaxed chair that is both good for comfort and comforting and for climbing on: a capacious, overstuffed armchair with lavish arms that will go on to be a favourite chair for a child to curl up in to read. Children love being nursed and cuddled in a rocking chair and the smaller versions are comforting for small children to sit in while they watch a new baby being fed. If there isn’t a spare knee to sit on, a rocking chair is a good place to be for watching television or listening to a story.
You will definitely need a strong, stable highchair, preferably one that can be adjusted to a convenient height for feeding the child from the table, or that can come apart to be put on a lower level. Unless you are fortunate enough to have a nursery, this will, of course, be located in the dining room or kitchen. There are low level chairs with trays as well, but a dual-purpose one will save money and space. If the chair is made of metal, there should be no sharp ends or open-ended tubes and when the feeding tray is in position there should be no possibility of the child slipping out from under it. There should also be a safety strap, a seat adjustment device that locks securely and, for maximum stability, the base should always be wider than the seat. You may have to buy the harness separately. Either way, make sure that there is firmly fixed anchorage for it. A proper foot rest adds comfort. As they get older children will need proper chairs so that they can sit at a table to eat, sturdy chairs to climb on to reach things, soft, comforting body-moulding chairs for relaxing in and chairs that give good support for working. They particularly like chairs that move (rockers, chairs on wheels or castors) or chairs that they can sink into, like bean bags or sag-bags. These should have fireretardant stuffing. Toddlers prefer low seats so that their legs rest on the floor, otherwise they get very tired. Stackable plastic chairs in bright colours are ideal for mealtimes and for working. So are sturdy wooden chairs, especially those with arms which feel safe and are more restful. Stools, too, are quite good for painting, model-building, drawing; there is an adjustable variety which will grow with the child. If you can get a step-stool you will find it invaluable in the bathroom (for reaching the basin or sink) as well as in their playrooms and/or bedrooms. Look for the kind with suction devices that keep them steady and firm.
Benches, wood-topped or upholstered are useful for accommodating several children, marvellous for games of pretend, especially as they can be turned upside down, good for putting under a window (with bars!) and handy for model-building when things can be spread out along them. From the safety point of view, there are not too many don’ts about chairs that are not taken care of by common sense but here are some points to bear in mind:
• Buy strong sturdy chairs that won’t tip over when they are climbed on.
• Don’t provide children under eight years old with canvas folding chairs as they could collapse when climbed on.
• Be wary of plastic or wood folding chairs. They might be sturdy enough but the folding mechanism could easily trap and hurt small fingers.
• Make sure wooden chairs are smooth and splinter free.
• Check that paint is non-toxic.