Are playrooms becoming outdated? Interior designers reveal what modern families are choosing instead

Traditionally, children’s playrooms have been contained in dedicated rooms in the majority of family homes. But things are changing and modern families embrace alternative approaches – so should you have a playroom? Or is it no longer a necessity or even the go-to approach?

I asked three interior designers to see what their top recommendations when it comes to separate playroom ideas would be – and what most parents choose to go for these days. It turns out that separate playrooms are becoming increasingly rare as families choose to create play corners and areas within shared spaces like a family living room.

Like most things, even dedicated playrooms have their pros and cons – and the interior experts shed a light on both to help you decide whether a playroom is the right choice for you and your family. Or should you adopt an alternative approach?

Pros of a dedicated playroom

Children have a lot of toys and they can get pretty messy, especially without the right toy storage ideas. Having a separate playroom can contain all of their toys and mess within that one room without spilling into the other areas of your home.

‘A dedicated space for clutter and toys where the children can feel comfortable to relax and play without potentially damaging any other areas in the house is a huge plus,’ says Francesca Leat, owner, director and head designer at Francesca Leat Interiors.

Emma Deterding, founder and creative director at Kelling Designs, agrees, ‘The joy of having a playroom is that it gives children a safe, stimulating environment to explore and play independently and it helps contain toys, arts and crafts from the rest of your home.’

Cons of a dedicated playroom

On the flip side, the downsides of a playroom are that they can accumulate unnecessary mess and clutter and they can make it more difficult for parents to keep an eye on younger children.

In fact, many children prefer to play in closer proximity to their parents and other adults that are around so that alone can make the idea of a dedicated playroom somewhat redundant.

‘A separate room can be underused if the kids like to stay close to their parents. And as children grow, the room often needs repurposing. It can also encourage an accumulation of toys that often aren't cleared out, making organisation more of a challenge,’ Emma at Kelling Designs explains.

Francesca Leat adds, ‘One of the cons would be that it may result in seeing less of your children from time to time or if you have younger children it can be challenging to keep an eye on them. Playrooms as standalone spaces perhaps work better for older or teenage children as somewhere to watch TV or focus on arts and crafts.’

What’s the best alternative to a playroom?

Of course, not every home has a spare room that can be dedicated to a playroom. But Jo Lane, founder of online interior design service See Your Place, finds that this isn’t necessarily the number one reason why most parents these days choose to forgo a traditional playroom in favour of a play area in a shared room like an open-plan living room or even the kitchen.

‘Most families tend to opt for a play area within a living room space rather than a separate playroom. This isn’t always driven by space limitations – often people do have two or three separate reception rooms, but make a conscious choice to incorporate play within their most used lounge room.'

'This is because children naturally tend to want to spend time with their adult carers in whichever space the adults are in and play alongside them. And more people seem to favour creating two separate spaces for the whole family to relax in together at different times of the day,’ she explains.

Emma at Kelling Designs also recommends incorporating a play area into shared space of the home, ‘There can be pressure to create a whole dedicated room, but I advise creating a play space instead if space allows.'

'Creating a play area in a family space or even using flexible furniture that can transition between play and everyday life can work really well. This is what we're seeing more often in modern family homes, especially as homes become more compact.'

'It's also a great way to keep children in sight while maintaining a balanced home that works for the entire family.’

But in order to pull this off, you’ll need to incorporate great storage, especially hidden toy storage ideas, and multifunctional pieces of furniture that also look good in a shared family space, much like these.

My top picks for a play area

Are you team dedicated playrooms? Or are you also leaning towards creating a play area within a shared living space?