apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

this is utterly terrifying

I'd be interested to see what it would look like if you really tried to incorprate it into the overall decor. For example- select only 3 or 4 colored markers that coordinate with the room.... That way it may not look so much like the babysitter fell asleep....

This is about as tacky as when people use toilets for flowerpots.
Additionally, are you not afraid that some of the color will rub off? I can't imagine siting on that couch in white pants or a white shirt.

this is so cool

Even if my child was named Picasso, I would not want him drawing on my sofa with Sharpies---not attractive!

I love the shock value on so many levels.

I can see it in the kids room. In a grownup area it is simply innapropriate (in a number of ways). I let me kid post his work all over the house, but only for short periods of time. He has a playroom where he can keep his art indefinitely, but he needs to understand that other parts of the house are shared with grownups. Letting kids "decorate" the furniture sends the message that their every little scribble is fabulous and it completely erases any boundaries between a child's space in the home and the shared space.

I like the idea, but I'd have to judge its success on a case-by-case basis. Not all naive art is de facto fabulous.

Was it necessary to bring this back? Ick!

I think a child's every scribble is fabulous, so long as its contained to designated spots (like ONE particular wall, a couch like the above, or on papers or canvases). I think it definitely encourages creativity which I would prefer any day over stifling it. Even if it means I won't be looking at things that would sell for thousands of dollars..

Djs, that was pretty much my reaction, too. I also wonder what happens when little Matisse Jr. goes over to a friend's house and decides to doodle on someone else's couch...

I think this version looks better than the first one. This style of sofa is much more suited to the marker treatment than the super-elegant and expensive one in the first marker example.

I'm not sure I'd put it in my living room, but it is kind of fun.

This sends all the kinds of wrong messages to children...
...and to the friends that one might invite over.
(I'd be afraid to sit down - it looks like it could smudge and ruin my clothing)

Dogs are cheaper and won't ask to draw on the couch.

Just sayin'.

I liked the one in the original post. Hmm... not so much here.

Fiatlex, it doesn't sound like you have children; you certainly don't have much clue about them ,anyway. Most kids are quite aware that what passes at their own house may be very different from what passes somewhere else. It's not a difficult thing for them to work out. As for adult space/kid space - who said they have to be separate? Is there a law somewhere? Who says that the kind of style I like is somehow superior to that of my child? My kids aren't Matisse, but then, neither am I...and you know what, there's no way I'll ever own a Matisse either. And this is lots nicer than any Matisse poster I could put up on the wall. It's fun. It's cheery. And best of all, it irritates people. teehee.

I could see this working really well on the Klippan sofa. The covers are so cheap that when you got sick of it you could change it out really easily.

Actually, WC, I lived with my ex's son and daughter for 5 years while they were pre-school and elementary school aged. I wasn't the rule-maker or disciplinarian in the house, but I did observe the problems my ex had with teaching a 4 year old about appropriate language at home vs. at a Catholic day care run by nuns. Maybe your kids have a better sense of boundaries, but my experience was that a boy who likes to run around pantsless at home can also display similar tendencies at a friend's house. :)

"Most kids are quite aware that what passes at their own house may be very different from what passes somewhere else."

Um - Actually, nowadays most don't - and it's due to overly permissive "parents" who prefer to allow their spawn to draw on sofas, play endless videogames, speak to adults as if they were equals and run around in restaurants and other public places like hooligans rather than teaching them manners, respect and boundaries.

Yeah, childless over here but I see alot of behavior (in a small sample of urban kids) that wouldn NOT have passed muster when I was growing up. The kids running in resturants thing is a big one. I work in safety compliance and all i can think is scalding oil unsupervised kids = E.R. visit. Perish the thought. Yeah, I have to say i'm picturing kids into pretty advanced ages still having trouble with the boundaries of this (wether they be the children that live here or visitors).

This gives me memories of my primary school pencil case. Knowing that magic markers aren't made for this and the look will probably become as gross as that said pencil case after a few months/years.

thinking of the pencil case idea why not make a contrasting one for the teenagers, a dark-colored sofa attacked by correcting-fluid graffitti, ball point pen Rock logos and Bleach stains?

I love it. It looks like a childhood chintz. It might look better with a smaller selection of colors though.

I have kids. I love to see their art.

ON PAPER.

I can't imagine lounging around on that couch. I'd feel like my clothes would be dirty after sitting on it.

Ha ha ha, b., hilarious. I, personally, find pretentious, judgemental and self-righteous people to be "offensive" (why put quotes around a "term" when it is used as the definition intended?- in this case, "parents" actually applies to the people who have offspring/spawns. Ironically, this is also how Webster defines the "word" "parents").

I have a child, and I thoroughly enjoy her individualism, creativity, and her "equality". While I am inherently her elder and like to think of myself as wiser, she is no less important than me and the space we share in our home is just that- shared. I guide her, I train her, and I instruct her, but I am not a dictator, I do not rule her, and I teach respect by showing her respect, as well as those with differing opinions from mine.

PS. If my daughter created on a couch that rocked as hard as this one, I would display it proudly- although, I might use a clear plastic cover (I know, more complicated logistics) to protect its users from the inevitable bleeding.

I agree with bepsf and DahliaCactus. Unfortunately, two good friends of mine practice the anything-goes style of parenting with their kid, and it's already impacting his life outside the home. Sad for all involved.

Oh my god, everyone is so uptight! I think it's amazing and creative. And the overall effect from a distance is quite abstract and stunning.

I personally find those couches to be very, very ugly. That said, I don't see the outcry as necessary. Some people display their children's artwork on the refrigerator, some on the walls, and some simply stow it away. These people have decided to display their children's artwork on their couches. It certainly doesn't appear that the kids also used markers on the walls, the floors, and the furniture, so it seems there are boundaries. I like the idea that the children are active in the decorating process of their home. And it is, in fact, their home too.

I really liked the sofa in the NYT article and I like these sofas (though not as much as the NYT sofa). I like graffiti and I like things that are unique. An upholstery pattern that you create yourself for your own use and enjoyment seems like a pretty neat concept to me. I can understand that this type of creation is simply not for everyone, but I think it is a delightful concept.

often the couches of people with kids tend to get rather trashed, anyway (if they let their kids actually sit on the couch rather than sending them off to their 'own space'), so you might as well have fun with the destruction. though I agree, a more limited palette would have been better (some more earthy colors, perhaps).

and I don't believe these kids will run around drawing on every couch they see. clearly the other furniture and walls of this room are fine, so I don't think it's an issue. if kids can be taught to only draw on their own paper, they can be taught that it's only okay to draw on this couch, too.

I love how the people in support of this idea think they hold the moral high ground on fostering creativity and free expression in their kids, while those of us who dislike the idea are uptight or repressive parents. I would just like to ask, let's say your precious little Evan or Ella doesn't draw a rainbow or a sweet "I love you" note, but rather a crude rendering of body parts or some nasty language copied from graffiti on a highway overpass? That's free expression too. If you're a progressive parent who doesn't want to censor your kids or stifle their creativity, I hope you're prepared to like whatever they do--because chances are it won't look like the sofas in this post.

they look great in that room from afar - up close not so much.

i think it's quite hilarious how people get their knickers in a knot over posts like this and start lording about parenting commandments.

i'm waiting for some bore to talk about the carbon footprint of using markers to decorate. c'mon, you know you want to.

Cute, but not for me. Isn't the rest of my life kiddified enough? The couch is mine.

LOVE it! OK, NOW I wanna have children

I like the idea (not just for kids), but I think the backdrop to these kind of sofas or chairs would have to be much cleaner and simpler for them to stand out. Otherwise they just look like a scribbled mess.

It's funny how everyone LOVED the Eames chair scribbled on by drunken adults posted here: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/pets-dogs-cats-snakes-etc/getting-ready-for-puppy-adding-a-second-pet-044545, and yet people get all worked up over boundaries and such when it's children (presumably sober) who are doing something fairly natural for them, such as doodling on things. Goes to show the fine line between hipster cool and "get off my lawn". Ha.

i think it's sweet. i wonder if you could do it with fabric markers. I also think it would look terrible in my small apt. for some reason.

I love this! I probably would not furnish my entire living room like this, but one easy chair would be fun in the right setting. This is not about kids' art though... it's about being playful and creative. Whatever your age. I don't have kids, and I'd do it myself.

RE: Kids' behavior... It's interesting to watch the interaction between kids and adults on "Mad Men." Adults had their place and kids had theirs. Can you imagine the Draper kids behaving like kids you see today? I don't think so! Can you see kids today mixing drinks for their parents. Maybe not. Fascinating. My husband is the Draper kids' age. They took "family" vacations to Vegas (this was the 50s... before it was family-land). Mom and dad gambled and went to shows. The kids stayed in the room and watched TV.

um yah this is how i know i am not ready for kids, i hate this.

:)

No. Grafitti is vandalism.

I hate this so hard.

Such proud parents! [Puke]

If you thought people hanging too many photos of themselves in their homes was annoying... this is taking it to a new level.

Parents. Please remember:
Being proud of your kids doesn't have to mean sacraficing taste and style. Encouraging creativity in children doesn't have to result in magic marker on your guests clothes.

i had glass french doors that separated my living room and kitchen and I let my, then, young son and his friend paint on the glass. It was a project that lasted over 2 months (one panel at a time) and in the end it looked great. When i moved out of the apartment all I needed was glass cleaner and it was gone. i don't think my son ever attempted to do this at anyone's home, other than mine, and it didn't result in going beyond boundaries in other areas.