I'd like to be a kid in this room.

I love your use of cobalt here, and the stripes *are* really fun!

Kid friendly? How?
This looks like a room designed by an adult to look like it is for children. Sadly the adult doesn't remember what it is like to be a child. Specifically:
- There is not a chair at a table in the room to sit in to draw or paint or write stories or assemble a model or even set a big atlas on to look at the pictures. Indeed, there is no child-appropriate chair in the room - or surface above the rug to play at for that matter.
- There is no toy bin/basket/box from which to chaotically pull out the next toy and throw back the last one. But that probably doesn't matter since many of the toys best suited for the youngest players are situated like objets d'arte on the highest shelves out of reach of children. Whee.
- There is a sign that says "FUN" in a room that looks like you need to use coasters and can't eat on the sofa (and since there is no table and chairs, I guess there is no snacking in here) and don't even think about making home-made slime and trying to play with it in here. What is FUN for a child about this space?
- The rugs look like low pile rather than the soft plush that is so comfortable to lie on while playing or reading.
- About the only thing in this room that is truly child-friendly is the television directly across from the sofa. But there again, someone has art directed a few more objets right in front of the screen and IR receiver which will make it hard to change channels. And the TV is up high and far back on a credenza which makes it impossible to watch while lying on the uncomfortable rug (a favorite viewing spot for the kid I was and the kids I know). Plus, at least for me, TV defeats the objective of a space for children if you really want to "spark their imagination".
- A bonsai? Really? What kid wants a diminutive plant in a breakable planter in their FUN space?
- A table lamp? Breakable but hard to move or adjust if we want to get better light on the model we're building/bugs we're pulling the legs off/Balinese shadow puppets we're re-enacting Little Women with.
- The sofa is fine - I only hope the cushions come off so that the kids can build a fort so they can have a truly kid-friendly space.
Stripes and a "FUN" sign don't make a space fun or childlike. Easy access to good media, interesting toys, pine cones, hamsters and jars of marbles do. Having a place to sit down that is just the right height for a child does. Having surfaces that can be abused, spilled on, experimented with, and generally mistreated without fear of messing up an adult's design scheme do.
This room looks art-directed and soulless.

The room looks great! And Max, you spent all that time trashing someone's room? How small of you.

Trashing? No. If this room had been presented as anything other than a space intended to "spark children's imagination" I would have had little to say. But this room was presented as a children's space and I set forth a list of specific reasons that I don't think it works.
We're not here (those of us who hope to learn and improve, at least) to simply reward everyone's substantial efforts by saying they have achieved their purpose. People who work hard at a thing deserve to know if they succeeded at the thing.
This is a home improvement forum, not a hobbyist support group.

But, to be fair, the real test is: Do the kids like it? Are their imaginations sparked?

i like it except for the "fun" on the wall. why can't the wall just be fun without spelling it out?

p.s. i liked bonsai's as a kid. still like 'em!

#TeamMax

The stripes look great, I like that bold blue and the entertainment center in blue and the pops of red look great.

Max, what the eff is wrong with you?

I think it's fair to comment about the goals of a truly kid-friendly/play-friendly space, and whether they're achieved. It could've been phrased a little differently, but I would rather know than not know.

It depends on the age of the kids, but I'm not totally sure about that Ikea Helmer. Cute and convenient, but if little kids are running around, those are some sharp metal corners.

I think this is a great space for kids and adults. I hate carpet but don't here at all. Great great!

I have followed Apartment Therapy daily from the very beginning. I rarely comment but over the years, it has begun to disturb me how territorial folks become about the direction of this site or design in general. I love design but not more than human beings. I think the main purpose of design is really to inspire, to beautify and to uplift with creativity and the best way to do that is to BE inspirational, to BE beautiful in thought and action and to UPlift others around you. The ways to do this in life are unlimited - and a personal creative challenge. It's okay to have strong point of view and to share it but when we let that eclipse basic human kindness, we're really missing the point and then design becomes soooo soulless, soooo limiting, soooo unFUN. Aim Higher everyone! It's still a great community and there is room for everyone.

I love this room. It's beautiful, and as a room intended to be kid AND adult friendly, I do think the goal was achieved. This isn't the only room in the house, there could very well be a playroom somewhere else where all the messy things happen. And there's tons of storage under those shelves. My bet is that the majority of toys are kept there, and they were put away for the sake of the pictures. True, there's no coffee table, but that doesn't necessarily mean there's no snacking allowed. Maybe they have TV tables they bring in when they're actually using the room? The low pile rug is probably really easy to clean if spills happen, plus really easy to vacuum. This is a room that adults can enjoy because it has style, but that kids can feel comfortable in because it's a fun and happy style. It's a balance I think has been beautifully achieved!