Designing play rooms, nurseries and children’s rooms can be really fun. Once upon a time, one had to plan a trip overseas to buy baby furniture, furnishings and accessories. Now, with so many brands available in the country, parents are truly spoilt for choice. The design-minded parent can swim in the options catering to every age, style, and budget. The main challenge of finding something functional, durable, and yet enticing enough for my growing toddler, threw me into a tizzy. While there’s still a sea of bunk beds, bean bags, and adorable animal-shaped bookcases to navigate in the quest for the best kids’ furniture, rest assured that in these well-curated waters, you’ll be hard-pressed to steer astray.
Boingg!
Boingg! offers a beautifully designed and thoughtfully manufactured range of furnishing and accessories for kids aged 0-16 years. Their collection covers everything from beds, study tables and storage to curtains, wallpapers, baskets, chairs, mirrors, teepees, shelves and more. The highlight? They offer customisation. They also use non-toxic paints and give extra attention to being a lean manufacturing unit for an eco-friendly approach.
Smartsters
A homegrown brand, Smartsters makes furniture suitable for children between three and 13, developed by designers, parents and child development experts. The brand’s products are specifically designed with the context of children’s rooms in Indian homes, where space can be limited. It revolves around creating products that are child-focused and support their development, while being ergonomically sound and aesthetically pleasing.
Akkad Bakkad
Founded in 2017, Akkad Bakkad is a lifestyle retail brand selling home decor, furniture and lifestyle accessories. All the chemicals, pigments and dyes that they use are heavy metal free, AZO free and child safe, following international standards. The designs are thoughtful and use traditional Indian techniques in modern designs.
Zookeeper
A team of designers, artists and entrepreneurs got together in 2021 and opened the Zookeeper in Bengaluru. The goal at Zookeeper is to create decor objects that spark curiosity and are functional and versatile. The products achieve just that through a blend of the whimsical and the practical. An emphasis on certification and high standardisation through quality controls ensures every piece is safe, sustainable and thoughtful.
The Baby’s Barn
Tanwi’s mission with The Baby’s Barn is to create safe and strong kids furniture which accommodates their growth. This Kolkata-based brand customises and will design your space for you too if you have an already overloaded schedule. All the products are fun and functional and future-proof. It grows with your child.
Little Bird
Little Bird creates modern kids’ furniture with simple, clean designs and a whole lot of love. Their pieces are child-safe and full of wonderful design, redefining children’s spaces with a thoughtful blend of style and functionality. Specialising in children’s nurseries and playrooms, the brand focuses on creating environments that inspire imagination and nurture creativity.
Buying new furniture for kids may seem foolish to many parents. But research tells us that providing kids with their own furniture makes them more independent and gives them a feeling of responsibility. It can get challenging in Indian households , but it truly builds a safe space for them. Well-designed environments can have a positive impact on how children learn, grow, and play.
The author is an economist and full-time millennial mother, struggling to cope with daily chores.
