“A child's room is no longer simply a place to change clothes and sleep," says interior designer Antonio Torrice. "It is now an extension of school, a place where socialization and self esteem are fostered."
Torrice, co-director of Living and Learning Environments, a San Francisco Bay area design firm, has recently published In My Room, a book on designing rooms for and with children, written with his partner Ro Logrippo.
From his training in early education and child psychology, Torrice learned that children's environments always matter to them. Such things as the height of furnishings, the angle at which clocks and pictures are hung, and the placement of their beds can either convey a sense of belongingness and safety, or threaten children with an uncomfortable, alien environment.
Working and living with fifty-seven emotionally disturbed children for several years solidified certain of Torrice's suspicions. Far from the accepted wisdom of institutional care taking, he found that all children had strong feelings about color, and further, that they responded strongly to the type of light to which they were exposed. Additionally, they demonstrated definite opinions about the placement of such objects as beds, closets, drawers, and playthings.
Eventually, Torrice put his observations and training to work by designing spaces for children in hospitals, schools, and homes. "I use the three Cs to guide me: Choice, Color, and Convertibility - plus a forth C that I recently added, Closets," he says.
The Four Cs
When designing a room, Torrice and the child sit together on the floor. (Parents can do this while designing their child's room, too) He takes a paper bag, slits the sides, and lays it flat, making a map of the room's floor and walls.
"Choice is the first and most important item," he says. Noting on the map the location of various structural items with a black marker, he creates a bird's-eye view of the room for the child: door, windows, heat vent, electrical outlet, closet.
"Then I ask the child what he wants in the room - no matter what. I ask him where that thing should go in the room. Where does sleep happen? Where should music be? Do you want a roller coaster? Where should it go?
"We mark on the floor plan the item agreed on. Those that don't get included go on a 'to do later' list.
"Then comes the second C--Color. I show the child cards with six basic colors and ask them which color he wants. With the basic color chosen, I go to a paint store and get various tints - from loud to soft - from which the child selects. It's like choosing a radio station and then deciding how loud or soft the volume should be."
Torrice has found that children often pick colors that fulfill their needs. Hyperactive children choose calming hues, and passive children prefer vibrant shades. He then asks the child to crayon in the places where he thinks the color
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