STYLEPARK IMM COLOGNE 2020
Fun furniture
Parents know the problem all too well: When traveling you seldom find spaces that are really suitable for children. Sadly, our world seems to be geared entirely to adults. And forgets that kids need space to play, romp around and, as they grow, to chill. They want space to move around in, with the youngest favoring the floor to do so. However, public areas in hotels or airports typically tend to be crowded with adult-sized furniture. Empty spaces with no defined purpose? Forget it! And if there are children’s areas they are definitely not “designed in a very stimulating way” as Yasmine Mahmoudieh explains. As a mother of two children the London-based designer and architect has first-hand experience of the problem. Which is why she developed a modular furniture and interior concept called “myKidsy Playground”; it will be debuting at imm cologne 2020 where the public will be able to see it for the first time.
myKidsy Playground consists of different modules for small kids and youngsters and is primarily designed with hotels in mind; that said, it also works for cruise liners, shopping centers, airports or co-working spaces. myKidsy Playground can be integrated into existing spaces. On a special area of imm cologne 2020 in booth 4.2 Yasmine Mahmoudieh will be presenting sub-scenarios for the three different age-groups. Entry is via a creative tunnel, which leads to the individual rooms of the exhibition. There is a section for the very young fitted out close to the ground with floor cushions. The zones for childen and youngsters each have seating and furniture suitable for the respective age-group. For every room the designer and architect has developed a special lighting concept. To ensure all the senses are activated “myKidsy Playground” also offers an option of integrating specially designed sound and odor elements into the walls. Moreover, in selecting the materials Mahmoudieh pays particular attention to the materials being sustainable. All the furniture is made of recycled or natural materials.
The exhibition also showcases a modular children’s area for hotel rooms. This module allows standard rooms to be transformed into family rooms, which not only spares the parents’ wallet but also gives hotels the opportunity to expand their range of services. Moreover, “myKidsy Playground” not only offers the “hardware”: The concept is based on the online platform “myKidsy” founded by Yasmine Mahmoudieh 2014 in London. The platform offers parents an overview of activities and places suitable for children and if required can book courses and camps. And conseqently the furniture and interior concept also includes a selection of educational offerings for children and youngsters. Mahmoudieh’s idea is that young people acquire educational content in a playful manner, indeed content that is often not covered by the regular school system. Topics like a sustainability ethic or mindfulness play just as much of a role as financial competence and entrepreneurial thinking. And for parents it is good to know that their children are engaged in a meaningful activity.
