When we first saw Sophie Smallhorn’s stacked shape sculptures we thought, “How fun would those be as a set of giant play blocks for children?!” We fell in love with Sophie’s playful and beautiful sensibility for color and shape, and asked her to collaborate on designing the Sven Playroom. The space is built around a goal for children to create and change the environment according to their own desires through the use of loose parts. The playroom will grow with the child, continuing to intrigue ages from crawling baby to ten-year-olds and beyond. Here kids can play quietly in a neutral environment with all the toys put away, or the room can explode with color as children pull out the pieces they want to use.
The custom toys created for this playroom include a large-scale block set, and giant soft magnetic forms that work with a full magnet wall next to a series of play platforms. Sophie created a special color palette in curated fabrics for the toys, lending to a rich textural and sensory experience for kids. The 3D shapes correspond to 2D graphics on the walls and ceiling, creating a full immersive and artful environment for kids at play in this space.
Children will have to get creative to place magnets at the top of the wall. The possibility of getting magnets up high, along with building giant towers of blocks will stretch children physically and creatively, making this playroom gigantic in their imaginations.
We hope the joy of exploring all the possibilities for play will draw visitors back again and again.
Designs copyright Mudland + Sophie Smallhorn.