Spaces: Child’s Play

A Brookline carriage house gets a splash of color in the form of a kid-friendly art studio.

Photograph by Michael J. Lee, Design by Elms Interior Design

The Problem

A couple needed a place where their two creative kiddos could let their imaginations run wild—without ruining the rest of the home’s canvas.

The Solution

Dee Elms, of Elms Interior Design, carved a dedicated art room out of the upper level of her clients’ carriage house. The vibrant space’s kid-proofing measures include easy-to-clean Marmoleum floors, a chalkboard wall, and a sofa clad in bright orange indoor-outdoor fabric. Anchoring the room is a commercial craft table on wheels that can be pulled up vertically and pushed against the wall when inspiration strikes. “It’s all about flexibility and letting kids be kids,” Elms says.