Modern design for the little ones: Elips Design's kid-friendly home

Pairing traditional modern design with a modern bustling, busy and probably messy family seems counterintuitive-- the sparse and sleek characteristics of modern architecture just don't seem to fit the lifestyle or embody the general coziness that helps a family to thrive (not to mention the toys and the spills!).

It does seem like the two wouldn't mix very well, however, London design and architecture firm Elips Design has constructed an ingenious home that seeks to balance the cold, sleek appeal of modern with playful function for a family.

The house is bright, with living areas, dining areas and kitchen all overlooking the garden, bringing the outside in. And as it should be, the open kitchen is the heart of the house, connecting to the kid-oriented living room.

Upstairs, one can find four children's bedrooms and a small library. The designers added one really cool surprise element to amp up the family-theme: "The children's bedrooms have secrets door to connect them.A slide is integrated into the new staircase design, and some secret doors act as an unexpected surprise to create a playful house," said the architects. Oh, and the staircase has a slide.

For the parents, the loft creates a separated and peaceful place, equipped with a Juliette balcony that opens to the outdoors.

Outside, the south-west facade is glazed to allow natural light in, and is coated with timber that matches the external decks. "The unusual combination of inside/outside and vertical circulation enables the house to offer the family and its friends an exceptional degree of community, as well as respecting the privacy of the individuals," said the designers.

Does this house show that ultra-modern design can intermix with the functional and playful?

[Designboom]
Images: Carlo Carossio/Elips

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com