In Warsaw's Wilanów district, Marta Drzymała and her team from Mum Studio arranged the interiors of the First Steps kindergarten in an area of four hundred square meters. Wanting the first steps of the youngest users to be taken in a safe and developing space, the architect chose patterns and colors taken from the world of nature and shapes that support children's imagination.
The interiors are kept in subdued colors
Photo: Yassen Hristov
Ola Kloc: Designing spaces for the youngest is a huge challenge, but at the same time it seems that it can be fun - what was your design process like and was there room for playing with form?
Marta Drzymała: I am a mother of two preschoolers, also the kindergarten project was an incredible pleasure for me. My daughter, 6 years old, accompanied me in the process, as I was very curious about her insights, comments and reactions to the result. She also had the opportunity to participate in the final photo shoot and it was an important experience for me to see how my children play and react to the space we designed.
Ola: Colors, materials and textures are very important in interiors, what influenced such a choice of them in the nursery space?
Marta: Starting from the beginning - the investors are amazing people, full of passion and dedication. They wanted to create a place that is unique, safe and conducive to the development of children. In addition to the design of the entire facility, they also created a magical garden where children plant, nurture fruits and vegetables. This season they even managed to grow their own watermelons! In addition, they have plenty of flowers that butterflies love. Also, it is a special place.
The kindergarten is inspired by nature
Photo: Yassen Hristov
The investors, when they came to us, already had a name in mind. We were looking for a theme to tie all the rooms together, and the idea was to combine the world of the sky - or a bit of rocking for the little ones - the forest, the jungle and the ocean. We opted for nature and nature, calm, subdued colors that do not over-stimulate.
Ola: This can be seen in the photos - the interiors are colorful, but not flashy. How do you achieve such an effect, and at the same time act on the imagination of the youngest users?
Marta: We wanted the place to work on the imagination of children, so there appeared a carpet like moss in the forest, pillows resembling stones, and places to hide - houses. For solace and a moment of relaxation, rocking chairs also appeared in each room. Children love them. In particular, to calm down for a while. It has an amazing effect on sensory development. For sensory development, manipulative boards also appeared.
The 
one of the rooms is inspired by the forest
photo: Yassen Hristov
Ola: What was the biggest challenge for you, and what are you most satisfied with?
Marta: The biggest challenge was combining all the rooms thematically. There were motifs of animal footprints referring to the rooms and to the name of the institution itself. Nowadays there are so many kindergartens that are very modern, but also flashy. We wanted to create a place that was original but calm. Thebathrooms in the nursery are tailored for toddlers. The room for nursery children also has a bathroom adapted for them, so that each toddler learns independence right from the start.
Ola: Thank you for the interview.
colorful jungle-inspired room
Photo: Yassen Hristov
