Play It Forward

Three adorable playrooms built for maximum fun

- BY IRIS BENAROIA PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHLOMI AMIGA

Seven years ago, newlyweds Rouzhin and Naram were renting a two-bedroom condo and planning their next move. They wanted a big family, and in 2018, they found a home for it—a decrepit 5,000-square-foot house in Yorkville. Over the next three years, they gutted the place, retaining only the elegant brick façade, and grew their family.

A chic hybrid hangout for all ages— think merlot meets monkey bars—was one of Rouzhin’s must-haves. “I envisioned us parents chilling together, having a cup of coffee while our kids played in a beautiful space,” she says.

Rouzhin tapped Emily Dragoman, the designer behind Movement Rooms, to add a dream playroom to the 1,500-square-foot basement, which already had a gym, a kitchen, a sauna and a bedroom with an ensuite.

The kids’ zone is 500 square feet and features a playhouse with a climbing wall, a cargo net and a rope ladder. The toy kitchen takes things over the top with a pint-size Smeg fridge, a working faucet and a tiled backsplash outfitted with pink marble shelves.

The family has hosted countless birthdays, events and play dates downstairs. Rouzhin once hired a music teacher to give lessons to eight toddlers while their moms drank wine and chatted among themselves in an attempt to drown out multiple rounds of “Baby Shark.”

The ceiling-mounted projector gets fired up for family movie nights every Friday. Those with longer attention spans actually follow the film, says Rouzhin, while the rest just bounce around. “It’s very fluid.”

1 The grocery stand is on wheels for easy manoeuvrability.

2 The custom playhouse is built out of Baltic birch, which is popular for its strength and minimalist Scandinavian good looks.

3 The modular Mario Bellini sectional is from Eternity Modern.

4 The walls are painted a soothing "Sulking Room Pink" from Farrow and Ball.