Sensory Playroom Project - Tranquility Nest
It feels amazing to wrap-up another sensory playroom project before the holidays for such a lovely family!
After spending some time with Raza’s parents to understand his needs, we knew exactly what we wanted to include in the design. They were so trusting with our suggestions and we were all very excited for the reveal.
Raza’s sensory playroom
The Process
Every project starts with an interview with the parents to understand and learn about their child’s strengths, interests and areas that require growth and attention. From there, we will initially work off the pictures that are provided by the applicants, along with the measurements of the space to create a few design options that will be discussed at our site visit with the contractors.
Matt and Kevin from Drake and Co Renos who assist with the installation of our projects are always so receptive to our ideas and provide constructive feedback. We appreciate and value their input and always enjoy our brainstorming sessions.
After our site visit, we will explain some of the key design elements of the space to the family to ensure they are comfortable with what we’re proposing before we proceed. We will also provide a mood board to help them visualize the space.
Mood Board For Sensory Playroom Design
Once the parents have had a chance to review the mood board, we will take their feedback into consideration, if applicable and start preparing a schedule and will order all the products. We work backwards from our reveal date and schedule the patching, painting, electrical and other trades prior to the installation date. We always want to avoid disrupting the family for extended periods of time and create a schedule that is as tight as possible. Communication is key when it comes to project management and Raza’s parents Noor and Omar were such a joy to work with, so open and trusting and we couldn’t have asked for a smoother project.
About the Design
The design for the sensory room was centred around creating a clean, calm and functional space for Raza with various zones, to help with communication, gross motor and fine motor skills development, pretend play and sensory regulation.
The room had high ceilings which is why the bulkheads were painted black to give the space more depth perception and to tie the wallpaper design (Timberlea Interiors) and the colours from the swing and foam pit together with the rest of the room. Painting the bay window casings black also added a unique pop to tie the space together.
Given Raza was struggling with gross motor skill development, we knew we wanted to include a rock wall, rope swing (Movement Rooms) and gymnastics rings. The foam pit is always a hit in our sensory playrooms and we like to include them if the space permits. The playcouch from EpicKidzPlay is amazing quality and we like to include them in our sensory playrooms for safety reasons under gross motor play items and also for pretend play skills development (fort building, etc.).
The round swing in the middle of the room is perfectly positioned to allow Raza to regulate his nervous system after a long day, or before bed. The bubble mirror and light table from FDMT tap into a variety of senses and Raza instantly gravitated to both during the reveal.
The play kitchen and the bookshelves in the bay window will provide ample opportunities for pretend play and the book nook next to the sensory lock and latches wall will be a comfy calming space for quiet time. The double-sided whiteboard/chalkboard below the neon LED sign will give Raza a chance to practice reading and writing and help strengthen his fine motor skills and pincer grip.
The LED neon sign (Timberwood Designs) was a custom design and it was made especially for Raza because we truly feel that Awesome Things “will” Happen Here!
Check out some of these before and afters of the project
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It was such a pleasure to work with Matt & Kevin again from Drake & Co Renos and Christina for the wallpaper installation. As always, my husband Michael was always ready and willing to help volunteer with me to assist with furniture assembly, product pick-up and/or delivery.
This project would not be possible without our lead sponsor, Alex Christopoulos from ICON Digital. When I first met Alex through a mutual friend, he instantly wanted to hear more about the charity and our mission. Without any hesitation, he wanted to help and be part of our upcoming project which was a sensory bedroom. A year later, once again Alex and I had an opportunity to meet and discuss the future of the charity and he was eager to sponsor and support another sensory room project. People like Alex are the reason why we’re able to do what we do for families in need and are so grateful for his support.
We’re also grateful for Rose Perri & Associates who was touched by our project earlier this year that was donated to her niece, Mila. She wanted to give back to our charity as she was moved by the progress she had seen in Mila after the sensory playroom was designed and donated to her family. It’s stories like this that fuel us and we love when families we support pay it forward to support other neurodiverse children in need.
Thank you to Tru North Ortho as well, for selecting our charity and donating a portion of their quarterly profits to support this project. They are always finding creative ways to give back to the community and we are so grateful for their support.
We also want to thank LIUNA! Local 506 and TD Securities Underwriting Hope Foundations for their donations to sponsor this project. Every donation makes a difference and brings us closer to our mission to help create sensory spaces for families with neurodiverse children, to help them reach their full potential.
Thank you to our lead sponsor, Alex Christopoulos from ICON Digital for supporting this project. We also want to thank Tru North Orthodontics, TD Securities Underwriting Hope Foundation, LiUNA! Local 506 and Rose Perri & Associates for helping us bring this project to life with their sponsorships.
If you’re interested in supporting our projects, consider donating on our website. If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, feel free to contact us to learn more about our sponsorship opportunities.
Lots of love,
Natalie, For Little Monkeys Charity
Believe in a Spectrum of Possibilities
