Maggie’s design journey diary
The first soft play adventure – a white MDF slide!!!!
People often ask how I got into design and who influenced me – and like most things in my life, I just stumbled into it. No grand plan, no formal training. Just frustration, a bit of naivety, and a whole lot of “let’s just figure it out.”
Nearly 20 years ago, I found myself knee-deep in creating spaces for families – members’ clubs and nurseries that felt like a home away from home. At the time, finding cool, functional spaces for kids was a total nightmare. Pinterest? Instagram? Forget it – they didn’t exist. It was all garish colours, plastic chaos, and zero thought about how these spaces actually felt.
I wasn’t a trained interior designer – just a mum of three who somehow became the default creative director. I learned by doing, working side by side with incredible architects, designers, and builders. Some were new to designing for kids – honestly, so was I. But we rolled up our sleeves, experimented, and pushed boundaries.
Take Maggie & Rose, for example. The idea was simple – why couldn’t a family space have the same vibe as my Soho House membership? Somewhere kids felt welcome, but adults didn’t dread hanging out in. I used my own kids as guinea pigs, and you know what? They taught me that kids don’t need flashy – they need connection. That became the foundation for everything we built.
I’ve always been a sucker for vintage and reclaimed pieces, so that naturally crept into our designs. When we couldn’t find what we wanted, we made it ourselves. Soft play companies learned pretty quickly that I wasn’t interested in their cookie-cutter options – I wanted spaces that made sense for kids and looked amazing for adults too. During the first nursery project, I even made the team crawl on their hands and knees to see things from a child’s perspective.
Breaking the mould is kind of my thing. Annoying to some, sure, but the results speak for themselves. Seeing the spaces we created – from Kensington to Hong Kong – resonate with families around the world has been worth every mad idea, late night, and “are we seriously doing this?” moment.
Now, as I reflect on this wild design journey, I’m pulling together an anthology of lessons, hacks, and trade secrets for anyone who wants to follow in these footsteps. Luckily, the style we pioneered has stood the test of time, and I’ve worked with some amazing teams along the way:
Michaelis Boyd – For the first-ever Maggie & Rose in Kensington. Alex, I’ll always be grateful for taking on what was probably the smallest job of your career and helping put us on the map.
Box 9 – For the Chiswick club – our flagship space. Lou Davis brought a cool factor that even wowed Jessica Biel (yes, she wanted to take it to LA!) and earned a nod of approval from Nick Jones – still one of my proudest moments.
Holland & Harvey – For b_together, a project that shouldn’t have worked but did. Richard and Jonathan, you made the impossible happen – even during a lockdown.
BB Contracts – My ride-or-die team from Chiswick onwards. Honest, dependable, and always up for my next madcap idea.
Here’s the thing – design for kids shouldn’t feel out of reach. It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about the sensory experience and the massive impact it has on development. From soothing colours to clever layouts, good design matters. It’s time we make it accessible – for nurseries, schools, and anyone working with children, regardless of budget.
Because at the end of the day, design isn’t just about how something looks – it’s about how it feels. And I want every child to feel inspired, safe, and seen in the spaces they inhabit.
