I never thought a playroom design would stop me in my tracks until I saw Rachel Fuda's home, which has reshaped everything I know about this space. The Real Housewife of New Jersey renovated her attic into a vibrant playroom, with features that encourage active play and enhance her children's creativity.
Working with Smart Playroom's founder, Karri Bowen-Poole, Rachel and her husband, John Fuda, installed a climbing wall, complete with monkey bars and foam pits, that allows for safe and energetic play and exploration.
'I really wanted it to be a kid-friendly, open, usable space, where nothing was off-limits for them,' Rachel says via Instagram.
'I wanted them to just have the freedom to play with what they wanted to play with, and nothing’s off limits. Having the mat where I’m not worried if they’re going to fall, if they’re going to get hurt, and having designated areas for their stuff to be away, so they can jump from activity to activity in an organized way, so they know where everything is. It’s not just a cluster of toys like our other playroom.'
Shop H&G's Smart Playroom Picks
Our Smart Playroom best buys are a great way to follow Rachel Fuda's example. We currently love these pieces below.
This fluffy sheepskin indoor swing is equal parts nostalgic and whimsical. It's handmade with plush white sheepskin, a cotton rope, and a solid oak wooden seat, which can come with or without boho-style tassels.
Neon signs are the perfect way to bring both light and inspiration to your space, and nothing is quite as joyful as this smiley emoji. It's lightweight and easy to install with predrilled holes for mounting and plug directly into the nearest outlet. Both you and your child will love its visual stimuli.
This handmade cocoon chair is the perfect hideout and hangout for kids of all ages, and is especially perfect as a soothing place for children with sensory needs. It offers the perfect place to hide inside, read, take a nap, or enjoy alone time for imaginative thinking.
Featuring blockslide, a tunnel, steps, and more, the Adventure play shapes are exactly what they say on the tin: An adventure. Smart Playrooms designed this piece with durability in mind, using foam that's high in density and firmer in nature, meaning your playset will keep it’s shape over time.
Inspired by Montessori, this climbing arch is a simple yet enduring toy for children through the decades. It's made to promote exploration and imaginative play, with hardwood handles that are easy to grab and climb, and constructed with eco- and kid-friendly finishes.
This sensory table is a new addition to the Smart Playrooms offering, bringing hours of fun to the garden or playroom. It is designed not only for outdoor water play, but also for crafting and sensory learning, with built-in storage, a lid, and the ability to hold up to 25kg of sand.
The scale of the space means Rachel's children have the chance to roleplay in different roles, whether driving on the car track or pretending they're working in the playhouse market. In this playroom, no day is ever the same.
'It depends on the day, some days they wake up a little later, they’re a little bit more tired, they just want to play in the kitchen and pretend they’re at Starbucks – that’s what they’re doing that day,' Rachel says.
'Other days, they wake up from a nap and they’re swinging, doing monkey bars, doing laps, running all over. They definitely use each area of the room equally; it just depends on their mood and on the day.'
We can't all enjoy a room as spacious as Rachel's, but these buys bring the best of Smart Playrooms to any home (and in some cases, the garden).
