Global Market Surferby INTAGE Inc

[China: World Residence Tour] Creating rooms with consideration of children's growth

• Release date: Sep 23, 2022
• Update date: Sep 10, 2025
• 4391 Views

• Usage and altitude
• Furniture and home furnishings
• Education
• China

For Chinese parents, their children's education is a top priority. From the moment a child is born, many families revolve entirely around them. It's not uncommon for parents to be involved in everything from their child's first extracurricular activities to their future employment or marriage. We've previously discussed how parents pay close attention to their children's diets and laundry. In fact, a significant number of households also design their children's rooms with their growth in mind. This time, we'll introduce this characteristic by featuring Chinese consumers registered with Consumer Life Panorama.

Purchasing a home with future life stage changes in mind

Compared to other countries, a notable characteristic of Chinese-speaking regions is the high proportion of people who desire to own their own home around the time of marriage. According to a 2022 Intage independent survey (see figure below), 50% of people in China want to own their own home when they get married. In fact, a significant number of households also prepare to own a car at this time, resulting in a considerable financial burden at marriage. Consequently, a certain number of people seek support from their parents.

Chinese families who need to own a home when getting married
(Source: Intage Shiru Gallery (“Money and Assets in 9 Countries: How Do Japanese and Overseas Perspectives Differ?”))

Even for newlyweds, some households are already considering factors like their children's future development when purchasing a home. According to the same survey, beyond basic requirements, buyers also have specific preferences regarding the surrounding environment. Notably, a significant number of people in China consider purchasing homes near schools offering quality education, specifically with their children's future development in mind.

China places some emphasis on education and childcare when purchasing a home
(Source: Intage Shiru Gallery (“Money and Assets in 9 Countries: How Do Japanese and Overseas Perspectives Differ?”) )

Furthermore, when deciding on the layout, they also consider their children, not just the location. As mentioned before, in China, families purchasing new condominiums receive them as bare shells and must complete the interior design from scratch. In fact, even with pre-owned properties, many households undertake remodeling or renovation work. When purchasing a home around the time of marriage and undertaking remodeling or renovation, some households design the layout with children's rooms already in mind. A survey of 30 households in Shanghai and Chengdu registered with Consumer Life Panorama revealed that 83.3% had considered where to place children's rooms when purchasing their home.

A Chinese family (CN_54) considering setting up a children's room when purchasing a home
(Source: Consumer Life Panorama) 

Designing rooms with children's growth in mind

Consideration for children isn't limited to buying a home; it's also reflected in everyday room design. For instance, some families take care during interior work to round off various corners to prevent serious injury if a child bumps into them. In the Chengdu household pictured below, they rounded the protruding edge of the window near the crib.

A Chengdu household that rounded the protruding part of the window sill (CN_84)
(Source: Consumer Life Panorama) 

Additionally, when there is space in the room, some families also carefully separate play areas according to their purpose. The photo below shows a family in Shanghai who have created separate spaces for quiet study and physical activity. The children's room features a study desk and bookshelves, designed as a quiet space for reading and studying. Meanwhile, larger toys are placed in the living room, aiming to provide a more spacious area where children can move around freely.

A quiet children's room for reading (left) and an active living room for physical activity (right) (CN_54)
(Source: Consumer Life Panorama) 

Beyond that, the use of space is also designed with the child's growth in mind. When the child is first born, assistance from the parents is needed, so in addition to the master bedroom, a temporary room for the parents is also set up. On the other hand, some households insist that once the child is even slightly older, the parents should return to their own home, and the couple themselves will raise the child. It's often said that when older generations care for their grandchildren, they tend to spoil them. Once the parents return to their own home, that room is planned to be converted into a child's room. Furthermore, while some families currently place a crib next to the parents' bed and sleep with their child, others have already set up a single bed for the child now, anticipating that they will sleep in their own room once they start elementary school.

A Chengdu household converting a master bedroom into a children's room (left) and
a Shanghai household pre-installing a children's room (right) (Left: CN_84, Right: CN_54)
(Source: Consumer Life Panorama) 

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  Author profile

  Yang Yan

  A Chinese researcher based in Japan, primarily reporting on the realities of overseas consumer lifestyles, with a focus on China. I plan to replace my real estate based on my life stage.

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  Editor profile

  Yusuke Tatsuda

  I was in charge of building the Global Market Surfer website. Since my child was born in winter, I purchased an electric carpet.