In The News

“Karri took an idea and after a newspaper ad, her idea took flight! I find her story absolutely inspiring. Not only is she doing something amazing for kids and their families, but her dream came true. Should inspire anyone to follow their heart!”

Almost any parent will tell you they wish their children played on their own a bit more. Independent play isn't just important for mom and dad's well-being — it's also a key component of child development. As a mom of three and former teacher, I think solo and peer play goes further for teaching our children about ...

How do you bring warmth and joy into a modern townhome in NYC? Interior Designer, Jennifer Morris will quite literally have you jumping off the walls with joy in this house. With a stunning not-so-formal living room, an artsy and open kitchen, and a playroom like you have never seen before. With unique art and an added element of nature, this home is the perfect balance between peace and joy in th...

Karri Bowen-Poole has been designing play spaces for 13 years through her company, Smart Playrooms, but it was only recently that she created a dedicated space for play in her own home.

Take a tour inside Karri’s garage with Inside Edition. Karri explains to Inside Edition how she converted her garage into a space where the kids could be physical and workout while her entire family was home during quarantine.

A former teacher and the owner of Smart Playrooms, a design service in Rye, N.Y., Karri Bowen-Poole transformed her underused detached garage into a family-friendly gym and play space. Her three kids range in age from 12 to 25, so the area had to be flexible en...

“When building a playroom for a child with special needs, such as autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, developmental delays, or sensory processing disorder, each design choice should accommodate learning, therapy, comfort and play. Karri Bowen-Poole is a mom, educator, and interior designer who specializes in creating playrooms… by selecting furnishings, materials, and equipment that are developme...

Thanks to an awareness that design affects children’s development, playrooms are no longer ‘the worst room in the house.’ You may even want to hang out there.

We all want our kids to spend less time in front of a screen and more time playing and learning. Doesn’t it feel SO good when those two things are combined? Smart Playrooms designs innovative residential and communal play spaces that focus on child development. Her intentional and ground-breaking approach has landed her in the homes of A-list celebriti...

Experts agree that different age groups have different needs. So that homework nook might change as children age, advises Karri Bowen-Poole, founder and CEO of Smart Playrooms, an innovative and educational playroom design service and online e-commerce playroom store. Her entire team has master’s degrees in education. Bowen-Poole herself has experience...

Playroom designer Bowen-Poole observes an uptick of requests for natural woods, earthy neutrals and soft pops of color to prevent overstimulation and visual noise.

I feel so incredibly grateful to have been able to pivot my expertise in child development and teaching to start creating educational playrooms. I literally woke up in the middle of the night with the idea to transform children's playrooms by designing and organizing them just like a classroom.