Designed by Educational Experts
Meet Steven — educator, designer, and passionate advocate for learning through play. With over a decade of experience in child development and education, Steven founded Ako Playrooms to create spaces that are not only beautiful, but intentionally designed to support how children learn, grow, and thrive.
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Educational Design
Every space we create is grounded in child development and learning-through-play principles, because play nurtures the whole child.
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Aesthetic by Design
We bring colour, creativity, and cohesion to every room. Balancing playful aesthetics with your unique interior style.
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Organised & Functional
From custom layouts to storage that works, we design spaces that are easy to maintain, clutter-free, and genuinely family-friendly.
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Home & Commercial Expertise
Whether it’s a family home or an early learning centre, we create spaces that inspire children and impress adults.
Our Projects
Elevate Your Play Space
Best Value
Ako's Essentials Design Service
Our Essentials Design Service is a fast, flexible option that gives you a complete room plan and all the tools to bring it to life on your own terms.
MOST POPULAR
Bespoke Service
Our Bespoke Service offers a completely bespoke interior transformation, from initial concepts to final styling — all fully managed for you.
Commercial Service
Our Commercial Service creates impactful, play-focused environments that balance child development, safety, and standout brand presence.
Elevated Loft
After searching lots of Pinterest and Instagram pages for playroom ideas I was thrilled to find Ako Playrooms. I could not speak more highly of his professionalism, his attention to detail, and his ability to truely understand what kids need for learning through play. My kids spend every single day in there. And everything ordered was quality, which you need when kids are rough with everything! He also pays very close attention to safety standards and even made sure something was rebuilt when a certain aspect wasn’t built to specifications. I would (and have!) recommend Steven and Ako Playrooms to anyone wanting to support their children’s development and make the best use of space. 10/10!
Let's Play Indoor Playground
Working with Steven has been the best experience. Not only did we design an epic playspace for my business, the process was a heap of fun! Steven really took the time to listen to what we required and how I imagined the space and then presented back some beautiful concepts to choose from. Life was made so much easier with the design choices laid out for me so I knew exactly what I needed to purchase and from where. The process couldn't have been smoother - so much so that we're kicking off our next design challenge with Steven soon :) Thanks Steven!
Sibling Bedroom
Great play space design company. Highly professional and easy to communicate with. Excellent attention to detail with creative and knowledgeable ideas. I love how this is tailored by an educational specialist to give the play space functionality for learning! I have loved working with the team and would highly recommend to others!
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FAQs
We design playrooms, kids’ bedrooms, and family spaces for our residential clients, and create vibrant, purposeful environments for commercial clients including early learning centers, indoor playgrounds, and play cafes.
Yes! All of our active play products meet Australian and New Zealand safety standards and are certified by a structural engineer. For our commercial projects, we collaborate with leading external safety consultants to ensure every space meets or exceeds required compliance.
Our full Bespoke Service ( Design and project implementation) from start to finish is currently available to clients in Australia and New Zealand. However, we work with clients all around the world on our Essential Design service, and we can also complete the full Bespoke/Commercial Design Phase remotely, no matter where you're located.
We work with trusted manufacturers in both Australia and New Zealand to produce our active play products. For implementation, we partner with reputable builders, joiners, and carpenters across the region to bring your design to life.
Ako Essential' Design is a fully remote service where we take full creative control with a single revision meeting and deliver a complete, ready-to-implement design package. Bespoke Service includes multiple meetings, presentations, and opportunities for your feedback throughout the process, with support right through to implementation if needed. Our Bespoke Service is also right if you are looking for anything built-in like a play loft, cabinetry, cubby house, slide etc.
Our Essential Design service typically takes 4–6 weeks. For Bespoke and Commercial services, the full design phase usually spans 8–12 weeks depending on complexity.
Absolutely. Your personal style is the foundation of our aesthetic design process. We love working with your favourite pieces and can easily integrate them into the new layout.
Not at all! While we specialise in designing playful spaces, our work spans a range of aesthetics, from soft neutrals to bold colour. Our goal is to create a space that reflects your unique style and works in harmony with your home.
Yes! this is where our spatial design process shines. We specialise in making the most of every inch, creating organised, multifunctional spaces that support play, learning, and daily life.
That’s totally fine. Our process is designed to help uncover what’s important to you. We'll guide you through with questions, visuals, and inspiration so you feel confident in the direction.
Yes. Every design includes a full FF&E list (Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment), with clickable shopping links for Essential Design clients and full sourcing support for Bespoke and Commercial projects.
Definitely. We often design spaces that combine play with sleeping, working, or guest areas — all carefully zoned for functionality and flow.
Yes. Many of our designs are tailored for neurodivergent children. We work closely with families and their support networks, including Occupational Therapists, to ensure the space meets their sensory, emotional, and developmental needs.
Yes. Bespoke and Commercial clients receive ongoing project support through to completion.
Book a free Enquiry Call. We’ll talk through your space, goals, and timeline, then recommend the service that best fits your needs and budget.