"We shape our buildings; thereafter, they shape us." — Winston Churchill The house a child lives in offers something the television and computer screen cannot: the physical experience of real spaces and real surfaces. Yet too often, children's needs are overlooked in the planning and design of houses. A little foresight and consideration can create a house that welcomes children and invites exploration and play. Democratic Homes Kid-friendly measures can take the form of major floor-plan considerations or small details. For a two-story home, one feature greatly appreciated by clients is to build the house's main stair near the front and then add an inexpensive second stairway (a carpeted one enclosed between two walls and finished with carpet, with a pantry
