Designing a Childhood: Why I Launched Liza & Toph, a New Approach to Playroom Design
After we adopted our two kids, I learned that parenthood happens in two stages: gradually, and then all at once.
One day, you're curating a collection of irresistible bobbles and knickknacks. Then you blink, and—BOOM—you’re standing ankle-deep in a neon-colored plastic tide in the middle of your living room (despite the constant pleas with your family to stop buying toys). You look at the chaos, the sheer volume of stuff, and ask the question that unites parents everywhere:
Is it not possible for our home to be both beautiful for us and brilliant for our kids?
For too long, we’ve been sold a false choice: a home with the sterile soul of a museum or a home with the aesthetic of a child care center that’s just lost its license. We’ve been told we have to pick between our sanity and our children’s freedom to play.
As a father and a developmental psychologist, I refuse to accept that choice; perhaps it is my desire for an aesthetically pleasing home that makes me reject it. Regardless, I’m making it my work to build off the belief that a well-designed home can be a family’s greatest asset—a place that is both a sanctuary of style for adults and an incredible engine for a child’s growth.
That’s why I founded Liza & Toph. We don't choose between beauty and play; we bridge them.
A House Divided: Your Style, Their Stuff
Every well-meaning parent eventually finds themselves at a symbolic juncture. On one path is the calm, clean, curated home that reflects decades of intentionality in building a personal style. On the other hand, there is a tidal wave of stuffies and plastic bricks being purchased in the name of "doing what's best" for your child's formative years.
We are conditioned to believe—no even told—to accept that we must choose a side. We’re thrown into a Squid Game-esque daily tug-of-war for our sanity between our deep desire to nurture our children and the equally valid desire for a home that, let’s be honest, is simply clean.
So we do our homework. We read the books, scroll the feeds, and buy the “must-have” educational toys and apps. Yet, instead of feeling accomplished, we end up feeling buried to our chest by the sheer volume of it all, constantly wondering if we're even doing it right. It was clear the solution wasn't to just manage the chaos. We have to start designing for harmony. We have to start designing for development. We have to start designing for childhood.
My Philosophy: This Is Not Just a Playroom
Liza & Toph is the attempt to combine the art of living with the science of child development. A way to create stunning, purposeful environments that honor a parent's wish for harmony and a child's need to explore by substituting calm for chaos. This is about creating a childhood, not just a playroom.
Liza & Toph does more than just design “cute” spaces for children. We create spaces that encourage self-reliance, encourage purposeful play, and lessen decision fatigue for the entire family.
Why "Liza & Toph"?
Simple, it bears the names of my two kids, Topher (Toph) and Eliza (Liza). Without them my house would be far less chaotic, but also far less fun. Every day they demonstrate to me how magical a child's world is and how the environments we design for them ought to be as well.
If you’re navigating a sea of clutter, consider this your blueprint.
Whether you’re looking for a playroom designer here in Columbus, Ohio, or seeking a personalized roadmap through our virtual consultations, our goal is the same: to help you design a space that honors your style and your child's incredible potential.