Home-goods stores

Photograph: Caroline Voagen Nelson

Playing house is a universal child-pleaser. So when the time comesto retire the baby things (sniff), why not invite your future creative professional to play interior decorator? Parents can limit little extremists’ flights of fancy (polka dots everywhere! puppies and Spider-Man!) by skipping the kid-specific shops and focusing on a few grown-up home stores. Those below offer funky yet non-cutesy furnishings and accessories that will appeal to younger tastes.

Apartment 48
Owner-designer Rayman Boozer recently moved his beloved Chelsea shop to bigger quarters to accommodate an even greater inventory of sophisticated home products. Pick up brightly hued pillows with leafy patterns by Om Home ($85) or a John Derian tray decoupaged with children’s drawings ($125). Although the tray is too delicate for grubby little hands, it makes a striking piece of wall art. Just don’t blame us if your young fridge artist demands her own Chelsea gallery show. 12 W 17th St at Fifth Ave (212-807-1391, apartment48.com)

CB2
At Crate and Barrel’s lower-priced sib, proto-environmentalists can practice their Nobel acceptance speech before a mirror framed with recycled soda cans ($100). And the company’s 18" pagoda-style wood stools ($100) are the perfect height for tots. But the best buy is the Sleepy Hollow bed ($300–$700), a platform bunk that lives up to its cool name: The base features cubbies for toys, a key asset in your closetless repurposed dining room. 451 Broadway between Canal and Grand Sts (212-219-1454, cb2.com)

Hable Construction
After they had children, sisters and designers Katherine and Susan Hable launched a line of durable, kid-proof accessories. Many of their products are made from heavy canvas. The Bushel Baskets ($275) are big enough to corral stuffed animals; the Camp Cot ($195) guarantees sleepover guests a good night’s snoozeand folds flat for storage. 117 Perry St between Greenwich and Hudson Sts (212-989-2375, hableconstruction.com)