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Best of luck with your search for the perfect school!
Families In Mind Design was founded by Penny Miller, a qualified child and family mental health clinician turned interior designer. It’s a very unique service bridging the worlds of child psychology and interior design to create homes that truly nurture children and family life.
I interviewed Penny to learn how her unique blend of design and child development helps parents create spaces that not only look beautiful but support growth, calm, and connection.
Question 1. Firstly, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to combine interior design with child development?
Answer:
I started my career in mental health and social services. I’m a Masters-qualified child and family mental health clinician and researcher, and I’ve always been fascinated by how our environments shape the way we think, feel, and connect. When I became a mum, I saw firsthand how the design of a home can either enhance or add stress to a family’s daily life. So, I retrained in interior design and combined my two passions, child development and functional family living, to create Families in Mind Design. It’s about designing homes that don’t just look good, but feel good and support the people who live in them.
Q2. What drives you to do what you do?
Answer:
Honestly, it’s the families. So many parents feel overwhelmed: their homes feel chaotic, cluttered, or simply not working for them, and that stress inevitably spills into family life. Helping them create spaces that nurture connection, independence, and calm is incredibly rewarding. I know what it’s like to feel stuck, when something in your home isn’t working but you can’t quite find the time, energy, or direction to fix it. When a client tells me I’ve helped them start and finish a project that’s been overwhelming them for months or even years, I know I’ve made a real difference.
Q. What ideally, do you hope to achieve for families with your combination of child development and interior design?
Answer:
My goal is to bridge the gap between how families live and how their homes are set up. I help parents make confident design decisions that support routines, relationships, and wellbeing. Whether that’s through thoughtful layout, sensory-friendly design, or choosing materials that are both durable and beautiful, it’s about creating spaces that support family life, not complicate it.
Q. So what does “child-friendly design” actually mean, and how is it different from traditional interior design?
Answer:
Traditional design often focuses on aesthetics — how things look. Child-friendly design adds another layer: how things work for real families.
It’s about safety, yes, but also accessibility, independence, and belonging. For example, lowering hooks so children can hang their own bags, creating cosy reading nooks that encourage calm, or using wipeable textiles that remove the anxiety of everyday mess. It’s design that empowers children and supports parents.
Q. Can you give us some examples of your recommendations for clients that illustrate your philosophy?
Answer:
Absolutely! I often recommend hybrid flooring instead of solid timber for families with young kids — it’s quieter, easier to clean, and less slippery. For couches, I steer clients toward leather or high-performance fabrics that can handle spills. In children’s rooms, I focus on zones for sleep, play, and independence, like a small art station or a drawer they can access themselves. Every choice is about balancing functionality, flexibility, and family-friendly design — what I call the “Three Fs.”
Q. What kinds of clients come to you for help?
Answer:
Most of my clients are parents, often mums, who are juggling work, kids, and home life and feel their spaces no longer reflect who they are or how they live. Many have young and/or neurodiverse kids, and they want their homes to feel calmer and more supportive.
A lot of them have wanted to work with an interior designer before but haven’t found someone who truly gets family life — someone who understands that sticky fingers, Lego explosions, and tight budgets are part of the picture. When they discover Families in Mind Design, something clicks. My philosophy of practical, budget-friendly, child-focused, real-life design speaks to them. They realise that design help doesn’t have to be glossy or intimidating — it can be supportive, flexible, and realistic. It’s about creating spaces that make family life smoother and more enjoyable, not perfect.
Q. Can you walk us through what happens during one of your consultations?
Answer:
Before we meet, most families have already had a phone chat with me and filled out a short questionnaire so we can make the most of our 90 minutes together.
For a one-off consultation, we walk through the home together, talking about what’s working, what isn’t, and what matters most. I look at everything from layout and lighting to storage, furniture placement, and flow. Families leave with clear, actionable advice and quick wins they can implement straight away — the kind that immediately makes life feel a little easier.
For families seeking ongoing design support, it’s a deeper and more collaborative process. I ask a lot of questions, take notes, capture photos and measurements, and get to know the key spaces we’ll start with. We talk through wish lists, goals, budgets, timelines, and communication preferences, and agree on how we’ll track progress together. I also explore colour and style preferences and share examples from my portfolio to help clarify direction. It’s about building a shared vision and guiding families step-by-step as their home evolves.
Q. You have also written a children’s book — tell us about that.
Answer:
Yes! My Home Has a Heart is a picture book for children aged 3–7 that teaches care, responsibility, and connection through the idea that our home has a “heart” that we keep healthy by looking after it, just like we do our own.
I wrote it to help children understand that a home isn’t just a place we live in; it’s something that supports and reflects us. When we care for it, we’re really caring for ourselves and the people we love. Parents who’ve purchased the book often share stories like, “My child said, ‘My home is feeling sad, let’s tidy up!’” and that simple shift in perspective changes the way families approach daily life.
For families, it’s more than just a storybook — it becomes a tool for building positive habits and shared responsibility, helping children take pride in their surroundings and see the value in everyday care.
Q. What advice would you give to a parent who wants to improve their home but doesn’t know where to begin?
Answer:
Start small and focus on how your home feels before how it looks. Identify what’s causing friction or stress in daily life, and begin there. The biggest transformations usually come from solving small, practical problems. Build on those wins, one space at a time. It’s not about perfection or trends; it’s about creating a home that supports your family’s rhythm, routines, and wellbeing.
I also offer free resources to help families get started — a guide to buying a modular play couch, a curated Brand x Style Shopping Guide for smart, time-saving shopping, and three on-demand webinars covering shared family spaces, child-development-led design, and mindset-based home transformation. They’re practical, easy to action, and perfect when you want momentum without the overwhelm.
And if you’re looking for ongoing ideas and inspiration, I share free tips, before-and-afters, and real-life design solutions on Instagram at @familiesinminddesign.
We’re excited to welcome Penny onboard as one of Melbourne School’s cherished sponsors. If you’d like to learn more about Penny and what she does, please visit Families In Mind Design here.
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