Stylish Playmats: Totter & Tumble
Before you had a baby you were probably proud of your house; the interior design, your soft furnishings and paint choices. After you’ve had your baby, you will notice your house gradually turn into something which resembles a toy shop. And it is easy for all of the colourful equipment and entertainment your child needs to take over your home.
This is what happened to Susie Stubbs when she started her family. When she was pregnant with her second child Susie and her husband decided to do some renovation work on their home. They chose every detail, from the paint to the flooring and the kitchen cabinets. It was perfect, until she placed her daughter’s jigsaw playmats on her new kitchen floor. The mats were hard to clean, poor quality and needed tidying away at the end of each day. Susie realised that rather than solving a problem, they were actually making her life more difficult. She searched for a better playmat option online but couldn’t find anything.
This was what led to her to setting up Totter and Tumble - her company which sells stylish, understated and safe playmats. Susie, who was working as a primary school teacher at the time, took a year to develop her mats and find a manufacturer who could make the durable, eye-catching designs she envisioned.
Susie said she wants her mats to compliment her customers’ interiors so does not use any overwhelming patterns or colours. Some of her mats, such as the Wanderlust and Globetrotter were inspired by African textiles.
“When you become a parent you don’t want to lose your style and identity. It’s about making the space work for you and your kids,” she told us.
The company has now been up and running for two years. The mats are safe, easy to clean and come in two sizes; standard and compact.
Susie’s other tips for family friendly interiors include:
Use bathroom paint everywhere as it is wipe clean
Choose a sofa which is easy to clean
Have a kitchen cupboard for toys
Store toys under the sofa if there’s space
Use a playmat as then your children will know to play on it and it keeps their toys in one place.
:: To find out more about Totter and Tumble go to https://totterandtumble.co.uk/ and follow them @totterandtumble
