The Grown-Up House Makes Room for the Playroom

Architectural Digest has identified a new mood in interiors: a playful, schoolyard-bright look that even the most discerning adult homeowners are welcoming. The magazine traces it to the cartoons and animal-faced paper plates of a generation's early years, which still hold a pull on people whose taste is otherwise fully grown. For the American house, that means the formal living room may now have a little recess in it. It is a sign of confidence: a homeowner who feels free to let delight share the room with refinement.

With reporting from Architectural Digest.