The Hide-And-Seek-Test for Great Design

Here’s a design check you won’t find in architecture school:

Would a kid start a game of hide-and-seek in here?

If yes, you’re probably in a good space. If no, you’re probably in a forgettable one.

Think about the places you love—the café you keep returning to, the boutique hotel you still recommend, the friend’s apartment that just feels unfairly good. They all have pockets and reveals. Corners to duck behind. Details you notice on visit ten, not visit one. Playful, not childish.

Why it works

Kids don’t care about marble or name-drop chairs. They care about edges, thresholds, and little discoveries. Adults aren’t that different—we just pretend better.

When a room invites exploration, we lean in, we remember it, and we come back.

The holiday apartment problem

Most rentals tick the list: bed, table, sofa, lamp. Functional? Sure. Memorable? No.
It’s a meal that fills you up and evaporates.

The places people rave about have small sparks: a lamp you’ve never seen, a book that’s oddly perfect in that spot, a mini-alcove for a glass of wine while the light slides across the wall. They don’t just work. They make you want to play.

Design as memory-making

Design isn’t only problem-solving. It’s story-starting.

Next time you enter a café, lobby, or your own living room, pause for two seconds and ask:

Could a kid map this place into hiding spots?
Does this place make me want to explore?

If yes, there’s magic. If no, you’ve probably found why it feels flat.