Montessori-inspired Interiors: Designing spaces for Early Childhood development.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58757/jscbe.04.01.02Keywords:
Montessori principles, Interior Design Guidelines, Toddler’s Comfort, space configuration, early childhood, nurseries’ design, children’s developmentAbstract
The research has investigated the importance of interior design in creating an indoor environment within a nursery and its direct impact on the self-development of toddlers. It emphasizes that the physical setting should actively contribute to fostering independence, confidence, and comfort in early childhood. This study confirms the hypothesis that interior design makes an important contribution to supporting educators in addressing the spatial needs of Montessori environments and highlighting the interrelationship between design principles and educational philosophy. By doing so, it identifies practical guidelines for designers to configure classroom spaces in ways that enhance the learning experience and general well-being of children. This research identifies that most classrooms within nurseries lack an authentic Montessori-friendly environment but instead this approach is employed by using it only in toddler’s activities. To address this emerging issue, the study insists on clear interior design guidelines to be developed for purpose-built nursery facilities that conform to Montessori philosophy. Such guidelines are necessary for all design elements and will address zoning, circulation and movement, lighting, furniture and shelving, flooring, and incorporation of natural elements in ensuring that the physical environment actively promotes Montessori philosophy. A mixed-method approach was adopted, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques. Data was collected through questionnaire with nursery teachers and mothers of toddlers, added to an observation study, and complemented by a benchmarking analysis of Montessori-inspired nurseries at local, regional, and international levels. Results show that Montessori principles can be successfully interpreted in the form of interior design guidelines, which would enable classrooms to foster independence, responsibility, and self-confidence while ensuring safety and comfort. Recommendations emphasize the importance of cooperation between interior designers and educators in creating an environment that will actively boost Children’s development and make the physical space a partner in the learning process.
References
[1] Siti Jamaiyah Noorazwa Binti Ahmad Muhid, Ros Izzati Binti Rosli, Romarzila Binti Omar & Izwan Mohamad, "Synthesis of Montessori Curriculum Implications in Early Childhood Education," British Journal of Curriculum Practice, vol. IX , no. III, pp. 2873-2891, 2025.
[2] L. K. Foster, "Early Childhood Classroom Design: Integrating Montessori Principles with Neuroeducational Research," ournal of Montessori Research , vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 16-28, 2025.
[3] Angeline S. Lillard, Richard Hua Jiang,Xin Tong, "Perfect timing: sensitive periods for Montessori education and long-term wellbeing," Frontiers in Developmental Psychology, pp. p01-p17, 04 03 2025.
[4] Sue Birdsall, Tineke van Gasselt, Felicity Young, "PRINCIPLES OF MONTESSORI EDUCATION," MONTESSORI Australia Foundation, pp. 1-12, 2020.
[5] UNESCO, "Bahrain’s efforts to provide quality early childhood development and pre-primary education. UNESCO.," UNESCO, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.unesco.org/en/early-childhood-education/bahrains-efforts-provide-quality-early-childhood-development-and-pre-primary-education?utm_source=copilot.com.
[6] M. o. Education, "Ministry of Education – Early Childhood Education FAQ," 2025. [Online]. Available: https://moe.gov.bh/en/frequently-asked-questions?selectedTab=early-childhood-education&utm_source=copilot.com.
[7] B. N. Portal, "Bahrain National Portal – Kindergarten Licensing Service," 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.bahrain.bh/wps/portal/en/BNP/ServicesCatalogue/GSX-UI-PServiceDetails?psID=2387&utm_source=copilot.com.
[8] Angela K. Murray, Amelia J. Murray, Carolyn J. Daoust, Heather E. Gerker, "Developing a tool to evaluate early childhood education implementation fidelity: Measure of Montessori Implementation pilot study results," frontiers in education, vol. 10, pp. 1-16, 2025.
[9] Angeline S. Lillard, M. Joseph Meyer, Dermina Vasc, Eren Fukuda, "An Association Between Montessori Education in Childhood and Adult Wellbeing," Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 12, pp. 1-18, 2021.
[10] Luke L. A. Price, Annegret Dahlmann Noor, Mariana Khazova, "Daylight and Electric Lighting in Primary and Secondary School Classrooms in the UK—An Observational Study," International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 21, no. 7, p. 942, 2024.
[11] William Browning, Jim Determan, "Outcomes of Biophilic Design for Schools," architecture, vol. 4, p. 479–492, 2024.
[12] Youki Terada, Stephen Merrill, "The Science of Classroom Design," Eudotopia, 2024.
[13]Andrea Tamblyn, Helen Skouteris, Angela North, Yihan Sun, Tamara May,Elaine Swart, Nicci Godsman & Claire Blewitt, "Physical and sensory environment interventions to support children’s social and emotional development in early childhood education and care settings: a systematic review," Early Child Development and Care, pp. 1-17, 2022.
[14] Giulia Cosentino, Serena Lee-Cultura, Sofia Papavlasopoulou, Michail Giannakos, "Designing Multi-Sensory Environments for Children’s Learning: An Analysis of Teachers’ and Researchers’ Perspectives," in the 22nd Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference , Chicago, 2023.
[15] M. Bogatinovska, "The Impact of Architectural Design on Montessori Daycare Centers," 3 8 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.bogatarchitecture.com/post/the-impact-of-architectural-design-on-montessori-daycare-centers-enhancing-children-s-creativity-an.
[16] Alison Demangeon, Stephane Claudel-Valentin, Alexendre Aubry & Youssef Tazouti, "A meta-analysis of the effects of Montessori education on five fields of development and learning in preschool and school-age children," Contemporary Educational Psychology, vol. 73, 2023.
[17] B. Z. Bednarczuk, "Potential and Actual Significance of Montessori Learning Environment," Lublin Pedagogical Yearbook, vol. 42, no. 4, pp. 114-130, 2023.
[18] Ni Luh Sekar Astuti, Lidia Sandra, "Prepared Environment as the Key Success Factor in Building Clean and Healthy Habits in Early Childhood Education," Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, vol. 540, pp. 122-127, 2021.
[19] A. S. Lillard, "Montessori as an Alternative Early Childhood Education," Early Child Development and Care,, vol. 191, p. 1196–1206, 2021.
[20] Liina Kersna, Liina Lepp, Margus Pedaste & Kristjan-Julius Laak , "Supporting self-regulated learning in primary education: insights from a Montessori classroom," Frontiers in Education, vol. 10, pp. 1-17, 2025.
[21] Aybüke Y. Tiryaki, Ezgi Findik, Saliha Çetin Sultanoğlu, Esra Beker, Müdriye Y. Biçakçi, Neriman Aral & Ece Özdoğan Özbal, "A study on the effect of Montessori Education on self-regulation skills in preschoolers," Early Child Development and Care, vol. 191, p. 1219–1229, 2021.
[22] Angeline S. Lillard et al., "Montessori Education and Executive Function: A Review and Meta-Analysis," Review of Educational Research, 2021.
[23] Javier Gasco-Txabarri & Daniel Zuazagoitia, "The Sense of Patterns and Patterns in the Senses: an approach to the sensory area of a Montessori preschool classroom," Education 3–13, vol. 51, no. 6, pp. 979-987, 2022.
[24] A. S. Lillard, "Montessori as an alternative early childhood education," Early Child Development and Care, vol. 191, p. 1196–1206, 2021.
[25] L. K. Foster, "Early Childhood Classroom Design: Integrating Montessori Principles with Neuroeducational Research," Journal of Montessori Research , pp. p16-p28, 2025.
[26] Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter, Rune Storli, Ole Johan Sando, "The relationship between indoor environments and children’s play – confined spaces and materials," International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education, pp. 1475-7575, 2021.
[27] Abhinav Jangid, Ar. Swarna Junghare, "Child-Safe Architecture: Integrating Safety into Built Environment for Children," International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research (IJFMR) , vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 1-6, 2024.
28] L. O. Magnusson, "Children’s perceptions of the indoor environment of early childhood education: following children’sphotographic voices," European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, pp. 1752-1807, 2025.
[29] M. A. F. Mahdy, I. H. Elghonaimy, D. H. Eldardiry and A. A. Habbab, "Emergency Architecture Towards Temporary Educational Facilities for Children of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Northern Syria," Journal of Sustainable Cities and Built Environment, vol. 02, no. 01, pp. 15-37, 2024.
[30] Guillermo Bautista, Marta López-Costa, "Smart learning spaces considering the integration of the pedagogical, environmental and digital dimensions: a systematic review," Learning Environments Research , vol. 28, p. 455–472, 2025.
[31] Karrie E. Godwin, Audrey J. Leroux, Peter Scupelli, Anna V. Fisher, "Classroom design and children’s attention allocation: Beyond the laboratory and into the classroom," Mind, Brain, and Education, vol. 16, no. 3, p. 239–251, 2 November 2022.
[32] Irnawaty Idrus, Sahabuddin Latif, "Computational studies: A passive strategy to improve visual comfort by optimizing daylight uniformity in the classroom," ARTEKS : Jurnal Teknik Arsitektur, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 151-164, 2025.
[33] Yasaman Khan Hakimia, Amirreza Karimi Azerib, "The role of natural elements of interior playgrounds in promoting children's social interactions (case study: Tehran book garden)," KRONIKA JOURNAL, vol. 25, no. 0023:4923, pp. 169-179, 2025.
[34] M. A. Read, "olor, Form, and Light: Recommendations for Design of ECE Classrooms Based on Group Structure and Activity Type," Scientific Research Publishing, pp. 1826-1846, 2023.
[35] Muriel Díaz, Alex González-Cáceres & Shady Attia, "Multicriteria Design: Optimizing Thermal, Acoustic, and Visual Comfort and Indoor Air Quality in Classrooms," in Green Energy and Technology ((GREEN)), SPRINGER NATURE, 2023, pp. 435-449.
[36] Yazhen Sun, Na Qi, Jie Zhan, Jie Yin, "The Impact of Cool and Warm Color Tones in Classrooms on the Perceived Emotions of Elementary School Students in Northwest China," Buildings, vol. 14, no. 10, pp. 1-20, 2024.
[37] Chao Liu, Yalin Zhang, Limei Sun, Weijun Gao, Qiuyun Zang & Jiaxin Li, "The effect of classroom wall color on learning performance: A virtual reality experiment," Building and Environment, vol. 15, p. 2019–2030, 2022.
[38] R. Calbert, "The Best Indoor Playroom Flooring Options for Childcare," 17 06 2025. [Online]. Available: https://childcaredesign.com/the-best-indoor-playroom-flooring-options-for-childcare/.
[39] Dana K. Amro, Halil Zafer Alibaba, "The Effects of Flooring Material on Thermal Comfort in a Comparative Study: Marble and Parquet Flooring," UIJRT – The Universal International Journal of Research in Technology, vol. 01, no. 05, pp. 31-35, 2021.
[40] M. J. Orihuela, " Active learning environments tailored to pedagogical principles: a spatial design tool for school workshop spaces," Oğul Matbacılık., pp. 1-14, 2025.
[41] Ling Xiang Pang, Alice Sabrina Ismail, Siti Sara Mohd Ariff, "Spatial Design Strategies for Preschools with Learning Through Play (LTP) Approach," Built Environment Journal, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 44-62, 2025.
[42] M. J. Orihuela, "Active learning environments tailored to pedagogical principles: a spatial design tool for school workshop spaces," Education & Information Technologies, pp. 1-14, 2025.
[43] Creswell, John. W., Plano Clark, Vicki. L., Designing and conducting mixed methods research, 4th edition, SAGE, 2024.
[44] S. N. Hesse-Biber, Mixed Methods Research: Merging Theory with Practice, Guilford Press, 2021.
[45] M. D. Fetters, The mixed methods research workbook, SAGE, 2024.
[46] Coyne, I., Carter, B., McAneney, H, "Proxy reporting in research involving young children," Journal of Child Health Care, vol. 27, no. 2, p. 253–266, 2023.
[47] I. Coyne, "doing qualitative research with children," International Journal of Qualitative Methods, vol. 20, pp. 1-12, 2021.
[48] H. TAHERDOOST, "Determining Sample Size;How to Calculate Survey Sample Size," International Journal of Economics and Management Systems, vol. 2, pp. 237-239, 2022.
[49] A. A. f. P. O. Research, "Standard Definitions: Final Dispositions of Case Codes and Outcome Rates for Surveys," AAPOR, 2023.
[50] L. K. Foster, "Early Childhood Classroom Design," Journal of Montessori Research, vol. 11, no. 2, p. 1–13, 2025.
[51] Lifeng Lin, Chang Xu , "Arcsine-based transformations for meta-analysis ofproportions: Pros, cons, and alternatives," Health Science Reports, pp. 1-6, 2020.
[52] Louis Laurencelle,Denis Cousineau, "Analysis of proportions using arcsine transform with any experimental design," frontiers in Psychology, pp. 1-12, 2023.
[53] V. M. Nawa, "A weighted score confidence interval for a binomial proportion," Japanese Journal of Statistics and Data Science , vol. 5, p. 133–147, 2022.
[54] "Ajyal Montessori," [Online]. Available: https://www.ajyaalmontessori.com/.
[55] "The Children House," [Online]. Available: https://www.thechildrenshousebahrain.com/classroom.
[56] "Little Wonders," [Online]. Available: https://www.littlewondersbh.com/our-facilities.
[57] "Redwood Montessori Nursery," [Online]. Available: https://www.theredwoodnursery.com/environment/.
[58] "Smart Kids Montessori," [Online]. Available: https://www.smartkidsmontessori.com/branch/9c283c6c-8706-4483-a15b-94c337614b49.
[59] "Smart Kids Montessori," [Online]. Available: https://www.smartkidsmontessori.com/branch/9c283c6c-8706-4483-a15b-94c337614b49.
[60] "Little Monstessori Nursery," [Online]. Available: https://littlemontessorinursery.com/.
[61] "AMONCO," [Online]. Available: https://www.amonco.org/.
[62] "International School Brussels," [Online]. Available: https://internationalschoolsinbrussels.be/en/home/.
[63] "SPIENTA Montessori Nursery," [Online]. Available: https://sapientiamontessori.com/.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Sustainable Cities and Built Environment
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This license requires that reusers give credit to the author. It allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, even for commercial purposes. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
