WHO WE ARE
Highland House was born from the weird mix of chaos, isolation, and wonder that is early parenthood. After having my first baby, I found myself at an indoor playground in Chicago- not only to escape the cold but to take the guess work out of “what do we do today” and to be around other humans. Raising children is not something we are meant to do alone.
After moving to Los Angeles, it wasn’t until I tried to escape the summer heat that it really sank in: most places either turn you away for a private party or they’re packed with flashing lights and noisy machines—cue the meltdown when I didn’t have quarters! There just weren’t many welcoming spaces for parents and babies to simply exist. So I decided to build one.
Highland House is a modern indoor play cafe— created not just for little ones, but for the people raising them.
OUR MISSION
Highland House is a modern indoor play cafe built for families of all kinds. Our mission is to create an inclusive, neighborhood-rooted space where young children play freely and caregivers find coffee, connection, and community support. A place that curates a learning environment for both children and adults led by local professionals.
Our Design Philosophy
Why Bauhaus?
In 1919, a school opened in Germany with a radical idea: that art, craft, and technology should never be separated. That beauty should be functional. That anyone — regardless of background — deserved to live among well-made, meaningful things.
They called it the Bauhaus.
A century later, we're building a play space in Northeast LA with the same spirit. Highland House isn't just a café with a play area. Every design decision — from the furniture to the activities to the walls — comes from a philosophy rooted in the Bauhaus tradition.
What Bauhaus Means to Us
The Bauhaus movement was, at its heart, an act of rebellion. It pushed back against the idea that fine art was only for the elite, and that everyday objects didn't deserve beauty and intention. It fused disciplines that had been kept apart — painting and carpentry, sculpture and weaving, architecture and theater.
It also believed deeply in the maker. Students weren't lectured to — they were given materials, tools, and space to create. The workshop was the classroom.
That's exactly what we're building here.
1 form + Function Are One
Nothing here exists just to look good. Every bench is a stage. Every shelf invites climbing. Every surface was chosen because it serves the child first — and delights the eye second. This is the Bauhaus promise: that beauty and usefulness are never at odds.
2 The Workshop Spirit
Bauhaus schools were workshops, not classrooms. You learned by making. At Highland House, kids aren't given instructions — they're given materials and trusted. Clay, wood, fabric, paint. The process is the point. The mess is welcome.
3 Movement as Art
Inspired by Bauhaus artist Oskar Schlemmer, who saw the human body moving through space as its own artwork. Our movement zone is designed for exactly that — open floor, mirrors, geometric props. A stage without a script.
4 The Modular Kit
Inspired directly by Bauhaus toy design: objects with no fixed purpose. A set of arcs, planks, and blocks that become a house, then a rocket, then a city. No batteries. No screens. Maximum imagination.
5 beauty is for Everyone
The Bauhaus movement rebelled against art being reserved for the elite. Highland House brings considered, intentional design to a community space in Northeast LA — not a museum, not a luxury hotel. It's for all our kids.
"We want to give the child tools — and then get out of the way."
What This Means for Your Child
When you bring your child to Highland House, you're not just getting childcare in a pretty room. You're giving them an experience built on a century of thinking about how people — especially young people — learn, create, and grow through making things with their hands.
No screens. No scripts. No "right" way to play.
Just materials, space, and the freedom to invent.
Contact us
Interested in collaborating? Please submit your details and we’ll be in touch shortly. We Can’t wait to hear from you!