About Us
Creating Classrooms has represented HABA PRO furniture and play equipment in the UK since 2020.
Creating Classrooms is a family-owned business (like HABA!), and our team’s background is in education (nursery, primary school, special needs) and design of spaces (nurseries, schools, play areas and public buildings).
Meet the Team
Colette Giaretta
Managing Director
Colette is mother to 5 children, a qualified teacher originally working with adults and children with learning difficulties. She now has 15 years’ experience working with architects, designers and furniture companies to make spaces for children in nurseries, schools and public buildings in the UK and around the world. Her aim has always been to create inspiring spaces for children: welcoming and harmonious, inclusive and beautiful, resourced with contemporary, sustainable furniture. After several years working with HABA PRO in Germany, specifying their products with multiple projects, she formed Creating Classrooms Ltd in 2019 and launched the company in the UK in 2020.
Matthew Giaretta
Projects and furniture
Colette’s husband, Matthew, is responsible for projects and oversees furniture sales. Known for his client-centred approach, he brings 20 years’ experience making engaging children’s spaces, first as a primary school teacher in the UK, then with architects and designers in Reggio Emilia, Italy, followed by education and play space projects around the world. His CV includes schools and nurseries, hospitality, healthcare, transport hubs and retail spaces, overseeing furniture concept, schematic design and full interiors projects, as well as logistics and installation. Influenced and inspired particularly by his time working with pedagogical research and design teams in Italy, his background as a teacher gives him unique insights into the impact of environment on children’s learning and the dialogue between design and education, which informs all of his work.
“HABA are an 80-year-old company and one of the foremost education furniture companies in the world, as well as famous for both board games and wooden toys! The scope of what they can offer is quite mind-boggling! There is, literally, a solution for every space and every budget, whether it’s play areas, bathrooms, acoustic panels, reception and office spaces, and of course classrooms for all ages. It’s one of the reasons we like to start with a conversation: to understand your needs and share ideas, so that what we make is perfect for you.
Most importantly, HABA share our values about the importance of sustainability, the durability of furniture and equipment we put into a room, the idea that the things we choose to put into a children’s space have a major impact on the quality of learning and play and the type of interactions that take place, as well as making visible your own values about environmental responsibility. Small things can have a big impact on experiences and choosing the right things for your space is something we can help with right away.
We’re determined to offer the best children’s furniture available and offer the best support to help you create unique spaces for your children. Get in touch, we’d love to hear from you!”
Colette Giaretta, Managing Director
Did you know?
HABA’s headquarters are recognised as one of the top 20 most sustainable buildings in Germany!
