Decorating Kids Rooms
|
When your child is old enough, let them participate in the planning. Children derive a sense of accomplishment and are more likely to take care of a room filled with their ideas and input.
Adaptability is the key to decorating kids rooms. An ideal room will function in numerous ways and will be flexible to the continually changing tastes and interests throughout the childhood and teenage years.
Keep furniture to a minimum so even a small room has plenty of floor space for play.
Invest in timeless styles and versatile furnishings that can adapt to the different stages of children’s lives. Whimsical details and shapes hold the child’s interest, but pass on too much of a baby motif and fads because they grow out of them quickly. You can buy trendy, just don’t spend a lot.
A slip-covered headboard makes an easy transition as children grow and is soft and easy to clean. Pre wash the (soft to the touch, nothing scratchy) fabric before having it made so it can be easily thrown in the washer.
Bunk beds become a focus for the room and a good alternative when rooms will be shared with a sibling, and sleep overs.
Consider a platform bed with a desk area underneath, especially for boys.
It would be useful to have a kid size table and chairs for quiet activities such as drawing and board games, and which the work in progress Lego and puzzles can be kept. For school age children, a worktable or desk and chair with good lighting can provide a spot for reading and doing homework.
Decorating kids rooms with a gliding rocking chair (for you) is a necessity in the middle of the night.
Flooring will be a constant in the room so it should be an understated neutral and easy to care for. Carpet is softest but a decorative rug over wood floors works too and is easier to maintain than carpet especially if you have pets, and it can be changed as the child grows and his or her tastes change.
Color used for decorating kids rooms need to stimulate children but also need to be cozy and conducive to sleep. Children’s tastes change so quickly so avoid frilly fads and stick to a neutral with lots of opportunity for change.
Painted walls in soft pastels or clear primaries can be teamed up with a lot of white, and white walls may be teamed up with a single wall of color which can be repainted from granny smith green one year to orange the next.
Paint is the easiest way to change the look of the feel of the room. Let the child help choose the paint color, or paint a section of the wall in chalk board paint.
Or hang an actual chalk board for mementos and souvenirs. Covering cork with a bright fabric creates a message bulletin board or a place to tack necklaces.
Grass cloth wallpaper or cork tiles won't show push pins from posters and art work on the walls. They are durable, look good and the cork will absorb sound.
Hang a pegboard for hanging hats and jewelry.
A bulletin board or cork board will showcase artwork and collections and pictures of friends and family collected by teens.
If siblings are sharing rooms, demarcation of territory is important. Making sure colors harmonize, each child could pick their own paint shade for one wall and their own bed linens.
Choosing simple curtains in solids, checks, stripes or an abstract nursery design can be teamed up with a white black out blind to cut out the sun for naps. Other simple options would be plantation shutters or roman shades.
One of the biggest challenges in decorating kids rooms is organizing all the stuff. Plan for more accessible storage than you think you may need and organize for toys, books, and clothing by compartmentalizing.
Some possible storage pieces to furnish the room with would be low open shelves, toy chests or trunks, night stands, an apothecary style chest of drawers (with a lot of little drawers) a traditional map chest, school style lockers or stainless steel office file drawer units.
An armoire for clothing also provides some shelves inside to put different size boxes and small containers for craft supplies, and small cars and dolls.
Open wicker baskets in the bottom of closets make instant storage for bulkier clothing items such as sweaters and shoes. Make sure closets have low hanging rods and are outfitted with low shelves with easily operable hardware on the doors.
Use shallow crates that have wheels that roll under the bed.
A low open bookshelf can be a visual display for favorite stuffed animals and picture books and later be a place to display trophies and books.
Fill open shelves with stylish containers that make categorizing toys that much easier, and locate favorite toys and books on the bottom so kids can help themselves and pick up easier.
Return from Decorating Kids Rooms to Bedrooms
