Not every room for kids can look like this. But that doesn’t mean that decorators are limited to pastels and stencils—even if the decorators are mom and dad. Decorating a child’s room can be a great experience for everyone and, just like any other room theme in the home, many aspects go into planning the look and feel so it is as special as can be. After all, it will probably be your child’s favorite place in the whole world! Here are a few things in mind.
Paint
One of the first things we think of when decorating any room is what color we want it to be. Therefore, our minds turn to paint. Firstly, if your child is old enough to voice preferences, ask what he or she would like (within reason). This will keep the child involved in the decorating, as well as allow for an opportunity to express their personality.
Some color suggestions include using relatively neutral colors, or at least cool ones. Blue or yellow (or even combinations of the two) are pretty safe options to consider, as well as red. To make these colors less intimidating, create different shades by adding white to the paint mixture. This is not to say that darker colors like greens and purples cannot be used, however, darker colors are both more intense and make the space look and feel smaller. Reserve use of these bold colors, as well as blacks and grays, for accent coloring.
Furniture
Next, we wonder what to fill this adorable space with. Now’s the time to begin searching for furniture. Generally speaking, lighter-colored wood furnishings are better because they blend with a myriad of colors within a bedroom. Dressers and nightstands painted white or in light oak work well.
Interior decorating pros recommend rounded or at least soft-edge furniture in a youngster’s room, as this is safer in the case that the child bumps into a given item. Nightstands provide a surface for a child to set things on, as well as give a few drawers to put things in. Desks, too, are becoming increasingly necessary in the bedrooms of school-age children, as much time is spent on homework. Luckily, various sizes and styles are available both to mesh with and fit comfortably inside the child’s room.
Of course all children need their growing sleep. It’s best to be practical with this. After all, even if your little boy bleeds black and gold as a teenager, he’s not likely to want a bed with a football-shaped headboard beyond a single-digit age. Keep in mind the same flexible wood colors as you did with other furniture, and go with a bed that the child can grow in. A standard twin bed may accommodate a child until their very early teens.
Storage
Storage options are essential with any kid. Toys, seasonal clothes and more should be stowed away well. Toys especially accumulate rapidly for little kids. In this case, consider sorting your child’s toys into like types and sizes and putting them in plastic boxes. Keep dolls in one box or action figurines together, for example, as the child will be better able to find and put these items away. If a given toy is part of a set, keep it with the other parts!
Similarly, older kids may have accumulated a good bit of clothing. One way to sort this is to keep items related to the current season (i.e. winter sweaters) inside dresser drawers and those that are not in season (i.e. summer shorts) in containers or the closet.
Lighting
Many of us might already deal with eyestrain (as you read this article on a bright monitor, for example), and even little kids feel these effects. You should therefore place adequate lighting inside a child’s bedroom, including overhead lighting (i.e. fan with light) and lamps mounted above a nightstand or sitting on a desk.
Decorations
Decorations within a child’s bedroom should be in line with the rest of the room’s theme and feel. If your child chose light purple as the primary paint color, for instance, consider a shade of purple bedding or a light blue coat hook. Let the child’s passions show through in the decorations as well. If your son loves superheroes, put up a picture and lamp light of a hero and their logo, or if your daughter likes kittens get her a kitty wall calendar or accenting stuffed animals/figurines. Also consider their hobby, which might be the beginning of the passions that define them later in life. (We’re looking at you, Olympians!) Regardless of their pending professional sports careers, they’ll enjoy displaying items related to it (which also gives relatives gift ideas later).
Similarly, it’s great to see parents honor children’s all-out collections. If your son or daughter collects memorabilia or shells or pet rocks, think about making a space to show them off. A shelf or case would work nicely.
These are some of the biggies to consider when decorating a child’s bedroom. In the end, it will be a balance between what makes the child comfortable and happy and what does the same for you.