Designing a kid’s room needs a lot of thought. Children outgrow their needs and need constant upgrades to their room. Therefore, it is essential that a kid’s room décor should be affordable and functional. Additionally, future requirements also need to be taken into consideration.
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It is always a great idea to take the child’s opinion into consideration when designing his/her room. They have a lot of creative ideas, but not all of them are attainable. What will emerge though is a consistent theme, that you as a designer or parent can take forward and realize as a practical and aesthetic design solution. Furthermore, if the child is approaching tweens or teens, the child’s interests can be kept in mind. For instance, is she a voracious reader, in which case book shelves needs to be a pivotal part of the design. On the other hand, if she is into music, then perhaps space for instruments or music related trivia should be considered. For a sports person, a wardrobe dedicated to sports equipment may be the need of the hour.
Further, a budget should always be set up upfront. A budget should be allocated for furniture, accessories, curtains, wall décor etc. Quality is important when it comes to furniture, so take care to invest accordingly. You can be frugal with items such as accessories, etc that children may outgrow.
To transform the kid’s room into something creative, stylish, practical and fun which will last for long, let us have a look at the below-mentioned ideas:
1. Painting
The walls in a child’s room are an important component of décor. The paint that you select for the kid’s room should stand up to stains, scratches, oils and should be durable and easy to clean. And for the well-being of kids, fume proof paints are best. The type of paint that you select is important and can be evaluated under the following categories:
Safe eco-friendly paints
Most of the paints consist of VOCs i.e. (volatile organic compounds) that get released into the atmosphere when the paint dries. These VOCs are harmful chemicals that get released in the environment causing short term side effects including irritation in the eyes, nose and throat. Hence it is imperative to opt for eco-friendly and safe paints which are good for the health as well as the environment.
Matt emulsion paints
These are good if you do not want to repaint your walls regularly. Along with a flat finish, they are can be cleaned easily with a wet cloth.
Chalkboard paints and Magnet paints
These paints are very common these days and is popular as it helps children express themselves without worrying about messing up the walls.
With chalkboard paints, kids can have all liberty to draw on the walls without any restraints. It is easy to clean just like wiping a chalkboard. You can just paint a noticeboard size or an entire wall with this paint and the kids can have a fun time.
Magnet paints allow the kids to hang their pictures and artwork on the wall without the use of tape.
2. Wall décor
Wall décor can add in the much-needed personality to the room with the following alternatives
Wall colour
Once you have made up your mind on the type of paint that you would prefer, selecting the colour is another important factor. You can get the kids involved here while choosing the colour of their room but with time they outgrow their likes. Many a time, your child may opt for some vibrant colour that may not complement the room furniture. In this scenario, you look for subtle shades in the same colour and limit it only to the accent wall. The other three walls can be painted in neutral shades which will not overwhelm the space. Alternatively, you can also opt for stencil paints on one wall which will capture the child’s imagination well.
Wall Papers, Murals and Wall Sticker
A common notion is that girls prefer pink and boys like blue. But, this may not necessarily be true when there is a transition from tween to teen. Here we can investigate the following options that will add more personality to your kid’s room–
Wallpapers
Consider going in for gender neutral wall papers with themes as diverse as art, science and nature. You can use these wallpapers on any one of the walls instead of all four walls which will make it easy on the eye. With many patterns and a range of colours, selection becomes easier for any age and gender.
Wall Murals
The mural is another good alternative that can transform the look of the room adding to depth of the room. Wall Murals can be customized, altered and personalized to fit your needs and these can be easily removed as well. Here you have the liberty to choose your design or artwork and get it printed on-demand to fit the size that you desire.
Wall Sticker
This is another good alternative that can make the room look upbeat and cheerful. Wall stickers are easy to stick and remove. As per the interest of the child, the design can be selected and once your kid is tired of the design, it can easily be taken off the wall.
3. Furniture
The furniture that you select for the kid’s room should be sturdy, safe, practical and timeless and for that, you can consider the following options -
Beds
With so many options to explore when choosing beds for kid’s room as under, most important is quality and safety that cannot be compromised.
Multifunctional Beds These beds can be used in the form of cribs, transitioning into a day bed and then to a full-size adult bed.
Bunk Beds Bunk Beds are good when you have twins or multiple children who are old enough to climb up and down the stairs easily. These bunk beds come with safety rails thus ensuring the safety of the child. These bunk beds also come with storage options thus addressing the space constraint issues. Some bunk beds are also detachable and can be used as single beds. This is a great option once the child is past the bunk bed age.
Loft beds Loft beds help in using the available space effectively. These are good, especially when decorating small rooms. These beds come with storage drawers, bookcases, dressers, desks etc.
Trundle beds Trundle beds or pull out beds are a good space-saving alternative. A trundle bed is a low bed that is stored under another bed(single or twin) and can be rolled out for use by other children. Like bunk beds, these are a great option twins or multiple children. Some of the trundle beds come with storage options as well.
Chairs and tables Apart from beds, the other major furniture pieces include tables and chairs. For economic and design-conscious parents there are many multipurpose furniture options available that grow along with the child and can be used for various purposes apart from what they are meant to be used for.
Storage
Urban houses, especially the ones in apartments typically require storage space. Wardrobe size is also a factor of age and as children grow, their clothing requirements also change. For younger kids, the storage requirements involve books, clothes, toys, etc. On the other hand, as the child grows, they need space for studying along with storing books and clothes. While planning the layout of the room, more amount of floor space must be available for kids to play and unwind. And the same space can later be used for extra storage or a study table as the child grows.
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Box shelf This effective storage unit is good for stacking books, toys and other stationery. Here you can also add in additional storage boxes if you want to make it look less messy.
Wall Shelves Wall shelves help in making more floor space available. Also, the kids can easily see what they want and pick it from the shelf.
Baskets with labels Baskets or canvas toy bins are a good and practical solution to provide the storage requirements which can be easily replaced. And the labels help you arrange your toys, and books in a more organized way.
Fabric bins, baskets and storage boxes These are good options for storing the stuffed toys, beddings and blankets that can be easily stored away to avoid any clutter. Most of these storage boxes come with padded lids which can be used for sitting as well.
Laundry storage bins A laundry storage bin will increase the chances that the kids will at least segregate the laundry ready for wash into the laundry bags rather than just throwing it back into the cupboard. And this will help from getting the cupboards dirty and cluttered.
4. Accessories
Accessorizing is probably the most fun part of designing a child’s room. Accessories can introduce magic as well as adventure to the room. When accessorizing a room meant for smaller children, keep in mind to only bring in elements that can easily be removed or interchanged with other elements with time.
Here are some simply ideas for accessorizing:
A corner of personal collection Every kid is different with different likes and dislikes. Generally, kids have their collection of things that they treasure. They would adore this corner where they get a designated space to display their beautiful collection and celebrate their creativity.
A corner of accomplishments A kid will feel more connected when his artwork or medals and other achievements are highlighted in the room. A corner of the room can always be dedicated to showcasing these achievements which will always be cherished by the kid and will never go out of style.
Soft furnishings You can pick out any patterns, design or colours that are dominant in the room and the same can be repeated on the soft furnishing like cushion, pillows, curtains, throws and rugs. This will not only add warmth to the room but also lead to a more cohesive appearance. Additionally, your kid can have that cosy reading nook which will be a good relaxing corner as well.
Rugs or carpets It is important to figure out the layout of the kids’ room before deciding on the shape and size of the carpets and rugs. Another important criterion is the material that you select should be kid-friendly, stain-resistant, anti-slippery, easy to clean and versatile enough.
Again, the colour of the rug or the carpet should fit in with the decor of the room. If the room is already filled with a lot of patterns and colours, then a solid colour rug or a carpet would be enough. Conversely, if your accent wall or a piece of furniture highlights any pattern or colour, the same can be repeated on your rugs and carpets
5. Lightings
With appropriate lighting fun and function can go hand in hand. Lighting requirements can be different as per the requirements of the child.
The bedside and night lamps are good for younger kids which can be comforting for them, whereas for older kids they can be used for reading at night. Similarly, desk lights are important in the working area. Apart from functional needs, many decorative lighting options can create a rather pleasing effect.
Decorating a kid’s room is a challenge that demands a balance between you and your child’s desires. Not only this, but it is also essential to strike a happy balance between practicality and fun. For a décor that is more long-lasting, and which do not need redesigning frequently, practical additions will help you get the job done without much commitment.