Furnishing Children’s Rooms

Kids are constantly growing – from babies to toddlers to tweens and so on. It doesn’t take them too long to outgrow practically anything you buy for them. This includes their bedroom furniture, especially if you were to go for typical age-specific, kiddie themes.

Sooner or later kids will want their bedrooms to be their own personal space which reflects on their own developing personalities. Decorating a room to suit these tastes is easier said than done but can still be an enjoyable experience for kids and parents alike.

Measure and plan

Take down the exact measurements of the room. Taking note of where the doors, windows and closets are, make a simple drawing of the room dimensions on plain paper. You can “rearrange” the room on paper until you come up with the perfect plan.

Discuss with your child to get ideas of how they would want their ‘dream room’ to look like.

How much to spend?

When you don’t know what your budget is you might allow yourself to be fuzzy regarding your limits and hence overspend. Decide on a budget amount and vow to stick to it. Discuss the budget with your child; this is a good opportunity to teach them about money management and appreciation. Include your child’s opinion to help in the decision making process when it comes to prioritizing purchases for the room.

Theming and scheming

Select a theme and choose a color scheme. It would be so much more easier if you need only pick and choose from bedroom items which fall in a certain theme and color scheme. Your child’s choice of theme and color scheme is paramount here because they will be the one spending the most time in the room. Deciding on a theme and/or color scheme beforehand will also help keep your spending in check because you will only purchase things that fit the category for your child’s room, hence avoiding unnecessary purchases.

Versatility

Choosing the right furniture for instance, can be a challenge, especially if you are dealing with a child’s whims and fancies. Some children also have a tendency to change their preferences regularly, especially to match up with current trends. In this situation, finding a lasting set of ideas when decorating the kid’s room would be the smartest step to take.

Store smart!

Choose plenty of colorful storage options. Kids tend to have a lot of toys, clothes and shoes and these need to be stored away neatly. Well-selected storage containers can turn out to be an attractive, colorful part of your kid’s room deco. Some ideas for storage might be inexpensive but serves the purpose perfectly such as durable plastic containers for storing art items and small toys when not in use.

Clever spacing

Consider the many uses for a child’s bedroom and be sure to incorporate areas for each of these important elements of proper child growth:

• Sleep
• Study
• Play

If the room is small, consider ways to make some of the space do double-duty. One simple way to accomplish this is to buy or build a loft bed – similar to a bunk bed, but with only a top bunk.

The space under the sleeping area can be used to house either a study area with a desk and bookshelf, a TV area, a dressing area or a small play area. When you keep in mind the different uses for your child’s room, such as studying, sleeping and playing, it would be so much more easier to decorate accordingly.

Tips to keep in mind:

• Try to choose items that will “grow” with your child. Just as they quickly outgrew their need for a crib and changing table, they will continue to grow and develop, both physically and intellectually.
• Consider full sized dressers and bed options and look for a desk that will still accommodate your child in a few years.
• Unless you don’t mind a total makeover in a few years (or perhaps less!), entertain your child’s fancies for a certain trend with bed-sheets, comforters, rugs, curtain and posters of his fancied movie/sports/cartoon character instead of purchasing a whole bedroom set with that one theme. Using your creativity, there are many ways you can accommodate a child’s fancy or obsession for a trend realistically and wisely.

Space saving options

Unless space is not an issue, picking out furniture that can serve more than one purpose makes the most sense. For example, headboards that can double as a bookcase, or storage chests that double as step-stools.

Toy chests can make great seats too. Bunk beds are a fantastic option if two children are sharing a room or for sleepovers. Trundle beds are great too because the second bed can slide underneath the main bed to give a lot more room for your child to play.

On the wall

• Wall decorations can be an impactful part of your child’s room deco if you plan well.
• Use your child’s drawings and art to decorate their room. This can be a great way to honor your child’s artistic talents.
• Consider removable wall stickers for decorating. These can be changed fairly frequently and give the room a fresh new look.
• Paint your child’s room in a bright color and then purchase an additional paint color that is complementary to the first color and use stencils put designs on your kid’s walls. Stencils are inexpensive and can easily be found at craft stores. You can even find stencil patterns on the internet.
• Enlarge their favourite photos, frame them and use as wall deco. This adds a personalised touch to their room, and is unique to their tastes only.
• If your child is into posters, set up an attractive poster wall. The trick is to keep one common and consistent element on the posters – either the size, texture, frame, etc. This lends a visual appeal to the wall deco.

Always Think About Safety

You should always look for sturdy furniture that is made well. Children tend to be rough on their furniture so it should be able to withstand a lot of wear and tear.

Watch out for obvious safety hazards, such as loose safety rails on bunk beds or ladders that are flimsy or not secured properly.

If you are considering purchasing older or antique furniture make sure that the paint does not contain lead. If you will be painting the furniture yourself, it’ll be a good idea to use water based paint.

Style matters

After you know what you need to buy and you have researched all the safety issues, you need to decide on which style your child prefers. You might also want to spare a thought on how long you plan on keeping the furniture. Children can grow up fast and can outgrow things before you know it.

Also, as they get older their tastes might change. If you don’t fancy the idea of changing the kid’s furniture over and over again, you might want to stay away from those oriented and specifically-themed sets that your child will outgrow quickly.

If you want your child’s room to be inline with other bedrooms in your home, some manufacturers have a children’s department that have modified versions of their adult furniture. You can dress their room up with colorful bedding, rugs and pillows of their choice.