Designing and decorating a kid’s bedroom is not a small task by any means – as I discovered last year when we moved into our new home. Here are a few things to keep in mind while you plan, discuss and debate the design and décor for your kid’s bedroom.
Does the room marry functionality with fun?
As a parent, you want your kid’s room to be safe, functional and practical. You want this room to be an easy-to-maintain place where he can sleep, read, play games and do schoolwork. But he wants a place where he can hang out with his friends, hoard toys and games, and basically be himself, doing whatever it is that he does when he doesn’t have a parent hovering over him. The trick is to arrive at a healthy compromise where neither you nor he feels ignored.
Is your kid involved in the planning and decision-making?
It’s his room; so let him decide whether to paint the room a light blue or a bright yellow. You can’t force your son into painting her room blue just because you always wanted a blue room when you were a child.
But that said, it definitely does not mean that you give him a free run and agree to all his demands. Give your child options that you feel are safe and affordable and then let him choose. If your kid is older, ask him to pitch in by taking on easy tasks like painting or putting up artwork.
Will he have plenty of storage?
Ensure your child has plenty of storage in his room by providing built-ins, shelves and cubbies. Invest in sturdy bookshelves if your child is a voracious reader. Make clean up easier giving him colorful bins and baskets to put away their toys and board games.
Keep in mind that your child’s storage needs will change as he grows up. Will the current shelves be able to accommodate his sports gear a few years from now?
Does the room have adequate lighting?
Your child’s room should have proper lighting – both natural and artificial – to keep up with all his activities. If you are designing a toddler’s room, go for overhead lighting fixtures that do not pose the danger of toppling. A teenager’s room, on the other hand, should have both ambient lighting and adjustable task lighting to help him read and do homework comfortably.
Does he have enough room to indulge his hobby?
Give wings to your child’s creativity and encourage him by dedicating an entire wall to his art work or collection. Use a hanging rack or an over-the-door shoe holder to hold his art supplies. If your child loves floor puzzles, make sure there is enough space for him to indulge his hobby. Section off a corner with chalkboard paint for plain doodling or jotting down reminders. Encourage him to hang his favorite photos from a clothesline over one wall – this can also work as colorful and cheap room décor! A teenager may also want plenty of seating in his room to accommodate his friends when they come over.
Will the room grow with your child?
If you don’t want to spend time and money every 2 – 3 years designing and decorating your kids’ rooms, think ahead and buy furniture that can grow with your children. Though a car-shaped bed or even a simple twin bed might look great in your 5-year-old’s bedroom today, it may not be long before it becomes too small for him. Invest in a simple, good-sized queen bed that he can use at least till he reaches College.
When it comes to furniture, stick to wood tones that suit all ages. Choose to add color and fun through inexpensive accessories, lampshades, wall motifs or decals that you can always change easily.
Kids are, after all, just kids. Your son may wake up one fine morning and decide that Captain Jake and the Never Land Pirates are not so cool any more. But what about the bundle you blew up to make sure that each item in his bedroom matched the Never Land theme perfectly?
Are you overdoing it?
Though I did say earlier that you have to involve your kids in the decision-making when it comes to their rooms, you cannot turn the budget over to their hands for obvious reasons! Kids, or for that matter, many grownups, cannot often make the distinction between something they “need” and something “that would be nice to have”. Try to stick to a budget as much as possible, without compromising on safety or quality.
Also don’t always go by the latest design or decor trends when it comes to a kid’s room. Ideas that look so pretty in a décor magazine or a model home are not necessarily practical, age appropriate, maintenance friendly or safe.
Kurt Jacobson is a writer and vacation rental manager. Knowing what it takes to maintain pristine appearances for customers, he thrives on sharing what he’s learned from his experience. When he’s not managing a property, he writes for Professional Home Cleaning Inc about house cleaning companies in Bloomington.
