Create a Bedroom That Grows with Your Child
Design a Space to Suit Your Growing Child's Personality
A child's bedroom is often more difficult to decorate than other rooms of your home. That's because kid's rooms are usually the smallest and they must often accommodate more than one child. To complicate matters, the space usually serves multiple functions including sleep, storage, play and study space. All of which means that decorating a child's bedroom takes some careful thought and planning.
Kid's Grow Up
Start with realistic expectations: No matter how carefully you plan, the décor won’t last forever. Because even a careful child dishes out some serious wear and tear. And tastes and needs change over time. Motifs and patterns perfect for a six-year-old won’t do for a sixteen-year-old. Plan to refresh at least the paint, bedding and window treatments in your child's room every five to seven years.
Involve Your Child
Involving your child in decorating his or her own room not only builds self-esteem, but also gives him/ her a sense of ownership. So give kids a voice in the process. That doesn’t mean you must shop with your seven- year- old in tow. Rather, narrow the choices to three or four you find acceptable and let your child make the final selection from paint samples, fabric swatches or catalog photos.
The easiest way to personalize a room is to paint it the child’s favorite color. Cater to age, current hobby or favorite color combination with fabrics, bedding and window treatments rather than more permanent elements like furniture, paint and wallcoverings. It’s fast, easy, and generally more affordable to change soft goods when your child outgrows the motif than it is to buy new furniture or repaint the walls.
Build in Function
Be practical. Choose finishes and materials that can stand up to the tough treatment kids dish out. Semi or high-gloss paints stand up better to washing than does flat paint. Durable, timeless wood is one good choice for floors because it can be refinished. Vinyl and laminate are affordable, non-absorbent and wipe clean. If you want to muffle sound, opt for carpet. And choose a stain resistant fiber.
Buy furniture that will grow with the child. A caboose bed might be cute, but a classic white metal frame or sleigh bed will last into young adulthood. And an eclectic mix is not only more interesting than a matching suite, but you can add a desk or a bookcase or other pieces as needs change and budget allows.
Keep Safety in Mind
If you decide to re-use old furniture pieces, select them carefully. Be sure furnishings are not coated with lead paint and that drawers are easy for the child to operate. Make sure slates on old cribs meet current safety standards.
Cover all unused electrical outlets with safety caps and encase lamp and computer cords in a track. Install a smoke detector. Shorten cords on shades or blinds. Look for rounded edges and storage bins with safety hinges that can't close on small fingers. Keep toys and games on low shelves so the kids need not climb to reach them. Bolt tall bookshelves to the wall. And avoid hanging hooks or pegs at your child’s eye level.
Use every inch of available space. For example, use the back of the door for hooks or pockets. And double the function when possible, for example, consider a flip-top toy box that’s also a window seat. Trundle beds provide the option of either an extra mattress for sleepovers or oversize drawers for more storage.
Finally, help your children take care of their rooms. Provide plenty of accessible storage. If there is a place to put things, it's easier for kids to keep their rooms neat. For example, a narrow decorative ledge, made from shelving and moldings painted to match the woodwork, provides an deal spot to keep favorite toys, books or a collection at hand, but out of the way. And always opt for the flexibility of adjustable shelves. Include both open and closed shelves and place them at varied heights. Invest in closet organizers that can be readjusted as the child, and his clothes, grow.
Let your child help with color choices
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