Decorating
a Kids Room When it comes to decorating a child's room, your approach should be much
different from decorating an adult bedroom.
For kids, their bedroom is where they play games, read, listen to music,
day-dream, or just go to be alone sometimes. So use these eight strategies to
help create a space that will make you both happy:
1. Talk to your child. Find out what activities and fantasies he or she
enjoys; what their favorite color is; and what's unique about their personality
that a theme could be built around.
2. Allow your child to help. Let them have a say about colors, fabrics, and
how they want to display their collectibles.
3. Make the room multi-functional. Since children use their room for many
activities besides sleeping, it should have several different zones, such as a
play area, reading area, and entertainment area.
4. Make storage a priority. Try shelving, large decorative wicker baskets,
plastic see-through containers, and closets that contain plenty of shelving and
racks.
5. Keep window treatments simple. Avoid long draperies. Shades, blinds, and
shorter curtains are safer choices. The fabric should be versatile, and patterns
should be repeated in other items in the room, such as in pillows, quilts,
lampshades, bed ruffles, etc.
6. Choose the right lighting. A child’s room should include both task
lighting for homework and reading, and soothing light for quieter times. A
nightlight is also important.
7. Use wallpaper or paint (if it is allowed in your lease) to add color and texture. You can apply whimsical
borders along the top edges of the walls, and clouds or stars on the ceiling.
Make sure walls are washable, so if you are using paint, choose a semi-gloss or
gloss finish. Kids love bright colors, but you should limit any strong color to
only one wall.
8. Allow your child to select the design theme. Here are just a few:
firehouse fun room, starry night, angels, rainbows, unicorns, baseball, a
bedroom for a princess, underwater scenery, outer space, race cars, airplanes,
trains, jungle motifs, wizards and dragons, and dinosaurs.
Decorating with your child offers a great opportunity to display your playful
side, while doing some memorable family bonding, so have fun with it!