Decorating kids rooms

I’ve written many times before about the basic rules of successful interior design - but when it comes to decorating a child’s room, it’s another ball-park. This is the place where you can let your creativity go wild and experimental. This is the room for themes, colors and extremes..

However, this doesn’t mean that there no rules. Obviously different criteria apply when your children have a separate bedroom and playroom or if they have only one room in which they play & sleep. Whichever way it is, the two most important issues to consider when decorating a room for kids are practicality and storage. Everything else should be built on these - even the themes, finishes and details. What I mean is - if you want a certain theme for the room - first think about the space, then furniture, storage and furnishing. Only then should you start thinking about decoration. Most people seem to do it the other way round.

Also, consider your children. Most of us decorate our children’s room the way we like it or the way our childhood room used to look - or we wished it to have looked. This is not the right start. Talk to your children and zoom in on their imagination. Together come up with a theme -  but do avoid movie & story themes like Spiderman, Harry Potter, Starwars etc. These are popular now - two years on you’ll have to redecorate! So try to have a general theme - like jungle, seaside or the universe (so all those Starwars ornaments & freebies will fit in for now). 

Decorating kids bedrooms

If your kids play and sleep in the same room, storage & flexibility must be your priority. Invest in good quality furniture - untreated pine or even MDF that you can decorate and later redecorate. Buy a bed that either has draws or an extra bed underneath, or at least enough space for some under-bed storage. Bunk beds are ideal for multi-functioning kids rooms.

Instead of individual wardrobes or cupboards you should create a streamlined wall-to-ceiling storage/wardrobe system along one of the walls. This can accommodate storage for toys, cloths and could even include a pull-out desk. The doors can be decorated to fit with your chosen theme.
 
Then add some seating area - either some soft big cushions or chests that can also be used for toys. Make sure you use easy-maintenance materials i.e. wipe-able & machine washable. Have plenty of hooks for children to hang their stuff and magnetic areas for displaying their artwork. Use open shelves sparingly - the more shelves you provide for them the more junk they will collect (and the more dusting for you)  .  Here is a list of online kids furniture stores.

Decorating kids playrooms

The same basic rules apply as for bedrooms - except the bed is not a necessary part of the furniture here - although you might consider getting a sofabed for when your children’s friends stay over.  In a playroom, organisation and zoning are the most important issues. Create a good storage system for different types of toys & games and make sure they are in easy reach. Instead of a theme I recommend creating a feature or interactive wall where kids can add or create their own artwork or play games on. You can use and combine blackboard paint with magnetic paint to achieve this. Then maybe add a dartboard, basketball hoop or punch-bag.  Although having a computer or telly is a must these days for  a playroom, don’t let them be the focus points of the room - encourage your kids to create their own TV or games on their interactive wall. Put the TV/PC into a foldaway cabinet - out of sight… out of mind (hopefully).