Beautiful Kids Rooms
Designing kids’ rooms is tricky, considering how fast they grow up and how fast their needs change. If you want to tear them away from their electronic gadgets for a bit of imaginary play, studying or reading, some of these clever ideas might come in handy.
CREATE A THEME
Younger kids love role play. If your child is into Tarzan, create a jungle theme with jungle wallpaper, green cushions/quilt/rug and a “dangerous” python soft toy. Other popular themes are: space, dinosaurs, fairies, flowers or nautical. Teenagers might like wallpaper with the world’s map or a city’s skyline on it.
PAINT A FEATURE WALL
One wall in a bright colour (blue, pink, purple, orange) can add a huge fun factor to a room. Stripes are popular decorative finishes that freshen up a small room, for example. If you don’t want to get painting, buy one of the easy to apply decals. They come in every shape, pattern and colour.
SAVE SPACE
Kids want to go wild in their rooms sometimes, so don’t stuff them with too many things. Opt for enough floor space! A bunk bed might help you accommodate two children in one room.
If your kid’s room is tiny, get one of the loft beds where you can hide the desk underneath. Great for building caves and castles with bedspreads and blankets as well!
ADD ADVENTURE
Accessories can add a lovely touch and a bit of excitement to a kid’s room. Get a light in the shape of a star. Buy a sky for the bed. Decorate the corner with a beanbag that looks like a lion. Install ceiling mounted rings for the active kid or a hammock for the reader. Rugs can not only add colour but be a toy in itself if you get one with streets and houses on it for the young car enthusiast. My tip: IKEA has great, inexpensive lights and accessories for kids’ rooms!
BEAT THE MESS
Children’s storage needs change the older they get, so plan ahead and install wardrobes and shelves in a way you can extend later on. Invest in some stackable boxes or baskets on shelves, so your kids can tidy up by themselves. Be inventive with storage. Place your laundry basket/net below a basketball hoop, for example. Your chances of finding dirty socks and pants might rise astronomically!
A WORD ABOUT SAFETY
Keep a few safety tips in mind when decorating your kids’ rooms:
- Bunk beds are fun, but also a potential hazard. Buy a sturdy bed and make sure the guardrails are secure and in the right place to avoid falls and entrapment.
- Check the spacing of rails. Are they narrow enough so that a child’s head can’t get caught?
- Place lights, heaters, fans and blind cords in secure places to not harm your children.
- Bolt bookcases and shelves to a wall to prevent them from falling, if a child climbs on them.
- Avoid accessories with small parts (choking hazard), if you have babies and toddlers in your household.
Have fun decorating your kid’s room and if your children are old enough get them involved. They will love choosing accessories, painting their room and getting right into it!
