As parents, everyone dreams of creating a nurturing environment for your little one to learn, play, grow, and thrive. Naturally, the development of this personal space starts from the very first day when you design their nursery. However, until they take over the task of decorating their own rooms as teenagers (let’s face it, everyone goes through this face of “self-expression”), it can be tedious to create a functional yet beautiful room that your child appreciates. And achieving this feat on a tight budget becomes even tougher!
Fortunately, here are some excellent tips and techniques to make your kid’s room swoon-worthy:
Work Hard, Play Harder
When thinking of the decor for your child’s room, less is more. With minimum furnishing and less decorative elements, you offer them ample room to indulge in something that they all love - have fun and play. Pair the dedicated play zone with some accessible, floor-level shelves where they can store their beloved toys.
The open space also leaves room for you to include and update the furniture and decor as your child grows (more on that later). In fact, it is always a smart move to maintain this negative space even after every redecorating cycle. Hence, even if you do include furnishing, use items like a swivel TV mount to keep it compact and functional.
Colors Them Impressed
Deciding on the color theme and palette for the room can be a daunting task. You would naturally want something that screams “fun” but would not be too keen to give in to the child’s wishes of painting it shocking fluorescent orange (kids can make the strangest choices!)
In this case, settling for the classic primary colors in pastel shades would be a smart move. These colors bounce light off of them and accentuate natural light. And when you have a kid at home, you would want them to bask in this natural light! In addition to splashing the room in peppy colors, you could also color coordinate the bedding, rugs, and panels to amp up the aesthetics. Alternatively, you could also choose an adult-feeling vibe for painting and decorating the room, especially if you intend to keep it such in the long run.
Play With Patterns and Textures
If repainting the room is not on your list, you can always use wallpaper, decals, and art pieces to give their room a pocket-friendly makeover. Make use of graphics, patterns to spice up the room and reflect your child’s likes and dislikes.
However, be mindful that kids may soon grow out of this phase, and something they loved dearly once can turn into an embarrassment. In this case, you could start with basic foundations and layer on some color, vibrancy, and pizzazz to make it more appealing to your child’s transient needs. When the time comes, strip these elements off and swap them with something more age-appropriate.
Storage, Storage, Storage
From toys and games to books and wardrobe - as your child grows, their possessions will also expand proportionately (if not by leaps and bounds). Therefore, you need to plan in advance to organize all the clutter. One needs to get creative with storage options to envision practical ways to accommodate all the belongings.
To double up your storage, you can start with the basics - hooks, under-the-bed storage shelves or drawers, take-apart crates, wall-hugging book rails, and furniture with built-in storage. Aside from picking out sleek and moveable storage elements, you can also decorate these to match the theme, allowing them to blend in with the surroundings.
Keep ‘Em Busy
If your child’s room allows for it, have a dedicated work area to keep their minds and little hands busy. Activities like coloring, playing with play dough, reading, etc. encourage the physical and mental development of a child. So why should you hold back in inculcating such valuable habits?
Set up a reading corner or a workstation in a quiet nook where the child can indulge in these hobbies. It also gives them space to spend some quality time with themselves and get away from things. In due time, you can transform this area into a homework station.
Leave Room in Rooms
As you may have fathomed by now, decorating your child’s room requires several changes and upgrades that happen over time. The room will grow just as your child would and change as per their needs, habits, and preferences. With this in mind, it would be sensible to leave room to change the decor, the scheme, or accessories. Make use of elements that you can uninstall and remove without any hassles to accommodate these long and short-term changes.
Conclusion
Every child is unique, and decorating their room that reflects their personality and style will make them feel seen and acknowledged. Hence, involve them throughout the process and incorporate their ideas while decorating the room. It will hone their individuality and offer you a great opportunity to bond and spend time with each other!
