Decorating Kids Rooms - Planning Makes Perfect!

Decorating kids rooms can be a rewarding and fun project. You'll feel good about what you've accomplished and your child will have a cool personal space to spend time in and to have their friends visit.

When you start to look at decorating kids rooms you have to keep a budget in mind. Paint can range from fifteen dollars to fifty dollars a can.

Wallpaper can be even more expensive. Perhaps you are going to consider panelling on the walls. Floor coverings also have to be considered...do you keep the rug they have, change it, put in hardwood?

These are all questions you will have to ask when you plan on decorating kids rooms. What about the details? You may want to go so far as to consider mouldings, window casings and door trim.

Not to mention lighting fixtures, curtains, vents, light and outlet covers.

I mean, hey, if you are decorating kids rooms and Junior chooses a Star Wars décor with a Luke Skywalker emphasis then, darn it Mom, you'd better have light sabres on the light covers and vent covers in the shape of star ships.

Now lets think about the work involved. Who is going to do the work? Do you know how to do it? What special tools will you need, and do you have to buy them?

How long will it take...be realistic then add another two weeks (trust me, it always takes an extra two weeks).

Where will your child sleep while the redecorating is going on? Certainly you can't expect Junior to sleep in his room while there are paint odours fuming around in there.

When you plan on decorating kids rooms you should think about the work load and time because this contributes to an important by-product of an renovation project...STRESS.

Let's talk about color. For some of us a sense of color comes naturally, but for others we are like a fish out of water. My child loves pink, so should my accent be purple or should I chose a contrasting tone?

Maybe I should use a neutral. When decorating kids rooms the color scheme is important so spend some time with your child to work it out.

Here are some of the basics: red, green and blue are the primary colors and those are mixed to make up the colors of the rainbow. Then you have white, black, grey and creams that make their own category of neutrals.

Try to choose the colors in your scheme with the same general intensity. A bright orange will not go with a dark, dull green, but a medium orange goes great with a medium green.

When in doubt look at what the pros do. You'll find brochures in any paint and decorating store that will show you what colors go together. Heck, just look at company logos: MacDonalds red and yellow; Sprite's lime green and lemon yellow.

So when you are decorating kids rooms take the time to plan out the colors you will use.

When decorating kids rooms ask yourself the question "when will this décor go out of style". If your child loves Power Rangers today and you put up that wall paper, in one to two years he may hate it and you'll find yourself decorating kids rooms twice in a span of three years.

THis is not only a hassle but pricey as well.

One final side note. Remember that if wallpaper isn't your thing, you can always paint the wall your child's favorite color and then accessorize it with artwork or posters.

Decorating Childrens Rooms: Making Them
Child-Friendly

As you might expect, decorating childrens rooms is a bit different than decorating adult bedrooms.

While adults spread their living activities among several rooms in the home, children will try to jam nearly all of their activities into one room.

To children, a bedroom is a place to play games, read, listen to music, wrestle, display or hide prized possessions, or just to be alone sometimes.

However, decorating childrens rooms is a great opportunity for you to show off your playful side, do some family bonding, and allow your children to be creative. Use the ideas for decorating childrens rooms below to help plan your decorating project. But, please keep one thing in mind.

"The room should reflect your child's personality, not yours"

Strategy # 1 For Decorating Childrens Rooms - Talk To Them

Talk to your child or children and find out what activities they enjoy. What brings them the most comfort? What's their favorite color? What's unique about their personality that you can build a theme around?

Whatever their interests are, find a way to work them into the new décor…

This will make your child feel comfortable, safe and happy. For example, I have a friend whose son loves jungle animals, therefore choosing an African theme for his room was easy.

Her daughter is very spiritual and has a favorite stuffed Beanie Baby toy named Halo. These two elements led to the idea of decorating her daughter's room in cherubs and soft white clouds.

Strategy # 2 For Decorating Childrens Rooms - Let Them Help

Give your child a say! Allow them (with a little guidance) to choose colors, pick decorative pillows, decide how they want to display their collectibles, and so on….

Their room should be fun, yet timeless. Consider their age and keep in mind that today's child will be tomorrows teenager. The décor should be flexible enough to allow your child to grow and accommodate their changing tastes and needs.

As an example, replacing the comforter and decorative pillows to reflect the room's new theme are two quick ways to avoid having to completely redo the room every couple of years.

Strategy # 3 For Decorating Childrens Rooms - Make It Multi-Functional

As I mentioned, children use their room for many activities besides sleeping. Here are some specific areas that you should consider designing to make the room multi-functional:

• A play area. Play areas for younger children may include an arts & crafts center. Most children love to draw and color, so set aside a comfortable space for working on crafts.

  You may also want to consider hanging a chalkboard which can be used for drawing or it can be a great teaching aid for you.

• A reading area. Most children love to read. Provide a quiet and comfortable space that will entice them to do this. If you have the space for a comfy chair, perfect. If not, an over-stuffed floor pillow or two should do the job. Also remember that good lighting is essential for this activity.

  
  

• Space to entertain friends. This becomes more important as children get older. They'll want to spend time in their room with their friends. Depending on their age, a small entertainment center, that includes a radio, CD Player, perhaps a TV and VCR may be appropriate.

  As an example, my friend's daughter loves music. She has a small CD Player that allows her to spend quiet time listening to music or dancing and singing-along with her little brother. But for your own sanity, you may want to include headphones.

• A display area. Children love pictures. So dedicate a wall (or use a corkboard) to display your child's favorite photographs and artwork. Pictures of family and friends will add to the comfort of the room.

  In addition, chronological pictures of the child as they grow are interesting and will add familiarity and warmth. Children are very proud of their artwork…display it with pride!

  You should also dedicate space or shelving for displaying collectibles, trophies, and other personal items.

Strategy # 4 For Decorating Childrens Rooms - Storage Solutions

Keeping your child's room organized will be one of your greatest challenges. Try these storage solutions to help keep clutter out:

• Shelving is a quick and easy way to store items. Built-in shelving is more decorative, but there are plenty of free-standing shelving options
• Large decorative wicker baskets for toys, books, socks, etc.
• Plastic (see-through) storage containers would work well
• Closets should contain plenty of shelving and racks for clothing and shoes. Make sure that children's clothing are within their reach.

Strategy # 5 For Decorating Childrens Rooms - Window Treatments

Keep the window treatments simple and follow these guidelines:

• Avoid long (to the ground) draperies, especially in young children's rooms. Shades, blinds, valances, cornice boxes and shorter curtains would be better choices.
• Ensure that hardware on the blinds or window treatments are safe guarded, especially in babies' rooms.
• Use a lining on curtains for privacy and light control. (Especially for those early risers who automatically wake up with the sun.)
• Fabric should be versatile and simple. Patterns should be repeated in other items in the room such as decorative pillows, matching lamps, and artwork

  
  

Strategy # 6 For Decorating Childrens Rooms - Lighting

When decorating childrens rooms you should include both task lighting and soothing lighting. If they do homework in their room, good lighting is essential. A reading lamp is a must for the reading area and the bedside table.

For quieter times, install a dimmer switch or three-way lamp to provide soft lighting.

A nightlight is also important for children who are not quite comfortable with the dark and for safety reasons (so they can see where they are going if they wake in the middle of the night).

Strategy #7 For Decorating Childrens Rooms - Fabrics

It will be easier to co-ordinate the room if you limit the color choices and keep your fabrics simple. This will also allow you to make changes easily as the child grows. After all they are children and will get bored quickly!

When they do get bored, purchase new decorative pillows and linen. Let your children help you pick them out. They'll be happy and you'll avoid having to redo the entire room.

Strategy # 8 For Decorating Childrens Rooms - Wall Coverings

Use a wall covering (paint or wallpaper) to add splashes of color, texture, and excitement to your child's bedroom walls. Paint a cherub border with a soft cloud ceiling or wallpaper an African Safari theme on a wall. Allow your child to join in. They'll love helping and will have a sense of pride and accomplishment when the project is done.

If your child has sticky fingers, make sure the walls are washable. If paint is your wall covering of choice, go with a semi-gloss or gloss finish.

Strategy # 9 For Decorating Childrens Rooms - Childrens Bedroom Furniture

At a minimum you will need a bed, desk, lamp, and side table for your child's room, especially for teenagers.

Your bed options include:

• Standard full or queen size bed
• Bunk bed
• Loft bed
• Small sleigh bed
• Trundle bed (great if a friend sleeps over)

Make sure that the furniture you choose for decorating childrens rooms is durable. This is a child's room and it must withstand years of wear and tear. Use slipcovers whenever possible. They are removable, washable, and will extend the life of your furniture.

Strategy # 10 For Decorating Childrens Rooms - Have Fun!

Children are great at sponge painting, stenciling, and crafts. They will appreciate and enjoy the room more if they participate.

So remember to make this a home interior decorating project that will be fun for you both!!!!!

Babies' rooms are so precious, but the time comes when children need a room makeover to reflect their needs and interests as growing children. If your child's room looks more like a toddler's playroom than a school-age child's bedroom, this might be the time to take on the fun project of redecorating your child's room.

Remember that your growing child will be a teen in no time, so make sure your large purchases will carry into the teen years. My daughter's style tastes change constantly; so, if I use good basic furniture pieces, we can always add trendy accents, spreads, and window treatments. Here are some links and ideas to inspire you!

Interior Decorating Guide Coral Nafie ignites your imagination with inspiration for your child's room, then gets practical with the most important element of a child's room -storage!

One of the biggest challenges in a kid's room is organizing all the stuff. Coral guides you with a list of Net links for organizing children's rooms.