6 decor tips for kids’ rooms

Your child’s bedroom needs to perform multiple functions – a place to play, wind down, sleep and, as they get older, do their homework. It also needs to be somewhere they enjoy spending time. The good news is you don’t need to spend a fortune to make it work – a practical layout, smart storage and a décor that reflects their interests are the keys to success.

Make it personal

When it comes to choosing a decorative theme, take your cues from your child’s interests. There’s no need to go all-out and line every wall with spaceships or fairies, but you might consider splashing out on a themed bed linen set, cushions, floor rug, decals or a framed poster on the wall, none of which will cost the earth and are easy to replace when your child’s tastes change.

Cool colour scheme

For the colour scheme, it’s a good idea to stick to two or three main hues, and base any paint, fabric and furnishing choices on various shades of these. Go as bold as you dare– your child’s room is the perfect spot to experiment with those brightly coloured furnishings and graphic paint techniques you’ve been itching to try – after all, they’re relatively easy to replace if you or your child has a change of heart down the track.

Furniture should be well made and sturdy enough to withstand several years of punishing treatment, with smooth, rounded corners and soft-closing mechanisms to protect little fingers.

(Image: Go Modern )

A practical layout

Think carefully about how your child’s room will be used, and allocate space accordingly. For younger children, plenty of open floor space for play, soft flooring to protect little knees, a table for arts and crafts, and oodles of open storage so that it’s easy to pack bulky toys away at the end of the day are essential. A teepee or a-frame tent in the corner of the room is a nice addition, as it will give your child a lovely spot to play imaginative games or relax before bed.

As your child gets older, you may wish to replace some of these pieces with a desk for homework, a pin board for school notes and invitations, beanbags or floor cushions to provide extra seating when they have friends over, and a trundle under the bed for sleepovers.

Before you hit the shops, make a plan to the scale of the room, and measure any furniture you wish to buy to make sure that it fits not just the space, but through the doorway too.

Make the bed a focal point

The bed is likely to be the largest piece of furniture in your child’s room, so it makes sense to make a feature of it. Layer it up with fabulous, eye-catching bedlinen and playful cushions, or splash out on a gorgeous bedhead or frame. Some of the latest bed frame designs cleverly double as play spaces, such as the cubby-shaped ones at Raw Sunshine Coast.

Draw the eye further by framing the bed with a garland, string of pom poms or even fairy lights that will transform it into a magical space at night.

(Image: Heatherly Design )

Smart storage

Toys, books, craft supplies – your child’s room can quickly get overrun with clutter and mess. Keep it at bay with oodles of storage that’s easy for your child to use; think open shelving, a couple of large baskets and trugs, a soft-closing lidded toy box, and wall-hung pockets for pens and crayons. Allocate a space for everything, labeled if necessary, and make sure your child knows exactly what goes where so they can tidy up their own things in a flash.

(Image: Go Modern )

Display

Children love to showcase their favourite things, so why not give them the attention they deserve with a dedicated display shelf? MDF display shelves and boxes are cheap and cheerful (try Target and Kmart), and come in all sorts of fun shapes, including houses, watermelons and even ice creams. Spruce them up to match your child’s décor with a lick of paint or line the backs with fun, patterned wallpaper, and hang them on the wall in trios or individually.

Other display ideas include simple clip frames where you can showcase your child’s latest work of art and then easily swap it for a favourite poster, and low-level shelving across one wall so they can play and display their Lego creations or collection of shells or pebbles they’ve lovingly collected on a day out.

(Image: Go Modern )

Head to Homely’s Creative Kids’ Rooms Decor Ideas Pinterest board to get more inspiration for decorating your child’s room.

Written by:
Georgia Madden is a senior writer for Houzz Australia. She specialises in home renovations, design and decor trends. She is a freelance interiors journalist and writer and a regular contributor to House & Garden magazine and a number of interiors websites. Confessions Of A Once Fashionable Mum is her debut novel.