Angela Rowe, DDCD
As a designer, decorating children’s bedrooms is a favorite project. They usually present special opportunities to create personality, whimsy, fantasy, or even another locale. Children’s rooms sometimes also offer the homeowner more than one chance for a redesign as children grow.
Let’s start at the beginning, the baby’s nursery. Creating the perfect nursery is such a fun and exciting project. Begin with a theme, and then look for fabrics, accessories, lighting, area rugs, and window treatments that match your theme. Look for furniture that’s as maintenance-free as possible and furniture that will grow with your child as they age. You’ll be spending lots of precious moments in this room with your new arrival, so above all, put a lot of love into decorating your nursery.
It’s always nice when a design can grow with your child. But as our little ones grow and develop their own personality, we may have pegged them one way as a baby, and now they are interested in sports, not dinosaurs. Be flexible with your child’s room. Normally a child’s bedroom isn’t near the public rooms of the house, so if it doesn’t flow with your decorating preferences, it is okay. Allowing your children to have a say in the décor of their bedroom will instill confidence and belief in themselves.
Keep in mind storage. As our little ones grow, they accumulate lots of toys, clothes, and prized possessions. Typically, the second, third, and maybe fourth bedroom in a home is short on square footage. Dressers, chests, desks, and shelves should all have a purpose and have as much storage as possible. If storage and space are super limited, consider a storage bed. Most have drawers that either open at the foot or on the sides of the bed. Keeping these pieces neutral will allow you to decorate several times reusing the case goods again and again, while updating the theme until they want a more grown-up space.
Somewhere between “little girl” and “teenager,” most girls begin to develop an increasing interest in their bedroom décor as well as fashion. When planning your theme for this often-used room, keep in mind that teen fads can be fleeting, so consider achieving your thematic approach through easily replaced accessories such as pillows, lampshades, and artwork.
For the young men in our homes, who’s passion for sports, race cars, animals, video games, or music can be all-encompassing in their lives, we need to allow them to express themselves, too. Think about starting with a bolder color palette to enhance whatever theme you and your son agree upon. And, above all, allow him to express his own decorating opinion as the design process expands.
With careful planning, all your ideas along with your child’s will come together to create the perfect space for your child, no matter their age.
Call Angela Rowe at (618) 253-4711 to bring your child’s dream to life!
