Kids’ rooms
Toying with revamping your child’s room, but all played out for inspo? Read on for budget-savvy and child-friendly ideas that, we promise, won’t go out of fashion faster than the latest Tiktok craze…
... that will grow with them. Design a space that lasts
Given the unprecedented amount of time our kids have spent at home in the past year or so, it’s likely their bedrooms are now looking, shall we say… tired? OK, like a bomb’s been detonated in a chicken factory, and there were no survivors. Time for a refresh, then, but how to do it in a way that’ll last? Nursery décor is allowed to be a bit frivolous. Nobody needs to think about smelly-socked, sulky teens when they’re nesting for their precious firstborn. But when decorating beyond nappies, it’s worth thinking about it lasting at least two growth stages, or the next five years, which is about as long as you can hope for any paintwork to stay nice.
The notion of allowing your child free rein to design their own bedroom is often touted by ‘experts’, but only childless ones. Probably the same people who think screen time should be limited to 30 minutes a week – nice idea, pal, but reality blows. Depending how malleable your child is, and their age/sense of style, it’s better to give them options from a carefully curated selection of colours/themes you can tolerate and are willing to spend your money on. If they’re being difficult, try compromise/bribery by letting them pick a few accessories from places like Dunelm or Homesense instead.
The first challenge is likely to revolve around the need for longevity versus staying age-appropriate. No parent wants their child to grow up faster than they already are (after the baby stage, that is, which feels like approximately eleventy-billion years while you’re in the thick of it). The not-so secret to success involves investing in good ‘bones’. Think quality furniture in neutral colours and timeless design, such as Shaker-style or paintable pieces that you can update with a tin of no-primer, no-sealant chalk paint.
Ditto carpet/flooring. Go low-key on colours, make it durable, and use rugs to ring the changes. Anything that can be easily refreshed, like shelving, art or lampshades, is a winner, and don’t overlook the transformative powers of new (inexpensive) bedding.
If space allows, it’s nice to zone a child’s room into distinct areas for sleeping, relaxing and studying, which can improve flow and encourage tidiness. Speaking of which, decent storage may not solve the mess but it will hide it, so try to squeeze it into every orifice. Under the bed, behind the bed, inside alcoves and on top of wardrobes – if you can’t see the clutter, you can pretend it’s not there. At least until they leave for college/that Croatian gap year, anyway.