Growing up, my mom let me decorate my room however I wanted. I moved the furniture often, and painted the walls a light shade of pink. One time I picked tiny flowers, pressed them and then stuck them to the molding around my doors with hairspray. Tres chic. When I was in the brand name phase I hung bags and boxes from my favorite stores on the walls. Genius.
Having this kind of freedom when I was a kid helped me become more confident in taking risks and trying new things as an adult. I like to offer the same freedom to my children. While I’m a firm believer in “there is no wrong” when it comes to decorating, I do keep a few guidelines in mind while decorating my kids rooms. The key is to use items that are timeless, durable and will grow with your child. Invest in the basics.
*Get a sturdy bed. Avoid that plastic, race car toddler bed that you’ll have to give to your neighbor next year. You will trip on it and curse its very cartoon character name. Instead, look for a bed that your child will be able to use for all of their years in your home. Have an extra full size bed in your attic? Paint it a great color and use it until they move out of the house. Then when they come back to visit, their feet won’t hang off the end.
*Buy a solid color comforter. Avoid the Star Wars comforter and just get the sheet set instead. Simply display their favorite Star Wars toys on a shelf over the bed. That way, next year when they like the Green Bay Packers you don’t have to go out and buy all new stuff. You can just switch out the sheets and display cheese and the like.
*Invest in a real lamp. Don’t opt for miniature fro fro lamps just because your child is young. Having a full sized, respectable lamp that will grow with your child will save you from replacing it later. Lighting can make or break a room. Put a lamp right next to the bed for reading.
*Have a seat. A place to sit even if it’s just a wooden chair is so useful to reach items high in the closet or sit and put on socks. If you can afford it, get a cushy chair and place it next to a lamp to inspire snugly reading and comic book drawing.
*Use color wisely. I love color in a child’s room. I love color everywhere and if we weren’t renting then all of our walls would be painted in rich colors and stripes. Use bold color on the windows with mistreatments and fun trims. For the money, you can’t make a bigger impact than paint. And in only a few hours time it will transform a room. Allow your child to have some say in the paint color, you can easily change it later. Another way to bring color in is to paint the furnishings.
*Let them decide. I pick the furniture and supply the lighting and bed linens, they get to do most of the rest. Right now, my boys have strung Christmas lights and taped up 25 of their favorite race car drawings. They love it and so do I.
It’s their room and as they get older, they should have more input on how they want it to look. By supplying a few basics, you will ensure that your child’s room is utilized to its fullest potential and that they have a great backdrop to create a room where they love to be.
What was your room like when you were growing up?
