Childrens' bedrooms: a space to call their own

Children grow up fast. As they develop their own personalities, they want a bedroom that makes a statement about who they are. Read on for advice and tips on decorating your little one’s… oops! your "big" kid's room.
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Go for colour
Multi-purpose furniture
Safety at ground level
Grown-up bed fashions
Smart lighting
A well-planned desk
Sharing a room
Storage ideas

Go for colour

Forget gentle pastels, your kids are now at an age when they want bright, stimulating colours. They love them: blues, greens and reds are generally boys’ favourites, while girls love shades of pink, mauve and purple. Yellow is popular with both. Unusual colour mixes can give great results: orange and blue together, red with yellow, pink and green. It's all a matter of working with shades and tones.

Give the room a theme. Work around your child’s favourite sport or artistic activities; or even a favourite hero. Don’t forget to let your child have a say! Children love helping to plan their decor. After all, it’s a room where they spend a lot of time, so it's important that they like it. Don’t hold back – paint a fresco of a favourite subject or hang themed wallpaper. But remember that at this young age their tastes can change quickly. If you're afraid your child will soon tire of the decor, it's a good idea to do a little at a time and work with things that are easy to replace (duvet covers, curtains, pictures and accessories). This will allow you to ring the changes again later without having to redo the whole room.
You can also get inspiration from your child's personality, and plan the decor to match.
  • The active child: Add a play area where your kids can use up excess energy: consider steps, a swing, ladders (hanging or fixed to the wall), a bridge, tunnel, or slide. Red suits people on the go – but use it sparingly or it may overexcite your child. Add some blue, which is restful and calming.

  • The artist: Is your child a budding Picasso? An easel, a drawing table, a white board or blackboard will allow an artistic imagination free rein. Think about keeping a wall free to display their masterpieces. Perhaps you have an actor? Screen off a corner of the room. This will be the star’s dressing-room. You’ll need a dressing table for makeup, accessories, wigs and costumes. A ceiling spot will ensure that the performer remains in the spotlight during family productions. As for colours, there's a vast range to choose from, and kids generally love them all – the more the better! Mauves and purples are inspirational, but be careful – they're not necessarily popular with everyone.

  • The intellectual: An avid reader will need a well-stocked bookcase, a comfortable chair and a swivel reading light. Go for ever-smart grey which can be brightened up with a touch of sunny, warm yellow.

  • The host: Plan the bedroom so that your child can have friends round for a play date or a sleepover. Foam chairs that open out into a bed, or futons, make good accommodation for young visitors. Include extra armchairs, stools, stacking chairs, or large cushions on the floor for hanging out with friends. Orange stimulates the senses, green instils vitality. Pink, on the other hand, induces sleep (everyone needs to rest at some stage).

Multi-purpose furniture

Baby furniture can easily be reused. A quick coat of paint will make it fit into the new scheme. As children grow, they need new beds. You can find multi-purpose (or loft) beds on the market, which have room below for a play or study area. These are ideal for small spaces and become the focal point of the room. But do make sure that your youngster likes sleeping high up, and also that the bed has a safety rail. A bed like this is not recommended for the under-sixes. For those who prefer to sleep a little closer to the ground, choose an adjustable bed that can grow with your child.

Think about creating a corner for reading and relaxation. Inflatable furniture is fun. It comes in trendy colours and motifs and is a cheap and cheerful way of brightening up a room. Hanging chairs are also popular. Make sure they're firmly fixed to the ceiling, and don’t allow children to use them as swings as they could hurt or knock over other people.

Safety at ground level

As in babies’ rooms, try to avoid carpets, which collect dust. Put down a cosy rug for little feet when they jump out of bed, but make sure the carpet stays in place and doesn’t skid around so that youngsters don't trip and fall against the bed; accidents can happen so quickly when children are around. Keep maintenance in mind, too. Any paint or food spilled on the floor may stain and be difficult to remove, so choose easily washable floor coverings, such as wood, linoleum or vinyl.

Grown-up bed fashions

Bed fashions for kids are no different from those of grown-ups. Bedspreads, pillows, cushions and throws all help to make bedtime more interesting. (And anyway pillow fights are such fun!) Play with patterns and textures for greater effect. Girls love canopies over the bed. They add an airy, romantic touch to the room. Dressing the window with voile panels completes the look; alternatively, you could hang sheer curtains, but go for opaque fabric if your child has the habit of waking at dawn. Once again, a good mix of patterns will give an up-to-date look to the room. How about this for a fun idea: show off your young genius’s best artwork by having it printed on solid-colour drapes.

Smart lighting

A child’s room needs more than one source of light. Track spot lights give good light for playing. A swivel lamp makes reading easier on the eyes. Desk lamps and table lamps will also be useful. Create atmosphere with mural appliqués in the shapes of flowers, moons or orangeade bottles; these will also serve as nightlights after dark. Use luminous light switches like you did in your toddler’s room; they help children see where they are, and are handy for children who are still afraid of the dark.
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