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© LISA BRADBURN 2017
Inspiration

Designing a Kid’s Bedroom

5 October 2018

Kid’s bedrooms can open up a whole world of exciting design possibilities. But designing a kid’s bedroom can be challenging. The needs you will have when your children are babies or toddlers can be very different just a few years later. And the decisions you made at that time you may regret after a short amount of time. So you need to consider how you will live as a family in five to ten years time.

Below are my tips for designing a bedroom for your children.

BE CLEAR ABOUT HOW LONG YOU WANT THE ROOM WILL LAST

A well thought out design is a tricky balancing act – between the fun elements when they are babies through to something an older child could still like! What you may decide to do is create a room now and then change it as your child grows.  If you decide to go for this shorter term option then you can have a lot more fun with ideas like this lovely room from Clare Gaskin. Also consider whether you’ll have the appetite (and budget) for redecoration in a few years time. The reality is that we often don’t get round to changing a room as quickly as we should!

PLAN YOUR KID’S BEDROOMS TO BE FLEXIBLE

From my experience I think a nursery scheme only works until they are around five and then it’s time for a change. Once they get to that age they have far more fixed ideas about what they like. Your challenge is to persuade them to have a room with more longevity. I have a couple of tips to help rooms last a little longer.

1) Don’t choose wallpaper from a children’s range

Wallpaper is a good way to pick up on a theme but doesn’t quite have longevity if you pick one from a children’s range. Instead of picking a wallpaper from a children’s range, I recently used a beautiful Cole and Son wallpaper for an 8 year old girl’s bedroom and coordinated with dusky pinks and sage greens. I also adore this example by Room to Bloom, which will grow with this little girl.

2) Keep the walls neutral and update accessories as they grow

When it comes to paint colours an alternative is to keep the walls neutral (but don’t go for a brilliant white) and update them with fun accessories and bright accents or fabrics. These are easy to swap out as your child grows up. Neutral walls can feel a little boring though, so adding texture is a great way to add interest. In this bedroom tongue and groove walls stops the room feeling flat.

Another good idea is to have a fun wall mural. Once you are bored of it then it can be painted over. Not that I would want to paint over this lovely room by Rachel Winham!

Avoid wall stickers. I think they ruin the paintwork and I personally find them impossible to put on!

MAKE SURE YOUR STORAGE IS FLEXIBLE FOR YOUR FUTURE NEEDS

These work whatever the age of your children. And remember that as your children grow older their toys start to be stored in their bedroom and your family room will be freed up from the plastic. In time your children will spend more time upstairs in their bedrooms so don’t neglect the storage upstairs.

If you would like help designing your family home I would love to hear from you.  I have also put together another post on children’s room design tips if you would like some extra inspiration. Please get in touch if you are Interested in Interior Design in Sussex also!