Of all the challenges that you’ll encounter as a parent – teaching healthy eating and sleeping habits, striking a balance between freedom and boundaries, and helping your children navigate social situations – decorating a child-friendly bedroom may not rank extremely high on the list. Even so, it’s a task that can take up a lot of time and money, which are two resources that you’d probably rather preserve. You don’t have to be an interior decorator to design a bedroom that your kid will love now and ten years from now. Here are a few tips for creating a bedroom that will grow with your child.
Go with Classic Pieces
Sure, the bed that’s shaped like a horse-drawn carriage or a giant shark looks pretty cool. However, your child will quickly outgrow (physically and mentally) novelty furniture. On top of that, pieces like these tend to take up a ton of valuable floor space, giving your child that much less room to play. Instead, pick a few classic pieces. Go with simple furniture with clean lines and neutral colors. Find some timeless artwork that they’ll never grow too old to appreciate. These will provide a good foundation that will never go out of style, even as interests and preferences change.
Fill the Room with What They Love
For you, your bedroom is your escape, and you plan your décor accordingly. That probably means a light, neutral color palette and minimal clutter. However, for your kid, their bedroom is their favorite playroom. A dresser or bookshelf that is covered with half-finished paper creations and toys from fast food restaurants might stress you out, but in all likelihood, your child loves it. As long as all of their toys, books, and art supplies have a place and the room can be tidied up reasonably quickly, don’t be afraid to leave their stuff where they can enjoy easy access to it.
Stay Away from Character-Themed Décor
There’s a balance between filling a room with what they love and limiting the love-you-til-Friday character décor. This week, they love one show; next week, they’ll love another. Even if they manage to stick with one show long enough that its theme song haunts your dreams, they’ll probably still outgrow it in a year or two. If they must be surrounded by their favorite talking critters, put up some character wall decals; those are cheap and easy to move. But skip the character bedding and themed furniture; you probably won’t get your money’s worth from those.
Get Smart with Storage
Unless your kid happens to be a minimalist, you’re going to need some creative storage solutions for storing all of their stuff. Consider skipping a toy box in favor of a durable, well-constructed storage ottoman, which your child can use from babyhood right up until they fly the nest. Make use of vertical space by mounting some wall shelves. Also, shop around for bookshelves that can accommodate storage cubes. Right now, they’ll provide hassle-free cleanup, and later, they can be removed to provide room for book storage.
Being intentional in ensuring that your child’s bedroom will grow and mature with them is a sanity-saver. In the end, it all comes down to knowing what to keep neutral (the big pieces that will probably account for most of your budget) and where to indulge their current favorites (the little accents that cost little and can easily be removed).
