Designing a new bedroom for your children can be lots of fun – but equally a bit overwhelming. It’s something you don’t want to be doing too frequently, so spend a bit of time thinking through how you can future-proof the design so the room can grow with your child.
As a family photographer, I see a lot of children’s bedrooms – I’ve collated the best ideas I’ve come across. Enjoy!
Wall stickers / decals
Use wall stickers to decorate the room – these can be simply peeled away when your child outgrows them.
Re-purpose
Consider furniture you already have in your home – children’s furniture doesn’t all need to be bought especially for their room. This will keep the furniture in tune with your family style, and also mean there’s less furniture to re-house later when your child grows up.
Adaptable furniture
If you are buying new furniture, look for pieces that can adapt as your children grow – desks that can have their heights raised, for example.
Colour other than on the walls
Think about incorporating colour through the soft furnishings like blinds or curtains, accessories or lamps, rather than committing to painting the walls. This gives you flexibility for your child’s changing tastes (favourite colours can change weekly!), and is also highly cost-effective. Keeping a neutral colour scheme for the main walls keeps the room flexible for your child’s changing tastes.
Timeless wallpaper
If you’re using wallpaper, look for patterns that won’t date so quickly as your child grows up – geometric prints, for example, rather than book characters.
Adaptable spaces
Plan spaces that can be adapted later. For example, areas that can hold lots of storage boxes for toys, but later could be used for a desk.
Restrained colour palettes
Although a little girl might love bright pinks now, chances are that in a few years she’ll have outgrown them. Choosing a duskier pink will give you a few more years before you need to redecorate! If your child’s desperate for a brightly coloured wall, how about opting for a feature wall – that way, you can re-paint when they outgrow that colour, without having to re-paint the whole room.
Forgiving flooring
Choose flooring that’s resilient – speaking from experience here, there’s little point putting a new carpet down in a toddler’s bedroom, it’ll be destroyed before their first wobbly tooth comes out! Opt for wood or a wipe-clean surface instead. You can always soften this with soft rugs and blankets.
Sound proofing
Another area to consider with flooring is sound-proofing. If their bedroom is above the sitting room, for example, you might not want to sit through their music practice in years to come!
Sleepover-friendly
Your child’s bedroom will likely also be used for sleepovers before too long. Think ahead on this one – where could mini guests sleep? A trundle bed under a single bed is a great option.
Areas for display
Create areas where you can put up your children’s artworks – and keep these areas flexible, so your children can display other items later like gig tickets and photos. See this blog post for ideas on fun ways to display children’s artwork.
Family photography
Taking photographs parents will love by giving children the morning they want. Mischief and surprises are welcome here!
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