TIPS FOR DECORATING YOUR CHILD'S ROOM
Decorating the kids’ room can be tricky. Creating a child’s room that’s both stylish and functional is tough. When you factor in that this might be your child’s room for years to come, it feels that much harder. Luckily, designing the kids room doesn’t have to be a hassle. You don’t even need to be a pro designer to make the kids room look like it’s straight out of your Etsy ads.
With a few smart style tips and a couple of fun ideas, it’s possible to create a kid’s bedroom that can grow right alongside your child. So whether you’re setting up a nursery or you’re getting ready to swap out the kid room decor for something more appropriate for a teenager, we’ve got you covered. Here are some kid room decor ideas that are sure to put a smile on your little one’s face.
1. DON'T OVERTHINK IT
Your first inclination might be to design every little piece of the children’s room, from the nursery wall art to the shelves. While the room’s design should make sense, you also shouldn’t make things too complicated. Instead, give the space room to grow and develop over time.
When you keep things simple, it’s easier to update the space as you go. Plus, by giving your child a more neutral space, they can pick out the accessories and wall art that speaks to their personality. When you pick simpler nursery decor, wall art, and furnishings, it’s easier to add to the space when you actually need to.
Sometimes, keeping things simple isn’t all that, well, simple. To make some basic decor decisions, break the room down into wants and needs. Common needs include furnishings, bedtime space, and room for clothes. Address the needs first and let the wants fall into place.
2. DESIGN LIKE YOU’RE A CHILD
If you want to pick out the kid-friendly decor, think about what you’d want if you were still a kid. Also, think about how you would interact with space. Consider lower cabinets, easy-to-access room decor, and open shelving. Even if the children’s room doesn’t double as a playroom, it might not hurt to incorporate some playroom decor throughout the space.
Likewise, toy storage, school supplies like pencils, and the dresser should be within your child’s reach. When you put yourself in your child’s shoes, it’s easy to see that there’s much more to kids room decorating than dinosaur decor and bunk beds. It also helps you create a children’s room that is functional for both toddlers and adults.
If you’re struggling to wrap your head around what it might be like to design for younger children, like toddlers, it’s usually a good idea to start by focusing on functionality. Then, once you have the essentials, like the dresser, the bed frame, and the desk picked out, you can move onto the decor and the finer details. If it helps, you can start to incorporate kid room decor a few pieces at a time. This can help you make some more intentional and thoughtful kids room decor decisions.
3. TRY TO ADD PERSONALIZED TOUCHES
You want your children’s room to feel like an extension of your family. That’s why it’s so important to add those small, personal touches that make each room feel like part of a larger home. Consider printable wall art of a cherished family photo, get a wall decal or canvas of a favorite memory, or even consider murals and paintings.
Even a standard canvas wrap can highlight your family and bring life into the kids’ room. Whether you’re picking out playroom wall decor, boys room wall art, or nursery decor for the girls room, you want to make sure the kids’ decor has those special, personalized touches that help your children feel independent and self-responsible in their rooms.
Of course, while it’s important to add your own touches and flourishes, you want your child to be able to do the same. So give them space to express their personality in their room. It’ll help them feel more connected to the space and more excited about it, too.
4. FOCUS ON PLAYTIME
If you want your children’s room to be a place where your kids love to be, focus on the things that are most important to them: playtime. Most children value playtime more than anything else. As such, it’s important to add those special touches, whether it’s a boys room, a girls room, or the playroom. Incorporate playroom wall decor, like a playroom sign, to highlight where you store the toys.
Add flourishes like a chalkboard wall where your child can unleash their inner artist. You can go even further to incorporate physical play activities. Some modern bedrooms include indoor swings, rock-climbing walls, top bunk slides, and even pits or corners filled with pillows that are ready to serve as the building blocks of forts.
These furnishings encourage your children to interact with their room and get more use out of the space. Plus, if you have room for added physical activities or add-ons like a suspended cargo net or a fireman’s pole, these can encourage your children to burn off some of that extra energy that they always seem to have right before bed. Then, when it’s time to settle down for the night, smart storage options like under-bed cabinets make it easy to tuck away the toys and get ready to sleep.
5. HAVE YOUR CHILD HELP DECORATE
Try as you might, it’s hard for many parents to recapture their youthful imagination. However, children are an endless supply of magic and wonder, so you might also put both to good use. Give your child some supplies or decor and see what they create.
Offer your child a piece of printable wall art and see where they want to place it. Have your children pick out where the dresser should go, how to hang the playroom sign, and what to paint in the mural. Even something as simple as a pack of glow-in-the-dark shapes, planets, or stars can lead to a wall or ceiling full of wonder. Spend a few bucks and see what your child can create.
If you have an older child or a tween who wants to keep current with TikTok lighting trends, it’s easy enough to find a strip of LED color-changing lights. Most of these light strips come with their own adhesive backing. Orient the lights how you want them, peel off the backing, and place. Then, with the remote (or an app, for some LED strips), your child can change the colors, set up light patterns, and even set the brightness. This is an easy way to transform your kids’ room into the kind of space you see in your Etsy ads.
6. STORAGE IS A MUST
Since growing kids go through clothing, toys, and school supplies like it’s their job, it might not be easy to keep up if you don’t have the right storage solutions in place. Keep in mind, though, that storage goes beyond your child’s dresser. Some children’s rooms will need cabinet space for toys, craft supplies, or school materials.
You might also need a place to tuck games, books, shoes, and much, much more. That being said, finding additional storage space is often one of those “Yeah, sure” suggestions. Fear not; you can do it. Instead of leaving the clutter to its own devices, invest in solutions like book rails, floating shelves, under-bed storage tubs, cubes, crates, and furniture with built-in storage options.
If you’re able to double-up with your furniture and find a few options with build-in storage or even modular furniture, this is a smart buy. With some smart storage, you’re able to greatly increase your available storage space without completely redoing the room’s layout. This helps keep things consistent for you and your child.
7.DON'T BE AFRAID OF COLOUR AND TEXTURE
As parents, it’s easy to let our adult tastes direct how we design kids’ rooms. However, though a chic, minimalist space might look great on a real estate Instagram, it might not be a space that speaks to or engages your child.
Whether you’re picking out nursery wall art, a baby shower gift, or kid room decor, you don’t always have to keep things neutral. This doesn’t mean that you need to repaint the walls in all the rainbow colors, either or add textures to every surface. Instead, focus on the room’s accessories and the overall kid room decor. You can easily use kid room decor like nursery wall art to add pops of color and texture.
If you’re worried about committing to certain color combos, accessories make it much easier to update the space if and when your child is ready to change things up. That way, you don’t have to worry about constantly repainting the room, and your child can express themselves.
Much like no two kids are the same, no two kids’ rooms are the same. Each room needs to include those effective touches that encourage your child to feel safe and secure in their space. When this happens, it can encourage more independence and growth.
What might seem like a silly decoration or a wall canvas that you’ll switch out in a few years could make dozens of memories and leave lasting impressions. Canvas & Decor can help you shape those stories. If you’re wondering how canvas prints and wall art can reshape a kids’ room, contact us today.