COOL FOR KIDS - CREATING A CHILD'S BEDROOM
By Katie Lavender, Sales and Marketing Manager
If you thought choosing an interior scheme for adults was tough just try pleasing, and appeasing, your tiny terror! They’re possibly the most opinionated and demanding member of your household and the one who knows exactly what they want (usually a. impossible and b. unaffordable) and what’s worse, they’ll make your life a misery unless they get it.
Now I’m not suggesting, even for a second, that all children are demanding brats or that such behaviour should be tolerated but, let’s face it, we love to please those we love and even more than that….we love a quiet life.
So, be it a Power Rangers power house, a mini Noddyville or a Pink Palace for a Princess here are five top tips for creating the perfect kids bedroom:
A Few Fundamentals
Any child’s room needs to be functional as well as inspirational and there are certain items which every bedroom needs. These include a bed and wardrobe – obviously! - but also numerous nifty storage devices for their unbelievable amounts of clutter. Its here where you can get creative and devise novel methods of storing toys, laundry and books and of displaying prize possessions, such as medals, paintings, certificates and posters.
Set Your Budget
The aim is to create a new child’s bedroom not bankrupt you so set your budget and stick to it, regardless of your child’s pestering. When making purchase decisions remember that the room will need to last a good few years, as the needs, tastes (and size!) of your child changes. The scheme will need to reflect these changes and be flexible enough to be updated cheaply and with minimum fuss.
Speak to the VIP
Involve your children in the decorating decisions but don’t mistake faddy fashions for long term likes, just because they think Furby is fab right now doesn’t mean they will do in six months time. Together, try and devise a room scheme that incorporates their favourite colours, their favourite sports and hobbies and their favourite objects. Ask them which one item they would like in their room more than anything else then construct the scheme around this.
Choose a Dream Theme
Themed rooms are usually a great success and can be established through the inclusion of a few clever accessories and paint techniques, so can be changed and adapted as they get older. An example might be a Pirates Bedoom which could include a treasure map style mural painted on a blue wall, a skull and cross bones sign on the door, a ship in a bottle, a treasure chest style toy box, and so on. Take these elements away and you have a simple blue interior scheme – a ‘blank’ canvas for the next theme.
Get the Basics Right
This brings me to my last top tip; if you get the basics right you can create just about anything in a few simple steps – and keep on creating. A room painted white can be transformed into a Princess Palace with the addition of some pink bedding, a blind and a few toy tiaras. Just as easily, it can progress into a shrine to Dalmatian doggies with the addition of black and white or spotted accessories. Whatever your child’s passion you can cater for it if you get the basics right, and that Take That mural will be gone for good with a few coats of paint!
