Kids deserve to have a great personal space as much their parents do. Like anyone else, they should be able to express themselves through décor. The catch is, over the years, their likes and dislikes change as much as their growing bodies. The following are some hints to keep the kids happy with their rooms without doing a complete revamp year after year.
COLOR: Start with an inspiration piece such as bedding. Draw colors from a quilt or comforter. Choose one of the brightest colors from the pattern and use it as either an accent wall behind the bed or under a chair-rail running all four walls of the room. Select a lighter, more neutral shade for either the other three walls, or for the top half of the chair-rail. This will provide relief from the accent color and will be the stabilizing hue as the more dramatic color changes over the years.
THEME-IT: Giving a room an obvious theme is a popular option and an easy way to decorate a child’s space. Television and movie characters are a favorite, but the problem is, Dora the Explorer is “awesome” one day, and “is for babies” the next.
Avoid going overboard when appeasing your child’s desire for licensed characters. Instead of purchasing an entire comforter set, occasional chair and pajamas to match, opt for a toss pillow or throw blanket or small area rug with the emblazoned image on it. These are inexpensive accessories, easily changed out when the love is gone.
Another route to go in the themeing direction is to use color or texture as your theme. For example, choose one color as your inspiration. Paint the walls with the darkest/brightest of the color on the color strip and then use the medium, more neutral for the rest of your walls, and the lightest as your ceiling. Choose bedding, lamp shades and other accessories in different shades of this same color for a bold room that’s not blatantly juvenile.
To use texture as a theme, think tactile. Use various millworks such as chair-rail, crown molding and paneled looks to add dimension. Paint these woods a nice neutral to contrast against the wall color. Use 2ft. squares of particle board covered in faux leather, highly looped bath mats, or printed fabric, as art to hang on the wall. These panels can also act as great tactile experience for the little ones, when hung under the height of the chair rail, when they are learning to pull-up.
FURNITURE AND FANS: Think “long-term” from the start. Purchase the crib that will transform into a toddler bed or twin size headboard. Aim for classic lines without too much embellishment, as long as there aren’t any flowers or animals, these can easily be painted to suit an older child’s taste down the road. Avoid any smaller, kid-size furniture when possible. Get the essentials such as bookcases, nightstands and dressers in a standard scale. Don’t feel you must shop at children’s furniture stores in order to furnish their room. Instead, stick with typical furniture stores that offer all categories of furnishings.
NOT YOUR MOTHER’S STICKERS: Many different designs are now available in decal form. Anything from simple shapes such as polka dots or abstract swirls, to full sized sports heroes can be applied to your child’s walls. Whether you create planned patterns with the different shapes, such as vertical stripes, or a border treatment, the real beauty of these decorative accents is that they are easily removed when the time comes.
