Not Kidding Around: Stylish Ways to Decorate your Child’s Bedroom

It’s no secret that children spend a lot of time in their bedrooms. And little wonder: for a child, a bedroom isn’t just a place for sleeping, but for reading, doing schoolwork, playing, and daydreaming. So it’s important that their bedroom is decorated appropriately because of the time they’ll be spending there as they grow up. Above all, the space should be a reflection of their personalities. Because of those wildly different personalities, of course, the ideal bedroom of one child may look very different from that of another. Here we explore various stylish possibilities for decorating your child’s bedroom.

Nursery

You might think that very young children would be indifferent to the look of their bedroom decor, but you’d be wrong. From the earliest age, babies notice and are responsive to the visual space around them, and as they grow and develop, it becomes ever more important. One way to go is to use very soft tones and keep it bright, for example using blues, whites and greys, which both suits a baby and a more grown-up toddler. White walls can be contrasted using colourful accessories, and don't forget to add a touch of warmth and cosiness to the room, perhaps using appropriate lighting.

An alternative is to really accentuate the bright colours, but to still keep everything simple. A simple, bright and happy space is ideal for the development of a healthy toddler. Bold wall illustrations and cosy furniture, like a soft chair with cushions, can produce a very nice room. Adding storage cabinets for those things that need to be tidied away, plus a mobile hanging from the ceiling, is a great way to accentuate the room without adding clutter. Consider second-hand furniture painted in bright colours as well.

Child

As children get older, their personalities really begin to emerge a little more, so this is the ideal time to aim for an individualised, personal room aesthetic. Finding out the child’s favourite colour will help with determining the colour scheme of the room, and basing a theme around personal interests is also a great way to move forward. For example, if a child is particularly interested in travel, you might consider a world map on one wall or a mural of a compass. In terms of colours, think bright and bold or soothing pastels, depending on your child’s personality.

Of course, rather than taking an individualised approach, you might want to consider more neutral possibilities, especially if your children are sharing a room. Earthy, natural colours like greys and exposed wood are ideal for a warm environment, and limiting your palette of colours and materials is important for the avoidance of clutter. For something a little different, try greys and whites instead, and use little accent elements like bean bags to make the place more home-like. And don’t forget a lot of storage spaces for when the kids get bored of whatever toy they’re playing with at the moment! Kids bedroom furniture tends to contain a lot of hidden storage space for exactly this reason.

Teen

Once puberty hits, everything changes again – more rapidly than you would have thought possible, We’ve all been there, but it’s easy to forget just how much upheaval an influx of hormones can cause in our lives and to our personalities. The core of a teen bedroom is the desk, because they’ll be using it a lot for studying (hopefully!) and, particularly for girls, a dressing table. So, a good desk with drawers for the storage of books and supplies as well as accessories is a crucial element. Let your teen accentuate their personal space by choosing a funky chair design that reflects their personality.

Clever inventive storage is important too, for your teen’s myriad interests; use space as efficiently as possible by considering beds with built-in storage, slim-line desks and bookshelves. You can also go a bit wilder with the décor – fairy lights, spots and stripes on the furnishings, and darker colours to really drive home the hip youth vibe. Custom-designed chairs, cushions, lampshades and wallpaper are a great way to provide memorable, comfortable pieces for your teen’s bedroom. And you might want to let them have the final say – while they may not be expert interior decorators at this age, their needs are very strong, and even if they get it wrong, it will be a useful lesson!