Decorating a child’s room can be a fun and rewarding process, providing your son or daughter with a stimulating environment in which to play. It also allows you, the parent, a bit of time-off to have a break and gather your thoughts. Here’s a short guide on how to go about decorating your child’s room so that you can both get the most out of your pain-staking efforts.
Child Involvement
Try to involve your child in any decorating project you embark on. There’s bound to be a particular character or toy that he/she covets so consider using this as a general theme. Whichever way you decide to decorate the room enlist their help in the actual process, whether it’s with a paintbrush or a dustpan and brush. This is a great way of allowing them to take ownership of their room while providing a sense of achievement once the project is complete. Remember to decorate according to their tastes, not yours. If some of their ideas are a bit outlandish (which is entirely possible) provide them with a number of alternatives so that they know their opinions are being taken seriously.
Decorating for Under-10s
Decor for under-10 year olds is often bright and in some cases rather loud. For girls, bold shades of pinks and yellows are obvious choices for the wall colour. For boys, blues and greens should be acceptable. In terms of lighting, choose standalone lamp shades which emit a soft glow with soothing, relaxing qualities – this will ensure they get a better night’s sleep.
Storage is also a very important consideration for under-10s, mainly because of the amount of toys they’ll probably have. So try to choose storage furniture that’s can be used to store toys easily and securely, and which enables the youngster to access them safely. Boxes and chests are often very useful in this regard and can be a great way of de-cluttering your child’s living space.
Decorating for Over-10s
Decorating for over-10s can sometimes prove rather tricky. It’s often a period of adjustment for the child as their tastes develop and become more refined. So neutral, more grown-up colours are definitely the way to go. Framed posters also prove popular and provide a sense of maturity and refinement that the youngster will really appreciate. At this stage in their schooling, they’ll probably have homework to complete so including some kind of desk furniture is also a good idea. Sometimes it’s a better idea for a child to have somewhere peaceful to do their homework. The kitchen table is often not the best place for concentration, even if it allows parents to supervise more easily.
Furniture that lasts
While it’s tempting to bedeck your child’s entire room, including the furniture, in their chosen colours, consider keeping at least one piece of furniture free from the pinks, yellows or blues that may dominate their space. As mentioned, children’s tastes are going to change so it’s often more cost-effective to leave some furniture pieces as-are instead of forking out on a replacement further down the line.