I think it’s pretty typical to spend the warmer months developing your garden and outdoor space, but as the seasons start to change we tend to turn our attention to indoor projects. With Autumn around the corner we’re about to tackle a tricky room in our house: our eight year old son’s bedroom.
I think kids’ rooms are so hard to get right. They’re often small and need to multi-task hard, providing space for sleeping, playing and learning as well as much-needed storage – making them a daunting project. Here are my top tips to help you get started.
Make it personal: whether your boy is into sport, music, books, collecting things or a bit of everything, building the bedroom around his personality and interests helps you get the design right. This is relevant to the furniture and storage as much as it is to the overall look: for example, Sam is car crazy so we’ll be including framed car prints and incorporating lots of storage for his toy car collection. It’s a great idea to involve your child with this process, nobody knows better than them what they like!
Be clear on purpose: obviously this is a boy’s bedroom we’re talking about, but it will probably also be a place to play, spend time with friends and possibly work too. Try to build these functions into the design and layout.
Look for inspiration: the internet is a great source of inspiration when you’re planning a room re-design and it can help you firm up your ideas before starting the project in earnest. You could even make a mood board of ideas to help you see how it will all work together.
Mobimio – Räume für Kinder / Homify
Make storage a priority: with young children around, storage in the home is a big deal: it’s a constant battle to find a place for all the toys, books, collections, craft equipment and artwork that just keeps on coming. Storing some of this in your child’s bedroom can really help to free up space elsewhere in the house, so make sure you incorporate adequate storage into the design and don’t be tempted to leave this job until last – it just doesn’t work!
Muebles Flores Torreblanca / Homify
Aim for a design that grows with your child: a tricky one to pull off but very cost-effective. Try to stick to a neutral colour scheme which you can liven up with coloured accessories; these can be updated as your boy grows without re-designing the whole room. Similarly with furniture, classic pieces in white or wood finishes are timeless. And consider multi-functional furniture too; we’ll be swapping Sam’s bed for a high sleeper with toy storage underneath, as he grows that storage can become a desk or an area to hang out with friends.
Lighting: this can make the world of difference to a room. Choose good task lighting for areas where your child will work or read, and consider using lighting to add a fun element in line with your room’s theme.
bwalter67 / Homify
Involve your boy: as well as giving you an extra pair of hands on the job, involving your child in their bedroom makeover is a great way to encourage ownership of their room and it’s contents. Make sure you let them help with the final job of putting their possessions back in the room, so they know where things go when it’s time to tidy up!
What are your top tips for kids bedroom makeovers? Let me know in the comments.
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