When it comes to bedroom design, kids’ bedrooms often prove to be a sticking point. After all, how do you design a living space for someone whose central life themes will be outgrown every few years?
One year it’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or Hello Kitty, and the next it’s Pirates of the Caribbean or the theme from Disney’s Frozen – kids jump from room preferences as fast as they hop from one ice-cream flavor to the next in a Baskin Robbins display case.
Unless you’re the world’s most enthusiastic bedroom designer, the prospect of having to redesign your kids’ bedroom in tandem with their constantly evolving likes and interests as they grow up year after year is a foreboding as well as costly one.
The solution?
A young child’s bedroom is a living universe for them. It also helps to develop healthy sleep habits. It’s where they play, dream, imagine, do homework and hang out with friends. More than that it’s an isolation zone from grown-ups and a refuge in times of emotional turmoil – it needs to be fun, comfortable and functional, but most importantly for you the parent/designer, it needs to be effortlessly open to change and transition as your child grows up.
Color is Key
Keep themes colorful but don’t go overboard. Use a splash of your child’s favorite color to bring a fun, creative energy to the room. This way you maintain a room that your child can grow into, that is fun and creative but also nice, clean and sophisticated
Build from the basics
The goal is to establish a workable ‘framework’ of wall colors, and base furnishings (beds, desks, drawers, cabinets etc.) that accommodate changes in fad details – Think of designing their room in a way that will last at least a few years, that accommodates the interchangeability of kids likes and preferences as they age and mature.
A fairy garden might be great for your 4 year old princess but when she turns seven or eight so will her preferences – make sure you design with foresight.
By making smart use of neutral colors with your child’s favorite color accented in wallpaper or bed spreads and rugs, you can ensure the overall tone and feel of the room is immediately to their liking.
Thinking inside the box – cleaning up the clutter
Kids and clutter go hand in hand, so when designing the perfect room for the youngest members of your tribe, combine function with form – think inside the box.
If your little boy is a huge Pirates of the Caribbean fan, accents of ocean blue combined with multipurpose props – such as a treasure chest that doubles as a cache for toys as well as a study desk – is the epitome of smart room design.
Be smart with space
If you have more kids than bedrooms in which to put them, then creating fun and inventive sleeping spaces for them within a single room is not as hard you think.
For those with the ceiling height to warrant it, kiddy lofts are surging in popularity. Use your space wisely – if you lack the extra bedroom but have high ceilings then why not create a custom loft? This ensures that your two kids each get their own private space within their shared bedroom. What’s more, as every kid will tell you, climbing up to where you sleep is just that much cooler.
An added advantage is that the mini staircase leading up to the loft can be repurposed into additional shelving and drawer space – tastefully colored, this approach will give the room a truly authentic, creative and adventurous dynamic your kids will absolutely love – not to mention free up some much needed storage space.
Remember
Great home design is all about blending creativity and function with the space available to you in each room of the home. For kids, the secret lies in designing a smart, fun but most importantly versatile room that lends itself to seamless transition as your child grows and develops.