For
kids, their bedroom is where they play games, read, listen
to music, wrestle, display or hide prized possessions, day-dream,
or just go to be alone sometimes. So try these eight strategies
to help create a space that will make you both happy:
1.
Talk to your child. Find out what activities and fantasies
he or she enjoys; what their favorite color is; and what's
unique about their personality that a theme could be built
around. Then work their interests into a design that will
make them feel comfortable, happy, and safe.
2.
Allow your child to help. Let them have a say about colors,
fabrics, and how they want to display their collectibles.
The design should be flexible enough to accommodate their
changing tastes, needs, and interests.
3.
Make the room multi-functional. Since children use their room
for many activities besides sleeping, it should have several
different zones.
These
could include a play area; a reading area; a space to play
with friends that's equipped with a radio, CD player, and
a TV/VCR; a display area with a wall or corkboard for favorite
photos and artwork; and finally, a place for shelving to display
collectibles, trophies, and other personal items.
4.
Make storage a priority. Containing clutter will be one of
your greatest challenges. Try shelving, large decorative wicker
baskets, plastic see-through containers, and closets that
contain plenty of shelving and racks.
5.
Keep window treatments simple. Avoid long draperies. Shades,
blinds, and shorter curtains are safer choices. The fabric
should be versatile, and patterns should be repeated in other
items in the room, such as in pillows, quilts, lampshades,
bed ruffles, etc.
6.
Choose the right lighting. A child’s room should include
both task lighting for homework and reading, and soothing
light for quieter times. A nightlight is also important if
your child is not comfortable in the dark, and for safety
reasons, so they can find their way to the bathroom at night.
7.
Use wallpaper or paint to add color and texture. You can apply
whimsical borders along the top edges of the walls, and clouds
or stars on the ceiling.
It
might be wise to make sure the walls of childrens rooms are
washable, so if you are using paint, choose a semi-gloss or
gloss finish. Kids love bright colors, but you should limit
any strong color to only one wall. For example, paint one
wall fire-engine red, and the others a soft peach or pink.
8.
Allow your child to select the design theme. The choices are
endless. Here are just a few: firehouse fun room, starry night,
angels, rainbows, unicorns, baseball, a bedroom for a princess,
underwater scenery, outer space, race cars, airplanes, trains,
jungle motifs, wizards and dragons, and dinosaurs. You can
visit our new Web site for a lot more ideas!
Decorating
with your child offers a great opportunity to display your
playful side, while doing some memorable family bonding. So
have fun with it and remember that even if your child's choice
in themes seems bizarre, there's probably a way to work out
a compromise.
About
the Author
Michael
Holland is the creator of the Web sites http://www.home-decorating-made-easy.com
and http://www.kids-rooms-and-crafts.com.
His web site offers lots of FREE home decorating tips and
ideas.
