PROPERTY NEWS - The idea of decorating or redecorating any room of the house can be daunting - especially when kids are involved.
Right now your six-year-old girl might be all about unicorns, but in less than a year a new trend or colour scheme will have grabbed all her attention and the once "must have" unicorns will have to be replaced.
Children of all ages spend a lot of time in their bedrooms, playing with friends, sleeping, and later on, completing homework and studying.
Their space in your home is the best place to display their developing personalities. As your child grows, their bedroom should grow with them.
Helpful ideas for decorating your child's bedroom:
Add colour
Adding their favourite colour to an accent wall or even the whole room is the perfect way to brighten up any child's room and make it a more inviting space. You can also look into what colours might open up a smaller room or bring a more cosy feel into a wide, open space.
Chalkboard paint is even an option and is a great way to inspire creativity! Younger kids have a chance to explore their artistic inclinations and older kids can use the painted space as a calendar. If you are looking for something a little less permanent than a fresh coat of paint, try decorating the walls with a colourful tapestry or even using it as a makeshift headboard.
Tip: Be sure to bring home paint strips and test swatches before making any big changes.
Use wall decals
Peel-and-stick decals are one of the most inclusive temporary ways to decorate bedroom walls. They are especially ideal if you are renting your home and repainting is not an option. Decals can be part of an overall theme or just as a fun pop of colour to spice up plain, neutral walls.
Include your kids by letting them pick out the decals and help position them if they need help. As your child grows out of the design they are easier to remove and/or replace without damaging the underlying paint.
Tip: Make sure that these are not your average craft stickers as many can take off chips of paint or leave behind a sticky residue when removed.
Use open organisation
Plenty of storage space is a must-have in any child's bedroom and everything should have its place, especially if you are looking to keep the rest of the house orderly. Kids are undoubtedly messy but you can make the clean-up and organisation easier on both youself and them by storing toys, arts and craft supplies and clothes in open bins, baskets, and shelving.
This eliminates the need to dig through storage and makes accessing toys and games that much easier and even makes it easier to see where its home is when playtime is over.
Keep similar things in the same areas and work with your children to come up with a system that keeps things in as much order as possible.
Space, space, space
If you want to make the most of smaller square footage, a simple way to maximise floor space is to push the bed up against a wall, ideally into a corner. This opens the floor up for playtime. If children are sharing a room, investing in bunk beds is another fun way to open up a room (as long as kids understand the safety rules).
Foster individuality
If your children are sharing a bedroom, be sure to allow for individuality. While some siblings may love having a symmetrical room with matching bedding and furnishings, others may prefer to stand out. Keep some unity in the design by choosing matching bedroom furniture, but consider allowing them to paint them different colours - or simply leave it up to them and let each child pick out their own furniture pieces to make their side unique, such as a bedside lamp, fun bean-bag chair, or artwork to hang on their side of the room.
Don't sweat the small stuff. Nothing is perfect, but first and foremost, decorating should be a fun experience for everyone.
