How To Decorate Kids’ Rooms

Decorating a child’s bedroom can be loads of fun, but you have a dauntingly tough client, and if you’re pregnant and designing a nursery, chances are you’re trying to make decisions with baby brain fog! Here’s a secret: when I had my son, I had no idea what I wanted his nursery to be like. I hadn’t launched my business at that point so I wasn’t immersed daily with inspiration and up-to-date with all the patterns and decor available to me, and I wasn’t brimming with ideas like I am now!

I hadn’t been on my personal colour journey yet, so I didn’t know the difference between colour palettes that I quite liked, and the ones I want to live with which make my heart sing and boost my wellbeing. So I basically didn’t make any decisions at all - I painted the walls white (my worst nightmare!) and picked a generic kids’ pattern for blinds (Scion ‘April Showers’) and sewed some coloured pom-poms onto navy curtains. I had a really limited idea of what a child’s bedroom should or could look like.

4 years on, I’m brimming with ideas for kids’ rooms! Not least inspired by my 12 years working with children and teenagers and of course my own 2 children, they have become one of my favourite rooms to decorate. In this blog I’ve set out my approach to successfully add character, pattern and colour to children’s bedrooms. 

How to introduce characterful furniture to children’s rooms:

Guy Tobin’s girls’ room is one of my favourite examples of a child’s bedroom. He says, “I have a firm rule with children, which is that I treat them as future adults from day one and so did not want a fluffy room for them. ... Instead of plush teddy bears, we have gone for gutsy animal elements.” This approach has definitely changed my outlook. Kids don’t need to have plastic furniture in tasteless shapes, there is no reason not to give them antiques or vintage items that have character and a story. Just don’t be too precious, make sure it’s nothing too valuable or delicate because it will get bashed a bit or coloured in – and this should add to the patina and the story, not ruin it!

I would look to get an antique chest of drawers, desk, chair or bookshelves, as these will always have a place in your house. I would avoid things like an antique nursing chair or crib which could be quite expensive for only 2 years’ use and won’t necessarily meet modern safety standards.

Aim to spend money on things that will still be used or cherished when your child is 18. Don’t splash out on new expensive items like beds if they’re childish, no matter how lovely they are for a 5-year-old! Instead, get something that will last. You can make it feel youthful with more inexpensive additions like bedding, cushions and string lights in child-centred designs.

How to add pattern to a child’s room:

Wallpaper and fabrics are a great way to add pattern, but for practicality they should be washable. I have seen beautiful wallpapers in kids' rooms but you’ve got to be realistic about it getting scribbled on. Your home is primarily for living in, it is the backdrop to your life, so it does not do to be too precious!

Children grow fast, so the decor they like changes rapidly too. As curtains are an expensive design element, it’s best to pick a plain or simple abstract pattern which will fit with different colours and styles. In addition to bedding and cushions, a basic rectangular upholstered headboard is a really good option for adding more themed patterns which reflect their age and interests. You need no skill at all to staple a new fabric over it and you will only need 1m of fabric, so it can be easily updated for a minimal cost.

How to use colour in a child’s bedroom:

It’s a fact that no matter how much you try to stick to Montessori wooden toys in tasteful colours, you children will accumulate garish plastic belongings at an alarming rate! Furthermore, toys need to be visible and organised to get played with so open storage is a must. Allowing children autonomy to choose what items they display in their room is so important for their wellbeing and developing a sense of self, it allows them to express themselves and create a place of belonging.

All this amounts to a room where many bright colours are already on display, so a tastefully minimalist, tonal decor scheme is going to feel adulterated. Therefore, my approach is to pick a decor scheme with at least 3 colours so that your child’s favourite toys and belongings don’t ‘ruin’ the look.

If you are worried about it feeling too bold and lively, you can maintain a softer, calming look in two ways. Firstly, reduce contrast by avoiding very dark colours (i.e. navy) and very light colours (i.e. white). Secondly, use more muted colours over large expanses such as the walls, floor, bed and window dressing, and keep stronger colours as accents. 

Most importantly, make sure your little one is involved in the decisions-making process in an age-appropriate way. Not only does this foster agency and show your child that you respect their ideas and trust them, but when they invest their own effort into their space, it feels all the more special to them! You can read more about this in my previous blog about kids rooms here.

For a little extra help pulling your design together, why not book one of my interior design services?