How to create the perfect childrens’ bedroom

Perfect kids storage solutions and wardrobe doors from DIY Homefit

So the time has come to update your child’s bedroom. 

This can be much more complicated than it may first appear. You may just have been thinking about a fresh coat of paint on everything and some new bedding? Job done!

But your child will have grown considerably since their bedroom was last updated, so their needs will now be very different. You also have their personal tastes to take into account, and need to work out which are genuine and which are just a passing phase – most likely influenced by trends and peer pressure – that by next month they will hate.

So here are five tips for creating the perfect childrens’ bedroom that will stand the test of time:

Keep things neutral

It can be tempting to go for bright explosions of colour in a child’s room, but it will be more long-lasting if you keep things mostly neutral. This will also make the room more likely to fit in with the rest of the home. 

But neutral definitely doesn’t have to mean boring! The bedroom pictured below is painted in a lovely pale lilac colour, that adds warmth and style to the room, and perfectly complements the bedroom furniture and flat slab wardrobe doors in valore white and natural kendal oak.

As well as the colour of your paint, also consider the durability. For example, if you are using matt emulsion look for a wipe-clean version as this will help to keep the walls in good condition. Also aim for a finish that is resistant to marks and scuffs, and can be scrubbed clean.

Maximise floor space

It’s also a great idea to maximise the floor space in a child’s room. Many children’s bedrooms double up as a playroom so need as much floor space as possible, as in the bedroom pictured above. So you may want to keep the bed against one of the walls, and if children are sharing then consider bunk beds to save floor space. 

Carpet is in many ways the best flooring for a child’s bedroom, as it is warm and cosy, and also perfect for sitting on. It also absorbs noise! But of course the problem is that carpets can get damaged easily through spillages etc, so if you are going to use carpet, look for something that is hard wearing and can be easily cleaned. You may even want to consider carpet tiles so that badly stained areas of carpet can be replaced.

Alternative floorings are vinyl, laminate or wood, all of which are hard-wearing and easy to clean. However they are not as comfortable for sitting and playing, and don’t absorb noise as easily as carpet. But you could get round this by using soft rugs in the most-used areas.

Provide plenty of storage space

It is essential to fit as much storage space into your child’s bedroom as possible. This can be a mixture of open storage – to showcase and provide easy access to your child’s favourite things – and cleverly concealed storage to tuck away all the clutter.

The image below shows a bedroom kitted out with furniture and Bella vinyl-wrapped Lincoln wardrobe doors in Canadian Maple. There is plenty of storage space available in the wardrobe, desk and bedside cabinet, and also open shelving for items that need to be close at hand.

Include a work space if possible

The above bedroom also featured a small work space, and this is likely to become increasingly important as your child gets older. For teenagers you may want to dedicate a small area of the bedroom just as a work space. 

In the bedroom below, a small section of wall has been used to house a desk, chair and storage space. The wall space is also used for the TV. This configuration – using Ultra-Gloss Noce Marino furniture – strikes the ideal balance between work and play for an older child.

Limit current trends to replaceable items

As we saw earlier, childrens’ needs and tastes change on a regular basis. You can incorporate these into the bedroom design by use of replaceable items such as:

• Wall art
• Wall stickers
• Bedding
• Throws
• Scatter cushions
• Rugs
• Curtains
• Blinds

These items can add a personal and colourful touch to the bedroom, but are easy to replace and rehome when your child outgrows them.

So, if it’s time for you to update your child’s bedroom, we hope that the above ideas will help you to create something that is just right for your child’s needs now, but will also grow and develop along with them over the next few years.

For more ideas, take a look through our gallery of bedroom pictures and bedroom storage solutions and start planning the ideal bedroom for your child.

Do check back here soon for more lifestyle tips from DIY Homefit.