You probably think of your kids as smaller versions of yourself – most parents do! However, they have special needs and passionate desires that as an adult, you may have forgotten about. This is especially true when you’re decorating your child’s room. Many parents create rooms for their children that are basically the same as their own, except for the bedding. While parents choose sheets and coverlets that their children request, they often overlook other details that make a child’s room more appealing to the little person who lives there. Think about incorporating some of these hints and tips into your decorating scheme:
- Glow, Glow, Glow!
Make bedtime fun by adding glow in the dark paint accents to your child’s room. Available at most home and craft stores, these paints or paint additives make turning out the lights an adventure.
- Lots of Lighting
Make sure that there are several options for varying levels of light in your child’s room. Some children have a lingering fear of the dark, so make sure they have nightlights or low-wattage bedside lamps available to soothe their discomfort. If possible, make sure that overhead light switches are within your child’s reach, or provide a sturdy stepstool right under the switch that gives them the necessary few extra inches.
- Say Goodbye to Storage Woes
Many children hate tidying up because the storage solutions in their rooms just don’t work for them. By keeping shelves, drawers, hanging racks and chests at the proper height and lightweight, children can get to them easily and use them properly. Stuffed animals everywhere? Use a hanging shoe organizer to keep them tucked away! The plastic construction makes them easy to see, and their heads can poke out of the end, allowing them to ‘breathe’. Or make a great t-shirt wall quilt for storing items, like this one from Martha Stewart.
4. Fun Furniture
When decorating a young child’s room, consider buying used furniture at a thrift store or flea market, or finding pieces on Craig’s List or Freecycle. Strip the furniture, then with your child, select new paint and create a masterpiece! Let your child help – incorporate hand or finger prints of paint into the design, or plan for speckles or polka dots that little hands can create. You can strip and refinish the furniture as often as you like! And since the furniture was obtained cheaply, when it is outgrown, it won’t be expensive to replace.
- Wall Art
Removable wall transfer art (such as the popular line of Fatheads) is becoming incredibly popular. Let your child personalize his or her room with dinosaurs, princesses, animals or anything else that catches the eye. Because these “wall tattoos” are completely removable, they can easily change as your child’s interests change. Also consider painting a portion of the wall with chalkboard paint, and providing multi-colored chalk for artistic expression. Hours of fun, easy to clean, and a great outlet for creativity!
- Board It Up!
Kids love to display artwork, pictures or souvenirs. Invest in a few cork boards so they can pin up pieces they like. Also, galvanized steel sheets are available at most home improvement stores, and make fantastic display places with the help of a handful of colorful magnets!
- Color Scheming
Although you may wince at the thought, let your child pick out the dominant colors in his or her room. Paint is easy to change, and the addition of a pink wall or a bright red inner door can thrill your child to no end.
- Look, Mom! It’s Me!
Use one of the handy photo conversion services, such as
Snapfish, to create posters, wall art, photo frames or hanging canvases that feature your child or his or her artwork.
The
Design Studio professionals at Ernest Signature Custom Homes can help you put together a functional, fun room for your child in your new home, so don’t hesitate to ask them for advice. Call us at (912) 756-4135 or drop us an
email today!
