| All great kid rooms from baby to teenager have | | | | * Accessories. Less is better, for everyone on |
| one element in common, personality. Personality | | | | many levels. With proper storage and display |
| doesn't come from a page in a catalogue or | | | | (shelves) you can feature a few key toy items |
| vignette in a furniture store. It comes directly | | | | and put the rest away. Too much to look at |
| from your child. It can guide you to picking the | | | | makes it hard to focus. This can result in a low |
| right colors, fabrics, furniture and accessories. | | | | attention span. |
| Giving the room personality will allow a child to feel | | | | Ages 10 through 13 - your interests don't matter |
| connected to his or her room. This is a better | | | | but your guidance does |
| solution than settling for cute, easy or impulse | | | | * Try to build on the existing so it doesn't |
| buying. Give your child a space they can call their | | | | become a total redo, but enough for your son or |
| own and it really is about them. | | | | daughter to feel good about. This is the last stage |
| The guidelines below will help you give your child a | | | | for any fairytale princesses or truck drivers and it |
| fantastic interior environment that both of you will | | | | very likely they will go now. You may luck out |
| be happy with. These tips follow each stage in a | | | | with only a minor update your last color scheme. |
| child's life. They work. They were created for | | | | A previous theme can get a new life. Spaceships |
| parents but designed to consider children and | | | | can convert to the solar system still keeping a |
| lessons that can be imparted through each | | | | main blue sky color or the girly dolls are replaced |
| décor change. Parents often struggle with | | | | with fairies while purple and bright pink get added |
| how to make the room have a unique personality | | | | to the previous light pink color scheme. If you |
| and grow with the child so and not require a few | | | | want to forgo a literal theme at this in-between |
| thousand dollar upgrade every few years. This | | | | stage, it can be purely about a color scheme. |
| guide will help you use your décor dollars | | | | * Time for a bedding update. Change all of it, the |
| wisely and make them last. | | | | comforter, duvet, sheets, bedskirt, introduce |
| Infant to age four - your interests matter | | | | throw pillows of their choosing. |
| * Determine a simple theme. The possibilities are | | | | * Based on the child this also might be the time |
| endless but choose something that is calming and | | | | for a more significant desk or larger bed or young |
| inspirational because this is their place for growth | | | | adult scaled furniture if necessary. |
| and rest. Resist the obvious and be creative. A | | | | Ages 14 through off to college - you can have |
| few ideas:o A page from a children's book.o | | | | the room back when they leave. This is when |
| Nature - trees, grass, flowers or bugs, water, | | | | their personality really matters. It can be your |
| etc.o Shapes - circles, hearts, stars, blocks, | | | | best opportunity to teach them about putting a |
| triangles.o Something that inspires you like the | | | | room together. The next time they have a |
| seashore, a merry-go-round, the stars, etc. | | | | décor change will be when they are doing |
| * Create a color scheme that fits your theme - | | | | it on their own (with your money.) *I got to pick |
| beyond pink for girls and blue for boys. | | | | my paint colors light turquoise walls with bright |
| * For basic furniture pick items that suit your | | | | yellow trim and then change them myself after a |
| storage needs and size. This isn't the time for pint | | | | year because they did not work. Hey it was a |
| sized chests of drawers, they aren't dressing on | | | | valuable lesson about picking colors. |
| their own yet. Include a comfortable chair for you | | | | * Let them pick a theme or evoke a mood. Girls |
| (recover it later or for another room when it isn't | | | | tend to be very peer or celebrity focused and |
| needed) for nursing and bedtime stories. | | | | ready to be a grown up and boys can be still into |
| * Keep it simple. As this is an important time in | | | | sports, astronomy and cars. Guide them on |
| childhood development, do not over accessorize. | | | | selecting a theme that will last and is a bit more |
| It doesn't matter how cute it is or how much you | | | | grown-up. |
| love it. Don't keep buying something and putting it | | | | * Display is key. Give them somewhere to hang |
| in the room or on the walls. Just like in an adult | | | | or display pictures of their friends, trophies and |
| room (it may be more important here) the eye | | | | other items they want to show off. Teach them |
| needs a place to rest so leave open areas on the | | | | about rotating accessories if the shelves or bulletin |
| floors and walls were nothing is going on. Think | | | | board get full. |
| about the softness and simplicity of a spa. | | | | * Invest in a good mattress (this may be the one |
| * Pick a color you like that goes with the scheme | | | | they take with them) but forgo a major bed. |
| and theme and paint the room with a low VOC | | | | Upholstered headboards with slipcovers are fun, |
| (volatile organic compound) paint. Don't waste | | | | cheap and changeable. |
| your money now on cutesy wallpaper, you will be | | | | * Grown-up lamps and bedside tables with |
| changing it too soon. | | | | storage are good to have. |
| Ages four through nine - your interests matter | | | | * A good desk and desk chair are also vital unless |
| less | | | | homework is done at a family computer |
| * Introduce your child's personality into the room | | | | elsewhere. |
| by creating a new theme based on their interests, | | | | * For girls at this age their bedroom may be their |
| but with your guidance. Unless you want to re-do | | | | showplace, guide them well. Let her have that |
| the room again in a two years do not follow a | | | | large print baroque patterned wallpaper in fuchsia |
| media based (cartoon, movie, TV show, | | | | and gold for the focal point wall behind her bed. |
| computer game, etc.) theme. If they like a certain | | | | Teach her about restraint and how having less in |
| character you can create a theme based on | | | | some areas makes the fantastic stuff stand out. |
| colors from that show. | | | | * For a boy who loves motorcycles and/or cars |
| * Let your child have some influence. It will be a | | | | what makes them stand out is shades of gray |
| guaranteed failure if you start with *what color do | | | | like as in the asphalt of a road. In this case the |
| you want to paint your room?* Instead let them | | | | walls, floors and bedding may be very plain and |
| select paint colors from a group of colors you've | | | | what stands out is the model cars or bike |
| chosen based on the theme. You both win | | | | posters. |
| * Caution: no matter how much a child likes red it | | | | * Now is often the time for new carpet. It is only |
| should not be a wall color for their bedroom | | | | one room, let them create their own interior. |
| unless you want to encourage restless sleep and | | | | However if you are planning on selling your house |
| hyperactivity. | | | | in the next couple of years it is okay to stick with |
| * This can be the time to introduce a wallcovering | | | | a boring neutral, just explain why and make it |
| if it is a pattern you can live with for a few years. | | | | work. Otherwise let them have something fun. |
| Wallcovering is easy to change. You can do the | | | | Throw rugs are a great way to add personality |
| whole room or just a feature wall. | | | | and colors as are carpet tiles. |
| * Select a carpet or area rug with the same | | | | These are just a few simple tricks to help you |
| timetable in mind. | | | | out at any stage of child rearing and guide you to |
| * Storage - introduce shelving and cubbies so | | | | when it is time for a kid room redo and how far |
| EVERYTHING has a place to get put away by a | | | | to go. Decorating is something everyone thinks |
| pint-sized inhabitant. Introduce the idea that | | | | they can do and will try. This is a great way to |
| nothing new comes in unless two old things go | | | | help you give your child some good decorating |
| out. These are the stages habits can take hold. | | | | tools for their future without making a big deal |
| Give your children the guidance for a clutter-free | | | | about it. They won't even know it until their 30! |
| life. | | | | It's our secret. |