Children's bedrooms can be so much fun to decorate! But it can be hard to know where to start and how to make it funky and fabulous, without having to mortgage the house to pay for your decorating dreams!!
Here are a few ideas to get you underway.
Decorating Children's Bedrooms on a Budget
Longevity
Consider how often you want to decorate for your children. If you are only adding accessories or linen, then you can easily update the theme annually. But when you are choosing things like beds or curtains, you will want your choices to still look great in years to come.
So keep your costly items as neutral as possible, so these will still look good with your next theme and as your child's age and tastes change over the years.
We recommend avoiding an all over theme such as Thomas the Tank Engine, as it will likely be a passing phase!
Curtains or blinds?
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These can be expensive!! How often will you be replacing them?
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However curtains are pretty simple to make, so it can be worth checking our fabric on sale at somewhere like Spotlight and giving making your own curtains a go.
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Double-tape can be handy too, so you can replace the curtains in future but not need to replace the lining as well. The lining just clips onto the back of the curtains.
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Curtains are easier for children to open and don't have the safety issues that blinds can....but blinds have a crisper look!
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Resist buying cheap roman blinds..they do not last the distance of a children's bedroom!
Bedroom furniture
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This is an area you can spend a fortune on, but furniture is often one of those things you get what you pay for. For example you can buy a cheap cube from the warehouse which does the trick really well but will easily chip with constant use.....kids are very hard on furniture in our experience!
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It's worth buying as good a quality as you can afford when choosing your child's bed, as a decent mattress is really important.
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Avoid using a foam mattress with children as it doesn't provide sufficient support for their spine as they get older.
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Recycled furniture can be easily updated with a paint job, so check your inorganic collection, local charity shops, online auctions or ask family members for old wooden furniture they no longer need.
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Invest in dressing tables or sets of drawers that open easily...children can find drawers hard to open.
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Make sure any heavy furniture items are secured to the wall.
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Cubes are brilliant for children's rooms, as you can use them for books, display items or add storage baskets for smaller items.
What things to include in a childs bedroom?
From our own experience, the following are great to have in a child's room:
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Bed!
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Add a trundler bed or spare mattress, which will get used for sleepovers, playing on, great for family staying.
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Set of drawers that your child can easily open for themself.
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if you have big wardrobes you can put the drawers in the wardrobe, freeing up lots of floor space.
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Plastic tubs or bins for toys
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A bookshelf or cube
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If you have space, a small table or desk with child size chair will get lots of use.
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Somewhere comfy to sit and play, read a book, have a bit of quiet time. This might just be a corner with a couple of cushions, cover a cot mattress, colourful rug etc.
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A bedside table or position something else in easy reach...for the glass of milk and other essential treasures.
Storage
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You can never have too much storage!!
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What can you fit under the bed - look for plastic boxes that fit under the bed for out of season clothes, toys etc
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Cubes are great as they are high and you can fit lots of storage boxes in them.
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Traditional wardrobes are a hopeless waste of space for children, as practically nothing is hung. Invest in some wardrobe shelving or baskets, add some basic shelving or get the hanging cubes that hand from the wardrobe rail.
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Regularly cull your children's clothing and toys, and either give things away or store them away for a while so the room is less cluttered.
Design & Style Tips
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Deciding on a theme or colour can be challenging, particularly if you let your child have a say! If you have younger children, it can work well for YOU to decide on the theme. They will love what you create for them and this keeps the decisions and process much more simple!
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Also consider how long you want the bedroom decor to last for. While they may love Thomas the Tank Engine this week, will they still be such a fan next year?
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Avoid branded or licensed themes apart from quick and easy accessories...children change quickly.
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A good first step is to choose 1-2 colours that your child likes and browse ideas that use those colours.
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Or check out duvet covers and see something you like that you can match some accessories or wall colours too. It's easier to find the linen or curtains first, then choose your paint to match.
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Stripes or polka dots are universal and create a good base upon which to build. These often appeal well to children who are different ages, so they may be more durable than busier patterns or cute designs that age quickly.
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What is your child interested in or what activities do they enjoy doing in their room, or would do in their room with the right layout and space? If your child loves art, then space for hanging pictures and a small art table would be lovely.
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Or if your child loves lego, some lego coloured accessories, great lego storage and a table for working on is all the theme you need to get started.
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Is there a much loved toy that their world revolves around and you think will be enduring, such as a dolls house?
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What do you already have that could be re-used??? An older child may have grown out of something that your younger child would love to have in their room.
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A feature wall or two is pretty cheap and doesn't take long...colour is often what makes the biggest difference in children's bedrooms!
Accessory ideas
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Wall stickers are a quick and afforable way to transform a bedroom, and to have unique decor by each bunk or on each side of the bedroom.
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Themed cushion such as a car or bird.
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Rugs are lovely for reading or playing on.
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Plastic tubs or storage boxes can provide easy pops of colour.
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Search 2 dollar shops, the warehouse etc for cheap accessories in your chosen colour scheme. For example I got 3 funky bright green a4 frames at The Warehouse for $5 each, which will be great for children's art and match the opposite feature wall.
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A bedside lamp or nightlight can also add to the theme without costing too much.