Wee socks everywhere and not a match available? A wealth of toys, yet the children claim to be bored? We’ve all been there. A former preschool teacher and mom of an active toddler , I’ve dug deep in years of experience to talk about my 10 best hints on creating beautiful and practical children’s spaces. We continue our series on decorating with intention this week with a peek at a few of the usual themes parents can concentrate on when little ones arrive on the scene. Let us get started.
Jute Interior Design
1. A youngster’s -eye perspective.
A great thing to do when designing children’s rooms is to literally get back on their level. In fact, babyproofing experts often recommend crawling through your home to spot any possible risks. Safety issues aside, you can also use this hint to help decide which toys to place on lower shelves, where to place that cozy reading corner and where to hang art so your little one will actually be able to see it.
2. The wholesome home.
When children are in the home, it’s essential to be thoughtful about the finishes and materials used around the home, particularly if you’re remodeling or adding a lot of new furniture. Natural fibers, reclaimed and untreated woods, paints with zero or low VOC (volatile organic compounds) and also air-cleaning plants are all excellent options.
From House to Home
3. Embrace the power of less.
Don’t be afraid to ruthlessly winnow the amount of toys and substances in your children’s room. If a younger child is having difficulty letting go of old toys, consider decluttering the room on your own. You will be amazed at how much more engaged your child becomes when there is not as to concentrate on.
Initially to go ought to be any toys that are broken or have missing bits, and those that are no more age appropriate. If that still leaves you with a heap of toys that are obnoxiously bright or loud, or drive you nuts, either give them away or store them at a special rainy-day box.
A word of caution if you do eliminate toys in your child’s lack: You may choose to hold off on really giving the items away in the event you’ve mistakenly attempted to get rid of a real favorite. The point is not to cause meltdowns but to simplify and help your child concentrate on beloved toys and games.
Jeanette Lunde
4. Rotate toys.
Once you have eliminated older, weatherproof and broken toys from the stash, then you still may have more left than comfortably fits on the existing shelf area. Instead of rushing out to purchase more storage, then I recommend you to give this age-old suggestion a go. Place about a third of your child’s toys out on display, then pack the rest away in boxes and bins. That may seem like a lot to put away, but if you give it a go I think you’ll find cleanup time much easier. Plus, when it’s time to rotate toys, the old ones will feel completely new.
Imagine if you have no closet room to spare? No issue. Below are a few creative ways to hide toys in plain sight.
Fill vintage suitcases with additional toys and stack them at a corner. Voilà! Instant décor.Use horizontal bins or baskets to store books and puzzles under the bed or crib.Stuff a beanbag chair or Moroccan leather pouf with dress-up clothes.Utilize a storage ottoman or steamer back as toy storage and table in one.
From House to Home
5. Make room for creativity and art.
Children are naturally creative and expressive. Of course, sometimes this can come out in less-than-ideal ways, such as drawing on the walls, dividing things and generally causing havoc. Make the most of the favorable urge and make space for healthy expression rather.
A few ideas to get you started:
• Paint a entire wall or door with chalkboard paint. • Install gymnastics mats at a corner for rough-and-tumble play. • Keep simple art supplies at the ready (using a drop cloth nearby for clogs ).
Kate Jackson Design
6. Make room for play.
Particularly if you live in an urban area or are lacking outdoor play area, it’s important to integrate some playground elements into your home — space permitting, of course.
When you have the room, by all means go right ahead and devote an entire room to play. But if not, here are a couple of tips to make the most of the area you’ve got. When your children actually need to consume some energy, then they can be lifesavers.
• Consider investing in a cushioned gymnastics mat and tunnel. They can be kept flat in a closet or under a bed, and pulled out on rainy days.If your child’s room is too little for additional gear, why don’t you hang a swing at the living room? It would be a conversation starter when visitors drop by, and the children are sure to enjoy it. Just make sure you take precautions to put in it safely.If you get a long hallway, let your child use it as a”road” to get a ride-on-top vehicle or scooter.
7. Carve out a quiet place.
A calm place to study is vital for school-age children, particularly in a busy family. Find a room to dedicate to homework and quiet reading, and make sure nobody interrupts when it’s used. It could be a desk at the child’s room, a little table and chair placed on your home office, or possibly a built-in desk tucked into a little closet or alcove.
Apart from good lighting, a very clear workspace and a cozy chair, consider including a calendar or bulletin board, an object to fiddle with while believing along with a potted plant or flowers.
Fiorella Design
Two children sharing distance? It does not need to be a recipe for disaster. Start by taking an honest look at the 2 kids’ styles: Will they work nicely side by side, or would it be better to have different desks?
In case you go for the double workspace, avoid possible conflict by providing each child using a desk lamp, a cup for pens and pencils, and respective shelf space. Invite children to personalize the distance by hanging artwork, displaying favorite toys or utilizing vintage letters to spell their names.
Nicole Lanteri Design
8. Repurpose and salvage.
Decorating a child’s room need not cost a lot of money. Look to vintage sources and also other rooms in your home for furniture you might be able to utilize. For example, an older dresser can be a changing table today and still be useful when the tiny one has moved on from diapers.
If you’re performing a great deal of vintage shopping for your child’s room, the bits you bring home may not fit each other in complete or fashion, and that is OK. You can easily repaint the bits in a color you love, and also the new hue is likely to make the mismatched furniture feel like part of a intentional collection.
Classic gym lockers with brightly colored doors add a playful note that is fantastic for a boy’s room. Plus, the cubbies make it simple to maintain the room looking relatively neat. Start looking for storage that children can use to throw and move: Baskets, bins, wall hooks, and cubbies are all good options. Have all your child’s clothing on hangers? Don’t be too surprised when they end up on the ground instead of neatly wrapped in the closet.
Lauren Liess Interiors
9. Think ahead.
It’s simple to put too much focus on the point your child is in at this time, even though most of us know they grow so fast. Save time and money by thinking ahead and making a couple of design choices that will pay off in the long run. Choose classic and basic within cutesy and cartoony for bits that will remain in the room for a while, like drapes, lamps and rugs.
And think about versatility. I’ve been seeing an increasing number of daybeds in kids’ rooms lately, and I really like it. It is possible to put one in a baby’s room and use it to rest on during nighttime feedings, then transition it to a toddler bed when it’s time to move from the crib. In fact, if it’s a twin-size daybed, it could work for your child all the way to the teen years, and it typically includes a tailor-made for sleepovers.
Marie Burgos Design
Respect your teen’s desire for independence by including him or her in any style updates. Of course, you always have the power to veto, however, demonstrating that you care what he or she desires goes a long way. A quick update may incorporate a fresh coat of paint, a bigger desk and a few floating shelves to house a budding art collection. For bonus points, include a few extra stools for friends to perch on and also a wall mount for a guitar.
Kate Jackson Design
10. It is your home too.
It’s completely possible to make a child-friendly home that’s also stylish and hip. This was a lot harder years ago, but with all the new children’s products on the marketplace, plus the wealth of thoughts on home design websites like and at different websites, we now have some incredible resources at our fingertips. Don’t be afraid to expand your style in your children’s room. We spend a lot of time at our children’s rooms, particularly when they are young, therefore it’s important to spend the opportunity to make them attractive to us too.
Now it’s your turn to chime in.
Inform usWhat are your ideas on decorating children’s spaces? Challenges? Tips? What works for you?
More Decorate With Intention: Create a Vision for Your House
More:
Kids’ Bedrooms: Amp Up the Playfulness
Kids at Work: A Kids’ Office Space in Your House
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