Features: Children
Guide to creating the perfect kid's room
With our handy guide, decorating your kid's room is as easy as ABC.
Decorating your little one’s room needn’t be a chore. In fact, with our handy guide of what and what not to do, it’s as easy as ABC.
Walls
Making sure walls are bright and interesting should discourage little people from grabbing the nearest marker and decorating the walls themselves! There’s a huge range of child-friendly wallpapers available to instantly brighten a scheme, or you could opt for wall stickers, which are much easier to install than wallpaper, and are easy to change and replace.
When it comes to paint, look for those which are washable and scrubbable so you can keep your paintwork looking as good as new even after attacks from sticky little fingers.
Furniture
A child’s room needs plenty of storage for clothes, books and toys. Choose furniture which will grow with your little one, for example a wardrobe with moveable clothes rails that can be adjusted as your child grows.
The bed is all-important so opt for sturdy designs which can withstand rough and tumble; a truckle bed is a good option if your child often has friends over to stay, while a design that incorporates a desk or seating area is a good choice for older children.
If you don’t have room for a traditional desk, look for those that can be folded away or are wall-hung to save on space and make the room work harder.
When it comes to storage, look for boxes which can be stacked so they don’t take up valuable floor space. Clear boxes are a great idea as they allow you to see the contents at a glance but, if seeing your clutter puts you off, try wooden boxes which have chalkboard labels allowing you to scribble their contents on the side.
Flooring
Flooring for a child’s room is a bit of a Catch 22; on one hand you want it to be comfortable in case of any falling little knees but it also needs to be easy to clean. Rubber flooring is a good option as it’s soft enough to feel comfortable yet extremely easy to clean.
If you choose to have carpet, go for dark, bright colours or patterned options which can hide a multitude of sins, avoiding anything with a deep pile which can make cleaning tricky. Natural flooring such as sisal and coir may be a bit too rough underfoot for a child’s bedroom and doesn’t lend itself to be played on. If you opt for wooden or laminate flooring, remember to add a brightly coloured, patterned rug for increased comfort.
Accessories
Choosing accessories for your child’s room can be extremely enjoyable, especially if you get them involved too. If they’re old enough, work with them to create moodboards of how they would like their room to look and choose accessories together.
Prints and framed posters offer a good way to brighten up a wall while patterned and colourful cushions and throws are great for adding interest to plain bed linen.
When it comes to window treatments, black out blinds are a must particularly during the lighter months while window film can be a good option for maintaining privacy while still allowing in light.
Lighting
Lighting is important in a little one's room and you should consider various types of light sources. Create a statement with your central light fitting by choosing a decorative pendant shade (there is a plethora of child-friendly designs available) and complement with a bedside table lamp.
Look for designs which offer a soft glow and can be left on during the night to comfort very young children. For older children, a desk lamp is an essential piece of kit; look out for ones which can be adjusted easily so your child can position the light just where they need it.
Quick Shop: Kids Beds
Delight your little ones and make bedtime more fun with one of these playful beds
Keep your child’s bedroom fun and carefree with an adorably cute bed. Whether your little one is a girly princess or a Thomas The Tank lover, we have lots of lovely beds, which are full of fun.
Practical solutions include the White Childs Truckle bed from Sweetpea and Willow which is perfect for a sleepover, while the Vista Bunk Bed will have little ones debating who gets the top bunk.
Whatever you choose you can guarantee bedtime stories will be all the more fun.
(Clockwise from left) Vista Bunk Bed – Pink or Blue, £431.10, from The Great Little Trading Company, Hideout Children’s Bed, £339.99, from Love Furniture, Fire Engine Toddler Bed, £108.00, from The Great Little Trading Company, Little Tikes Thomas The Tank Engine Bed, £279.95, from John Lewis, Nordic Style High Sleeper Bed Whitewash, £702.00, from The Great Litter Trading Company, White Childs Truckle Bed, £625.00, from Sweetpea and Willow
How to create the perfect kids room
We show you how to create the ideal space for your children to enjoy
Creating a fun yet practical room for your child to spend time in can be tricky and time consuming. Especially when you’ve already got your hands full looking after them! So we’ve put together a handy guide full of exciting ideas for your child’s room.
Furniture
There is a huge array of furniture available for your child’s room, depending on the kind of space you wish to create. This
Finding a good wardrobe is also important as this can provide valuable extra storage space in a small room. This junior wardrobe from Found Home Store has adjustable shelving as well as plenty of hanging space.
As your child grows up you might also want to consider adding a desk to the bedroom, to create an organised space for them to do their homework. This vintage inspired school desk from Ghost Furniture has space to store books inside, and one lid doubles up as a blackboard; perfect for keeping younger children entertained.
Storage
A bookcase is an ideal place for your child to store and display all of their books and toys. This eye catching doll’s house unit from Great Little Trading Company is sure to brighten up any little girls’ bedroom.
Alternatively, a toy box is the perfect solution for hiding away those piles of teddy bears and games. This chunky wooden toy box from John Lewis provides plenty of storage space, and comes in three different finishes to suit every interior.
Textiles
The perfect time to get creative with your kids room is when choosing bedding and curtains. Textiles can be used to brighten up simple surroundings, and can be easily updated as your child grows. The Pole House has a wide selection of beautiful bedding in bold colours that children will love, such as this pink animal baby blanket.
Buying children’s bedding doesn’t mean compromising on quality either, as this luxurious organic cotton duvet cover from The Fine Cotton Company proves. The blue stars and moons design provides a perfect bed time theme, and with a 200 thread count you can rest assured that your child will have a comfortable night’s sleep.
Cushions are great for adding a cosy finishing touch to a child’s bed. These cute character cushions from BODIE and FOU, will add a splash of contemporary colour to the room as well as being perfect for cuddling!
Wallpaper and Wall Stickers
Prints and wall stickers will help to add the fun factor to a child’s room. This striking animal tower wall sticker from 95% Danish is perfect for animal mad kids, whilst these psychedelic fairground stickers from BODIE and FOU will make an exciting feature of a plain wall.
This funky penguin print wallpaper from Caroline McGrath will give a modern yet practical lift to a bedroom; its wipe clean surface makes it a perfect choice for a room full of sticky fingers!
Children love to put their own stamp on their bedroom and this bold multi frame from Oliver Bonas will offer them an opportunity to get creative. Let your kids pick their favourite photos to add to the 28 frames; you could even add old postcards and drawings for a homely touch.
Flooring
Placing a rug on the floor of your child’s room can make the space feel warm and inviting, and there are plenty of fun options available at the moment to help add a colour statement to the space. This cloud shaped rug from Heal’s doubles as a play mat, and the bold helicopter and plane motif is sure to capture a child’s imagination.
BODIE and FOU offer more contemporary flooring options, whilst still using cute designs that children will love. This apple rug has been designed by Michele Masson for the range, and will add a bright quirky touch to a kids’ bedroom.
Lighting
Adding an eye catching lampshade to the ceiling, or a lamp to your child’s desk provides a lovely finishing touch to the bedroom. Hunkydory Home have a gorgeous selection of lampshades in different prints. This magic jungle lampshade will add some fun colour to a younger child’s bedroom, and is also available in a matching cushion, whilst this red gingham shade offers a more classic lighting solution.
Night lights are also a great idea if your little ones have trouble getting to sleep. These cute magic lanterns from Great Little Trading Company give out a gentle glow as the pictures slowly rotate for a soothing effect.
Your child will spend plenty of time in their bedroom as they grow up, making it important to create a bright and beautiful space for them to enjoy. Hopefully the ideas above will help you to create a multi-functional room where they will be able to play, learn and sleep.
How to create... a cool kids bedroom
When decorating a kid’s room you can really be as imaginative as you want, and have some fun with the great choice of products available from Furnish.
Any parent will know just how difficult it can be to create a bedroom for their kids that will keep them happy and help them learn, whilst also maintaining that ‘cool’ status for when they have friends round.
Wallpaper is a feature that will determine the overall mood of a room, and if you want to go for something decorative and colourful, then Butterflies wallpaper from Lover's Lounge is a great choice for either a playful feature wall or to cover all four walls. Another imaginative way of decorating your children’s bedroom is with wall stickers; these offer the perfect alternative to wallpaper and can liven up a bland wall. I love that these can be both easily applied and simply removed if you or your child decide that you want a change. For example, Animal tower wall stickers from Lover's lounge are perfect for toddlers to measure their height as they grow.
Storage is essentially one of the most important parts of a children’s bedroom; ultimately you will want to achieve a tidy room with accessible storage. The multi-purpose play table with trundle drawers from Great Little Trading Company is any parents’ dream because not only does it serve a practical solution with drawers for storing all your kid’s toys in, but it also provides a play table with different activities to choose from so your child won’t get bored. No longer will your child be afraid of the dark with Plug in Night Lights from Great Little Trading Company; these are a safe and simple way of ensuring a good night’s sleep all round. Any cool kid’s bedroom would also not be complete without a ceiling light, such as Twit Twoo from Hunkydory Home, which has a colourful print and gorgeous owl design.
If you have children sharing the same room but want to create space then bunk beds are a good solution, they give you more space and kids love them. The Tilly and George bunk bed from Great Little Trading Company is ideal for a cool kid’s bedroom because it has a modern design made from traditional wood providing a sturdy sleeping place. Themed bunk beds are also a very popular choice. For furnishing a children’s room but still keeping it fun, the Magis Plastic Puppy from Utility is a great seat to keep in their bedroom. You may want to have a couple of these in different colours so that their friends can join in too.
Children’s accessories are often the most imaginative and creative part of a room, and are the best way to encourage your child to learn but enjoy it at the same time. The magnetic Blackboard clock from Great Little Trading Company allows you to write in your own numbers, timings or reminders, and this way kids can become more independent in remembering what activities they are doing and when. When starting school kids will need to be organised and so functional accessories like the Rainbow Coat Rack from Great Little Trading Company will help them keep their coat and bags tidy.
In a sense, the greatest freedom you have with decorating and furnishing a cool kid’s bedroom is that there are no strict rules, although fun and practicality should merge to give the room the best potential for your child to enjoy playing as much as learning.
Nautical Life Ring cushion from Great Little Trading Company
It’ll be bedtime stories of pirates and the high seas with this fun nautical cushion from Great Little Trading Company. £15.50
I’ve mentioned before that the nautical trend is huge this season. Everything from fabrics to accessories has been given a seaside feel with striped cushions everywhere you look.
And now it seems the little ones are getting in on the act as I seem to have seen about a million (ok, possibly a slight exaggeration) nautical-themed kids products in the last week.
One of my favourites without a doubt is this super cute life saver cushion from Great Little Trading Company.
Made from soft cotton, it’s the perfect thing for adding some seafaring charm to a little person’s nursery or playroom.
