5 Tips for Designing Kids’ Rooms
When my oldest daughter was 4.5, she said to us out of the blue, “We can never have another baby because we only have 3 bedrooms and I NEVER WANT TO SHARE A ROOM WITH MY SISTER.” Unbeknownst to her, I was already 8 weeks pregnant with baby #3 at the time! It took her a while to warm up to the idea of having a little brother … and even longer to warm up to the idea of sharing a room with her sister. BUT once I started designing their room and let her get involved in the design choices, she felt a lot better about it. I love designing kids spaces however I know a lot of people struggle with it so here are my top 5 tips for designing kids’ rooms!
1. Find inspiration
As with any design, it’s always a good idea to start with inspiration photos to figure out a direction for your space. Pinterest is a great resource for inspiration and I love to create a collection on Instagram as well to save any posts that catch my eye to one place.
Start with a simple search like “girls bedroom inspiration,” “boy bedroom inspiration” etc. Once you get an idea of what you like, you can start making your search more specific, like “moody boy bedroom,” “floral girl bedroom,” etc. I would totally get your kids involved in this search too. When they find a photo they like, ask them what they like about it? Is it the wall colour? The style of bed? The decor? This will give you a great starting point.
Here are a few of the inspiration images I saved when designing my daughters’ room. You may notice they are all very different (one even being a boys room!) but hear me out! In the first image, I loved the moodiness, the sconces and the use of gingham/plaid. In the second, I loved the use of block print and the antique dresser. And in the third, I loved the little gallery wall above the bed and the curtain behind the headboard because this layout looked very similar to ours.
2. Incorporate your kids’ interests
Just like you and I deserve to love our bedroom and feel like it is a retreat, our kids do too. Now that doesn’t mean I think kids should have full reign to design their room (we have to live with it too after all). However, I do think there is a way to incorporate your child(rens) interests, without race car beds and over-the-top themes. One of the best ways to do this in my opinion, is through art and accessories. Not only does this keep things more aesthetic, it also makes it easier to update our kids’ rooms when their interests change.
3. Make a moodboard
Making a moodboard is key when designing a space. It helps you visualize how everything will look together and keeps you from regretting purchases. It is also great to be able to show your kids something tangible and get their input.
Let’s workshop a couple bedroom designs! Say your child is really into sports, football in particular, this is how I would go about decorating their room. I love the idea finding vintage art and pennants from their favourite team. Simple racks to display balls or even framing a signed jersey are great ways to incorporate the sports theme. Other than that, I would keep things simple with a solid duvet, a plaid rug, and furniture that will be versatile as they grow.
SHOP the MOODBOARD
If you have a child that is really into ballet, I would go for a design like this. First, I would steer clear of a really sweet, bubble gum pink and frilly space (which the ballerina theme can quickly turn to). Instead I would choose a really deep, moody mauve and decorate with vintage ballet art. I would even add a ballet barre and full length mirror. A floral rug keeps the room girly while a black bed-frame grounds the space.
SHOP the MOODBOARD
4. Consider functionality
Not only should you consider your child’s interests in terms of decor – but also consider it in terms of functionality as well. If you have a budding artist, add a desk/workspace for them to create and leave some wall space for them to display their artwork. If your child has a massive stuffie or lego collection, think about storage solutions in the design stage. If your child loves to read, create a reading corner with a cozy chair and bookshelves.
From a broader perspective, think about how you want their bedroom to function within your home. Is this space simply for sleeping? Or do you want it to double as a play room? Will your child need an area to do school work?
5. Give your child options
I touched on getting your kids’ opinions above, but I want to come back to it. When you are at the decision phase I think it is important to get your child(ren) involved. But what if they pick an awful colour? Or what if they pick a duvet cover you hate? Want to know my tip to avoid this? Pick 2-3 options that YOU love before you get your child’s input. Narrow your paint choices down to your favourite 3 and THEN ask your child which they like best. Find 2 duvet covers that fit with the design and ask your child to pick one! Your child will feel empowered that they made the decision and you won’t be stuck with a colour or decor piece you can’t stand looking at.
My daughter’s only request was that the room was purple. After putting together her moodboard I actually opened up Canva and we played around with the colour spectrum tool. She dragged it around until she found a colour she liked and we went hunting for a match at the hardware store. Once I sampled a few options, I let her pick from 3 that I thought would work well with the design.
6. Have fun!
This is a kids room! Have fun! Let it be playful.
I love designing kids rooms because they are so refreshing. You can think outside the box. You can choose art that is more whimsical and unexpected (check out my post on creating a gallery wall here). You can mix and match patterns and colours. And contrary to what a lot of people may think, you CAN create a space that is fun, playful, and still fit with the aesthetic of your home if you follow these 5 tips for designing kids’ rooms!
SHOP the ROOM
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