Designing a Kid’s Room: Make It Their Own

Everybody needs their space, right? Even a kid. Nothing’s better than having a little place all your own—one that feels like you and makes you feel good when you’re in it. When designing spaces for kids, get the children involved so they have a sense of investment in their space. Who knows, maybe it’ll inspire them to keep their clothes off the floor.

Here are some tips on how you can easily create a kid-worthy space in your home:

WALLS
Almost nothing makes a bigger impact for less money than paint. Painting is an easy way for kids to help with their room design. Picking the color can give them a sense of excitement and ownership.

If your kid wants to paint each wall a different color, why not? It’s just paint. All ages can participate, even if it’s just the undercoat. If you really want to give them some freedom, let them have one wall to do as a mural, all on their own. You might be surprised at how creative your kids are and how well it turns out.

Related: 12 Jaw-Dropping Room Ideas for Your Prince or Princess

If painting with your kids is more than you can bear, step down the intensity and decorate the walls with decals or stencils. Decals are easiest. There are heaps of designs, from small accents, to large murals, to peel and stick borders. Kids can take part in the design and placement of decals. And if they don’t come out just right, pull them up and move them. Stencils require a little more effort.

Depending on the age, you might want to place the stencils on the wall yourself (with a child’s supervising eye, of course). Then let them apply the paint. Removing the stencils will be thrilling for both of you.

WINDOWS
There are so many options for windows, even for kids’ rooms. Basic vinyl roller shades are inexpensive and functional, and available to be cut to size at your local hardware store, they are extremely customizable. Many projects are easy enough for kids. You can stencil, stamp, or paint them. You can border them with fabric glue and ric-rack, ribbon, or other embellishments. You can apply fabric accents with spray adhesive, or cover the entire shade with a coordinating fabric. If light control is not an issue, cut-outs can add extra zing. Any kid would love to pull down their own work of art every night.

Creating a valance that reflects a special interest can serve to highlight windows as well. With a basic curtain rod, a hot glue gun (for adults only, of course), and some tulle, sports pennants, award ribbons or other materials, you can make something that’s fun and meaningful to wake up to.

FURNITURE
If you are purchasing new furniture while redesigning a young child’s room, try very hard to resist the cutest-ever princess headboard or the race car bed. Your kid will outgrow it before you want to buy a new one. You’ll get the same effect by dressing the room to suit their young sensibility with less expensive items like bedding sets, window treatments, throw pillows and rugs, which you can switch out easily when tastes change.

Concentrate on buying the best quality furniture your budget can afford and choosing pieces that will grow with along with your kids. A young child’s reading nook can become a study desk. A train table can become a Lego construction zone, or an art center. You get the idea.

STORAGE
Kids have so much stuff. It must be controlled, corralled. Storage is a major priority. The ubiquitous cubbies with baskets, buckets, and boxes work well, and you can find them almost anywhere these days. You’ll get the same functionality from an old bookshelf with a fresh coat of paint, perhaps with special decoration added by your kid.

Artwork and special treasures constantly collect in piles at our house. Paint a pegboard and attach some bulldog clips and elastic bands. Art can be stored and displayed at the same time, and your child is the curator. And did you know about magnetic primer paint? Yes, really. Paint any surface—a closet door, side of a cabinet, or an entire wall. Paint over it with any color you choose. Grab some funky magnets and voila! A place for all that STUFF—and the magnetic letters crowding the fridge.

For closets, consider putting rods and shelves at kid-height, so they’ll be independent when getting dressed. Then, there’s no excuse not to hang things back up! No matter how many cubbies, book shelves and bulletin boards you have, there are things that seem to have no “place” to go.

A “catch-all” type of storage piece, like a toy box or large hamper to throw everything into becomes pure gold when your mother-in-law calls and says she’s dropping over. Have Granddad’s old steamer trunk? Make it new with some paint. Or, throw some casters on a big crate, so the chaos can be wheeled into the closet.

However you decide to design a room for your kids, do it with your kids. It will be a memorable experience, and will make the space much more meaningful for them. And don’t forget to have fun. It’s not a good day’s work unless there’s paint in your hair at the end of it!