Creating spaces in your home for your growing children can be an exciting process. But, designing kids’ rooms that can last across ages and stages takes some intentional planning. We’re sharing ideas that can help you through the process…
Choosing Paint Colors
When you start making selections for kids’ rooms, the color palette is an important aspect. Any color scheme you love is going to help you create the right atmosphere, but you may want to think “subtle” when choosing a paint color. In general, walls could use a new paint color every 5-6 years–maybe longer if you’re happy with it–so by selecting a color that transitions well, you’ll reduce your workload. (There are other elements you can use to bring in color!)
Include a Wall Accent
Accent walls have been on trend for many years now, and their popularity is not slowing down. This is a great way to bring in color–or a particular theme–for kids’ rooms. Some are easily changeable, and others can be changed with a little more work. The easiest way to bring personality to a space, along with including your child’s developmental interests, is wall decals. These are simple to put on the wall, and they peel off the wall when you want a change.
Wallpaper is back–in a big way! Today’s wallpaper is so easy to use when you choose “peel & stick.” You can select colors and patterns to give your kids’ rooms personality, and it doesn’t have to be a forever solution!
An accent wall created with building materials is going to be more permanent, such as board & batten, wainscoting and other wall details. The benefit to these is the automatic style and dimension they create. They can be repainted over the years when a change is desired.
Create Style with Accessories
There’s a balance when styling kids’ rooms, isn’t there? We certainly want our children to love the spaces they call home, but it’s easy to let those same spaces get over-run with a multitude of characters and themes, without adding in any style. Think about using various accessories to bring in patterns and prints that will age well with your children. Accents that easily create transitioning style are artwork, pillows, area rugs, window treatments, lighting & throw blankets.
Be Intentional about Storage
I’ve never met a parent who regretted adding efficient storage to a child’s room. They tend to come with a lot of “stuff,” from infants all the way through high school. More storage means better opportunity to have an “everything in its place” cleanup time, or the option for you to stash stuff when you’re sick of looking at it!
Design a Workstation
While the “work” of children tends to change over time, the importance of a place to work will be a constant necessity. From coloring or reading, to writing papers or studying for finals, a designated workspace will be an asset in the long run.
A desk could be a great option for a child’s room–a place where they feel inclined to get work done. Another option? A space created for reading or quiet concentration–like a window seat, a reading nook, a hanging swing or chair.
Get Some Rest
Sleep is a constant question throughout parenting. How many hours should they sleep? When should bedtime be? As parents, we see the way sleep–or lack of sleep–affects their developing brains and moods. Get on the right track by creating the right atmosphere for sleeping–no matter the time of year.
Room darkening and blackout shades can help bring on the tired eyes whether it’s during the day, or at bedtime when the sun hasn’t gone down yet. And, with Smart Shades, you can easily rouse sleeping teens by raising the blackout shades in their rooms at the touch of a button!
Make Safety a Priority
Your kids’ rooms should be safe spaces–a play to play, read or sleep without worry. With old blinds, you’ll see dangling, messy cords that are a danger to children and pets. They’re also probably difficult to operate. We’ve found that many parents just leave them lowered, after giving up on adjustments and tossing the extra cord length to the top to keep them out of little hands. You don’t have to live like that! New shades and blinds come cordless–either manual or remote control–with simple adjustments happening in an instant. When a cord is necessary, the cords that are available are also easy to operate, but they have mechanisms that keep them safe for little ones.
Our team of window covering specialists at Timan Custom Window Treatments would love to help you with some important aspects of your kids’ rooms! From creating the right atmosphere for sleep, to designing spaces that will grow with them, we’ll guide you to solutions and style! Get in touch with our team for your free in-home consultation.
