Furnishing the Kids’ Rooms
Hey all,
I know it’s been a while since I last posted, but I decided to revisit the blogosphere with more bedroom furniture and design tips. Like I said in my last post, my wife and I have had our design debacles in the past, and since then I’ve really taken a liking to being more involved with decorating our home, from our own bedroom to our kids’ rooms, to other rooms like the liveingroom and kitchen. I mostly want to talk about bedroom decorating here, particularly decorating on a budget, since we’re all hitting some pretty hard financial times right now. Believe it or not, a tight budget can actually lead to even greater creativity when it comes to decorating.
In this post, I wanted to talk a bit about how to decorate the kids’ rooms. This can be an even trickier process than odult bedrooms, since kids can often get picky or downright stubborn about the look of their space, and while they have every right to give input, you have to make sure to not let them get too carried away. For instance, my son wanted neon-green walls, and a life-sized horse stuffed animal in the corner. We compromised on normal green, and a western theme. It really is all about compromise with the kids; let them feel involved, but remember to remain the parent.
Another problem you can run into is space. The kids’ bedrooms are often smaller, and you want to try and fit in the right amount of furniture and design elements, without making them feel claustrophobic. We used loft bed furniture in my son’s room, and it looks GREAT. Basically, a loft bed is a bed that is raised up high, with room for a desk and drawers underneath it. This really uses the vertical space well, and adds a funky element to the look of the room. My son loves climbing up to go to sleep, and my wife and I love how much more space he has to hang out on the floor. Also, as he gets older, he will definitely appreciate having desk space (hopefully he’ll do his homework on it!). We got him a twin loft bed, but they actually come in larger sizes as well, and they’re not just for young children, either. Our teenage daughter was thinking of getting one as well. We’re still in the middle of furnishing her room, so I’ll let you know how that goes.
As far as budget goes, make sure to keep track of what you’re spending, and don’t over-buy. What I mean by that is, take it slow. Get one furniture piece at a time, see how they like it, and move on from there. Otherwise, you could end up getting stuck with things they don’t really want in the end (as in the mirror we tried to return 2 days later but to no avail). Also, use the internet - it’s a great tool for comparing prices and looks.
In the end, the most important thing is that your kids enjoy the space they live in. Make it a fun environment, and one they can thrive in. Give them space, warmth, and something that will keep them smiling. That’s my best advice.
Hope this was helpful. I’ll be back soon with more thoughts on bedroom and home furnishing. Thanks for reading.