Even if it doesn’t appear so at first glance, decorating a child’s bedroom is a difficult task. This is because children have unique needs, and their bedrooms cannot be designed in the same way as any other room in the house. It’s especially challenging if you’ve never worked on a project like this before. However, once you understand the few things you must avoid at all times when remodeling one, you will be far more likely to achieve the desired outcomes.
When it comes to planning a children’s bedroom, here are a few things to avoid. From carefully chosen custom curtains to age-appropriate palettes, these tips will go a long way in getting the perfect room for your little one.
1. Age mismatch
Making a bedroom “for years” is one of the most common blunders made by parents trying to kill ten birds with one stone. An elementary school student needs an ergonomic room in the manner of a contemporary teenager. This is true not only for the décor but also for the furniture’s utility. Why invest in a large bed and a study area if the child has yet to attend kindergarten? The scenario might sometimes go the other way: the youngster “grows” out of the room and the items in it.
There is just one solution: your child’s bedroom should evolve as he or she develops, yet need careful planning so you are not renovating every two years. One needs to strike the right balance between age-proofing and keeping the room relevant for a given age.
2. Choosing impractical materials
Many parents will go to any length to provide for their children. And it’s understandable: they want to provide the child with the greatest possible life! However, it is easy to go too far at times and make these common mistakes when designing your kid’s room.
Impractical materials can be a major issue. So think before you invest in a premium, designer wallpaper; it might get scribbled on while you’re in the kitchen. An upholstered chair cannot be wiped clean or washed.
So select materials that are simple to maintain. As a result, you will be spared from major troubles. You will spare yourself and your little one a lot of needless stress and anxiety over spills and scribbles on expensive materials.
3. Thematic design
Children can be fickle (like some adults). They are admirers of one character today and will switch to another tomorrow. This is mostly true for preschoolers. You’re not going to re-glue the wallpaper every time your child is fascinated by a new cartoon, are you? So avoid committing entire walls permanently to your child’s most recent fantasy. If your toddler wants a theme, consider bringing in it via easily-swapped items like bed linens and peel-off decals.
4. Inappropriate Window Treatments
Window treatments are a key decision that not only affects the decor of your child’s room but also serves a few very important functions. When dressing up windows in your kid’s room, a few factors come into play including child safety. Avoid full-length curtains as your toddler might trip over them or get tangled in the free-hanging fabric. Instead, opt for sill-length drapes that are not accessible and mount the hardware securely.
Alternatively, opt for custom roman shades or blinds as they are not only a sleek option aesthetically but also remain inaccessible to tiny hands. Only just make sure that they are either cordless or the chain is secured with a chain anchor lock.
Lastly, do not dress your child’s windows with sheers only. Opt for drapery-weight fabric with blackout lining so the room is dark and private when your child needs it.
5. Not childproofing the room
Kids are always in a rush, hopping and jumping from one place to another. This is why it is extremely important to childproof everything in their room. Make sure to have no pointed corners or easily breakable items in their reach. Secure the rug under heavier pieces of furniture or use anti-skid tape or rug gripped pads to hold the rug firm in its place. Wardrobes and dressers need to be fitted down or against the wall to prevent them from falling on your child.
6. Overly bright colors and flashy designs
Fun, brightness, and saturation are all linked with childhood. Furthermore, experts advise showing bright objects to babies to catch their attention. While bright colors do have a befitting role in a happy and curiosity-filled childhood, and a sedate beige room might be completely off for a toddler, so might be a room screaming full of flashy colors and objects.
If you don’t want to hire a designer, here’s a handy color-matching algorithm for your child’s bedroom:
- Pick one or two bright colors, and mix in a light neutral. If you have two, mix them making one a dominant hue while the other plays an accent. You can choose two bright contrasts or choose colors in the same spectrum. For example, red/orange, yellow/pale green, and pink/purple are “associated colors” while yellow/lilac, orange/denim blue, and turquoise/terracotta are examples of complementary colors.
- Bright colors should comprise around 30% of the interior space.
- Mix and match with vibrant hues with a variety of neutrals. The initial neutral partner should be as straightforward as possible: beige for warm colors and gray for cool shades. It will take up an additional 30-40% of the total area.
- A richer hue of beige or gray is the second neutral partner. It’ll take roughly 15% of your time.
- Black and white details can add dynamism and clarity, but they should be used sparingly.
- Avoid decorating the room with several tones of the same color. This is something that many parents do for their “young princesses,” transforming their room into a monochromatic pink Barbie mansion, instead, try making use of different patterns and mixing them thoughtfully creates a more balanced and cohesive look.
- Even if the kid demands one color, gradually introduce pastel and neutral tones to the mix.
