When it’s time to redecorate a kid’s room the most important thing to keep in mind is their tastes. Let your kids lead too demonstrate that their ideas have value, make the experience more fun, teach decorating skills and increase their appreciation of the final product. That doesn’t mean you can’t guide them, don’t over rule every decision they make.
Establish a Budget
There’s a budget for everything. Depending on your kids’ age, turn this project into a learning experience by telling them upfront what they’re able to spend and helping them learn how to spend the funds and still create a space that fits their ideas. This is a valuable skill that will serve them the rest of their lives. And they won’t even realize they’re learning something.
Choose a Theme
Choosing a theme can be very easy or very hard. If two or more kids are sharing a room, it can be especially difficulty to negotiate what the room is going to look like and who gets a say about what. Bunkers can make it a easier, effectively giving each child his or her own space. You could also break up the room by splitting it in half, letting them each decorate two walls or having a neutral space or colour on two walls and giving them one wall each to decorate. Or you could force them to come to an agreement.
Themes vary depending on your kids and their interests. If they’re having trouble coming up with ideas, suggest some of your own, or if they want too many things, suggest ways to narrow it. Possible themes include:
- Sports
- Princesses
- Superheroes
- Ships
- Jungle Animals
- Dinosaurs
- Butterflies
Give the Theme Life
Based on the budget you’ve established, help them come up with ways that they can make their theme stand out in the room.
For instance, discuss what to do with the walls. Will you use paint? Wallpaper? Wall decals? Pictures and posters? What about the bed? Can you incorporate the theme into the bedspread? Into the pillows or sheets? What about the bed frame? Could you turn loft beds into a 2-deck ship or a tree house, with a nook for sleeping above and a place to do homework below?
For a lower budget, pictures can enhance a wall that’s painted in a favourite colour. Allow the kids to choose the colour and encourage them to have help with painting.
Keep it Functional
A solid theme doesn’t matter if there isn’t room for their things. Spruce up their old furniture with spray paint, find new pieces or visit a second hand store. Beds with storage space beneath them are also a good choice. Arrange the closet so it’s organized and holds more. Listen to their suggestions and try to incorporate them.
Helping kids decorate their bedroom doesn’t have to be difficult. It simply takes a bit of ingenuity and some creative ideas.
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