Designing a room for your child can quickly become an overwhelming task. You want it to be perfect for them, but you also know it needs to be functional! How do you create a space that is both functional, fun, imaginative and whimsical? The key is to focus on 5 key points.

1. Create Zones

Creating zones within your child’s room gives them different areas of interest and also gives them defined areas for certain tasks. Children tend to thrive on structure. So the basic principle of giving them different zones to Sleep, Play, Change, Work and Read not only helps you figure out your floor plan. It also helps you decide what to include, and helps give them a sense of calm and routine. Now obviously some rooms are bigger than others and child age may affect which zones you focus more on. You may have some of these zones largely covered in other areas of your home. This however  will give you an idea when you are designing a room for your child

Sleep:

You need to decide on the bed, the size and where it will be located to maximise space but also for optimal sleeping (after all you need them sleeping!). Is the room dark enough to block out light?

Play:

Try to have an open area of floor space they can play on. If the floor isn’t soft enough consider a large surface area rug to soften the space. Most children tend to like playing on the floor. If possible try not to bring every toy imaginable into their bedroom. It will become too distracting when you want them to sleep and you just spend forever tidying them. Try storage cubes/baskets that way you can hide them away and rotate them when they get bored!

Change:

This zone really depends on the age of your child. If you’re still in the newborn depths I would highly recommend a dresser/chest of drawers with a change mat/basket on top. You have way more storage. It is much more versatile and then when your newborn becomes more like wrestling an alligator to change them you can move to the floor. Plus you won’t have to worry about getting rid of the change table that wasn’t worth the money you spent on it. If you’re out of that stage make sure everything is easily accessible either for yourself/your child if they are dressing themselves. It may sound obvious but they are not your height so they cannot reach what you can if you want them to dress themselves.

Work:

A lot of homes may have this covered outside of their kids rooms but I will cover it just in case. If your child is school age they obviously need somewhere to do their homework with no distractions and good lighting. For younger kids it can be as simple as an art station for drawing, painting, etc. Just make sure everything is protected to avoid any damage! Hence why a lot of people tend to have these zones outside the kids room.

Read:

Reading is important in all children’s development so creating a zone dedicated to this is very special. It could be as simple as a bookcase in the corner with a comfy seat for you both to sit on. Some book ledges on the wall. Even a cosy canopy filled with comfy cushions and fairy lights so they can be transported into their favourite fairytal

2. Colour

Deciding on a colour palette can really help you tie everything together. So after deciding on your floor plan/zones this should generally be one of the first decisions. It will help you form your other choices in the room. Choosing a neutral base colour for the walls, eg: whites and greys gives a good base to work with. Plus it means you won’t be repainting every couple of years. You can just mix up the decor as their tastes change. You can pop in colour through your decor (art, linen, cushions, shelf pieces, even wallpaper if you’re feeling  bold!)

3. Furniture

These are your big ticket items and much like your paint colour is something you don’t want to be replacing all the time if you can avoid it! Again, I would advise choosing something neutral. It will still work with any colour palette should you decide to switch up the decor/theme a bit or even fully redecorate. But most importantly focus on function! There is no point buying furniture for your kids room, especially a bed that isn’t functional and just falls apart.

4. Theme

Deciding on a theme will make the space feel special to them and uniquely theirs. This can be as simple as the colours you use or extremely elaborate. Either way this can be easily achieved by using removable wallpaper (I recommend Minnie and Me Interiors) or removable decals (I recommend either Blond Noir  or Isla Dream Prints). They’re a fabulous way to create a statement without committing to anything permanent plus they won’t ruin your walls! You can also look at wallhangings, wooden decor items, cushions, etc. that can all tie in with your desired theme.

5. Storage

Let’s be perfectly honest here…. can you ever have too much? Finding innovative ways to incorporate storage into a kids room will be something you never regret! Cube shelves are one of the best things for this. Lie them down on their side so they are at a good height for kids. Add baskets to hide away toys (or toy rotation like I mentioned earlier). Plus they make great display shelves and book shelves – they are very versatile and available everywhere! IKEA, Bunnings, Kmart, Big W they are easy to get your hands on. As I mentioned before too, a chest of drawers is perfect for all the clothes you are destined to have! Plus baskets (of any description – rattan, metallic – whatever you like)! They’re great for toys, blankets, cushions, etc. and as an added bonus they look awesome as a decor item!

Now if you focus on these items when designing a room for your child you will create the perfect functional but also fun space for your child!

Have fun!

Emma x

Image Credit @woodlandends