Designing Fun Kids' Rooms

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By relache



Getting Started...

Making a fun and unique children's room doesn't have to be all that hard or complicated. Coming up with a good theme can most often be solved the easiest by taking a few cues from the resident. What does your child like?

Is there a color that's a favorite? An animal? A place? Kids get into all sorts of stuff, and a lot of times, that's the best way to pick how to get started. The trick is to keep the theme flexible and suggested in the larger colors and decor, and let a few specific items bring the theme into focus. This keeps the theme changeable over time, which is a good thing considering children's tastes change as they grow up.

This is also when you can think about traditional boy-girl gender roles and whether you care if the design reinforces those or not on your child. Some little kids are very strongly identified with old-fashioned boy or girl games and some are very blended. With a medieval-theme, you might have a knight or you might have a princess, or you might have a little dragon or fairy of your own. Talking with your child and having them participate in the designing of their own room can make for an environment that satisfies and pleases both parent and child.

If you already have a specific design for your child's room in mind, you might want to go to Creating Fun Kids' Rooms, which talks about bringing your designs to life.


Some Bedroom Ideas

This room design for twins gives each child a sense of something that is their own.
This room design for twins gives each child a sense of something that is their own.

Click thumbnail to view full-size


Suggestions for Themes

Here are some ideas for design themes. The trick is to make sure both adult and child are happy with the decision. If you discuss the situation sensibly with your children and let them participate in the design and decisions, you'll find they can let go of the really wild fantasy bedroom scenarios and help come up with something fun and useful for day-to-day!

  • Nature - How about a jungle bedroom? Or maybe the desert, the woods or under-the-sea?

  • Space - sun, moon, stars, planets - this is for the kid who wants glowing planets and stars on the ceiling.

  • Animals - Pick just one animal or do a whole zoo's worth!

  • A color or color spectrum can make a nice room theme that doesn't get locked into one age range or interest.

  • Movie or tv show - a character, a movie or a series might be how you want to do your room.

  • Sports - this is a very popular one, where the room is done in a team's colors, styled around a favorite player, or which favors your child's favorite sport overall.

  • History/Culture - native american village, spanish hacienda

  • Real or Fantasy Location - country farm, pirate ship, race track



Tricks & Tips For Fun Rooms

  • Wallpaper - it's often better on the budget and eyeballs if fancy wallpaper is limited to just one wall in the room. A little bit can make a bold and beautiful statement. Plus, save scraps or get just a bit more than you need, and you can cut out design elements from the paper to use as art or for decorating furniture to match!

  • Accent Trim - LIttle bits of trim or any architectural details can become really fun when painted with fun and funky colors. Doors, window frames, small ceiling and wall angles all can really pop with just a touch of bright color.

  • Stencils - this is a great way to take bits of patterns from sheets and bedding and enlarge them for painting on walls. You can do floor or ceiling borders, use them to help make a mural or scatter designs across a wall.

  • Window Shades - a bunch of fancy markers can make a plain shade turn into a matching accent. Your stencils and walpaper bits work well here too.

  • Bulletin/Cork Boards - making a dedicated space for posters and pictures can save on having to spackle and repaint years down the road. (my folks thought up this trick with me as I was a very poster-y child)


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tabasco  says:
13 months ago

i think all these rooms are very iterresting thank u ~THINK

kamal  says:
13 months ago

I am looking for ideas to decorate my 3 year old son's room with a pirate theme. I have these ideas (boat shaped bed, mural of a treasure map or island or sea) but I am not able to bring them together. Can someone suggest a design?

kamal

relache profile image

relache  says:
13 months ago

What you are describing sounds good for a start. But it will get easier if you pick a specific boat style, and a particular map or island to depict and then go forward from there.

Kamal  says:
12 months ago

Where can I get a idea for a map or island? For the boat I am looking on ways to "dress" a twin bed. I can't afford a custom bed.

relache profile image

relache  says:
12 months ago

I find that going to the library is a great place when you need to find pictures of things.

Terry  says:
12 months ago

The mural with the safari scene is really nice. It just pops through at you in the middle of the wall.

Derek Turnbull  says:
12 months ago

As we just decided to decorate our teens room her younger sister is now asking if we can do the same for her so this hub has been a great resource as we really were a bit stuck for ideas, so many thanks for relieving our headache!

BADER12008 profile image

BADER12008  says:
11 months ago

hi its very butefull

raymondphilippe profile image

raymondphilippe  says:
10 months ago

Great hub. Our kids are teenagers no. \But if I'd have known how to decorate a room with some of the scenes on this hub I'd have done a better job. I'm sure.

Misha profile image

Misha  says:
8 months ago

NIce ideas. Thanks Relache :)

relache profile image

relache  says:
8 months ago

As a kid, I got to have a lot of say about what I wanted to have my bedroom look like. Collaborate with your kids on a room design!

Misha profile image

Misha  says:
8 months ago

Sure I do:) But fresh ideas from the outside are always welcome :)

ang3lz profile image

ang3lz  says:
6 months ago

Neat hub! I am looking to decorate my 2 year old son's room with a car theme. he is the giggest car fan in the world!

danielle   says:
6 months ago

i really enjoy your design i love the dark blue colors, i have a son myself and know that he would love that.

solarshingles profile image

solarshingles  says:
3 months ago

So many ideas, I am quite lost. Every one has enough to pick up something, what suits her/him. Very nice!

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