The most fun you can have in decorating your house is with your kids’ rooms. Here are a few tips to help you design with creativity and confidence…
Tip #1 – Be Courageous
One of the most common questions I am asked is “Should my child’s room flow with the rest of the house?” This is a valid question, and the answer is if you want it to. This is a design decision that has no right or wrong answer. My own personal opinion, though, and I won’t hold back here – is let your creativity really shine in this area. Your children are wondrous, expressive little beings, and although black teen walls and acid yellow ceilings may be out of the bargaining range, with a little compromising I believe that both you and your kids can come to a happy medium on all design decisions.
Tip #2 – Color Has No Gender
Pink and blue, pink and blue, zzzzzzzzz… I know that we’re all brainwashed in this area, partly because bedding manufacturers are keeping it alive with limited selections. There are so many wonderful colors in the spectrum, try to think outside the box when choosing your children’s color schemes. Greens, golds, oranges, reds are also colors that want their time to shine! Your boy’s future manliness will not be stunted if his room is red! Nor will your daughter’s femininity be at risk if her room is periwinkle. Find a comforter that they love and build from there. My 15 year old son (who is very manly, by the way) refuses to give up his Caribbean colored comforter from when he was two years old, even when I pointed out that it has some hearts on it…
Tip #4 – Plan for the Long Term
The cycle of child development and the “I hate my room” syndrome seems to go like this:
Girls:
□ Infant room (whatever Mommy wants)
□ Big Girl room (5-7 years old, which includes princesses, fairies, Disney character themes, gardens, slightly deeper pastel colors like rose and lavender, etc)
□ Teen room (11-14, which includes BRIGHT COLOR, plus all their favorite things that make them them)
Boys:
What room? Seriously, plan on changing your daughter’s room at least twice during her short stay in your lives. By the time she gets to Teen Room, even though she may only be 11, the choice really should be hers (mostly). This is the time when her self expression is at its highest; she is discovering who she is and how that fits into the world. Give her plenty of places to write down her thoughts (white boards, chalk boards, graffiti walls) and hang her pictures (cork walls behind the door work really well). Try and give her some furniture that is mobile so that when she wants to re-arrange her room (this could be weekly), she will be able to have some play in that area. My daughter’s desk, night table, and dressers are on wheels, which also make it easier for her to vacuum hint, hint!
Boys are so easy - for the most part, it’s about their favorite team or hobby. Be careful not to get too themed because when they get tired of the particular favorite they will be too shy to tell you that they hate their room (unlike your daughter). My son was a chess champion at age seven (yes, I’m bragging) and I wanted to do a huge chess mural in his room. By the time he was nine, he was into juggling, so I was really glad when he said “no thanks” on the mural offer. Most boys just want a “cool” color (browns, greens like olive, sage, or gray-green, or grays are nice alternatives to blue). Resist the urge to give in to painting their room the colors of the favorite team – be careful because Dad will back them up on this – team colors are STRONG and will not create a good environment for anything but video game playing or wrestling.
Most of all, have fun, listen to your kids, and use the wonderful tools of decorating books and magazines that are available everywhere. If you get stuck, just call on the pros, we’re here to help!
Written by Susie Kades of 4wallscolordesign.com. And remember, "better living through color"!
