Kids rooms are an important space in the home. They require more thought and consideration than a standard room, as children need to see their bedrooms as a safe, engaging and relaxing space. It can be challenging decorating a room without doing any damage to the furnishings or making permanent changes. It’s important to make your kids rooms an inviting space where they feel safe to sleep and have limited access to stimulating activities and toys. We have compiled a couple of key components that can help you in deciding how best to decorate your kids’ bedrooms. Check them out below.

Flooring

Creating engagement at different levels is the key to success in kids’ rooms. You should invest in an inviting addition to the floor space that fits with your child’s age. For toddlers, this could be in the form of the spongy jigsaw mat sets. These are especially fantastic for young kids, as they are comfortable and robust, they will do a great job of protecting your floors and are gentle on little knees. The aim of the game here is to still encourage kids to get down to floor level so they can spread out with books and teddies, while still protecting the floor underneath.

After the robust foam mats have run their course and perhaps when kids have progressed from a cot to a bed, it’s great to swap the sponge mats out for something inviting like sheepskins or shag pile rugs. You could also position these in the corner of the room and prop some pillows and cushions around the walls, creating the ultimate comfy corner to wind down with a book.  

TIP:  Ensure that any carpet or shag pile mats have a cellophane membrane underneath (or apply this yourself), so that it can prevent any spilled drinks from seeping through, and protect your carpet.

Storage solutions

Cubes are key. Cube shelving is affordable, dynamic and has an array of uses. Single or dual cubes are best, as you can chop and change the way they are stacked and displayed in a room. They offer great storage for books, shoes, toys and teddies, and also offer a great option to display school awards or artwork.  

In addition to cubes, consider adding a chest or large basket for soft toys, additional bedding and bric-a-brac. For littlest ones make use of sets of drawers to conceal things like nappies and wipes. You can never have enough storage solutions!

Lighting

Lighting is a very important aspect of children’s bedrooms, as the tone and arrangement of lighting can affect emotional states. Soft yellow lighting can create a warm and inviting atmosphere due to its association with sunlight, so consider swapping white light for a warmer hue. Try out some fun light fittings that can be easily swapped out at a later stage.

Other fun lighting additions could be in the form of fairy lights or salt lamps, which are both energy efficient and bring an inviting ambience to any space.

Bedding

Quality bedding is an expensive furnishing in NZ. But, if you play your cards right, you won’t have to buy new bedding every few years for growing kids! Its all about knowing what you should invest good money in, versus what you can just buy cheaply. 

Invest in good quality sheets. For older kids you can also look into quality duvet inners and pillows. Good linen and a nice, toasty duvet inner will last the distance. But when it comes to duvet cover sets and decorative cushions, cheap is key! Hit up the sales and find cheap and cheerful patterns and prints that your kids will love. Often the cheaper printing and lower thread counts won’t last as long, but your kids will likely outgrow the bright patterns and trends pretty quickly anyway.

Another hack is to simply buy solid colours for duvet covers or quilts and rely on cheap cushions and throws to bring some personal taste and decoration to the room.

Seating

Lastly – look to add a small seating arrangement. This could be in the form of a small table and chairs or a teepee.

School aged kids can progress to a study desk, which will also supply some additional storage. If you want to stay away from creating a studious zone and opt for comfort instead, consider a bean bag or armchair for the ultimate haven.