Remember when you were expecting your first child?  Selecting the nursery décor and furnishings were almost as exciting as picking a name.  You ordered catalogs, visited stores, and flipped through countless magazines for ideas.  Then you finally discovered it, the theme that the entire nursery would focus around.  You painted walls, coordinated bedding and shopped for lots of accessories.   And one day, it was done and you would walk in that room over and over admiring its ability to invite you in and comfort you. 

 

But that was then . . . in the beginning.  Fifteen years and 5 designs later, you find yourself in a power struggle with your teenager because she wants to change her room design yet again.  This time she wants to paint her walls deep purple and hang posters everywhere while you try to talk her into petal-pink paint and butterflies.  Obviously, there is a difference of opinions.  Herein lies the most important rule of kids’ room decorating; involve your child.  Ultimately, they will be the ones living in this space.  Depending on your child’s age, this room may serve as everything from playroom, to homework haven, to the center of your child’s social life.  This is not to say that you should agree with all your child’s wishes (you did, after all, pay for those walls!).  However, you should be able to come to some sort of compromise.

 

Select a Theme

The best way to tackle this task is to start by getting some ideas from books, magazines, decorating shows, and websites.  Once you have selected a theme, it’s time to brainstorm.  Sit down together and make a list of things that related to your theme.  For instance, if your child’s room theme is the ocean, list things like shells, sea creatures, waves, sand, etc.  Then it’s time to pick a color and paint the walls.  Yes, neutrals are great because they go with everything, but it’s only paint and it can be covered.  Be brave, be bold – your child will love you for it!  In addition, there are always those old standbys that add color and creativity to the walls:  sponge painting, wall appliqués, wallpaper borders, stencils and murals.

 

Furniture

Is it time for new furniture?  Sure that bedroom set was perfect when you first bought it for your toddler.  But now that your child has grown older and bigger, the knee-high nightstand needs to be replaced.  We tend to forget that the original bedroom set is a miniature version of “adult’ furniture.  If your child looks into the dresser mirror and only sees his/her torso, it’s time to expand.  There are many stores that now cater specifically to children.  Not only are bedroom sets available for all ages, but you can also purchase some that grow with your child.  Check out the great selection that some of the local stores have to offer.  But if you’re not in a big hurry, try ordering the furniture from a wholesaler or out-of-state furniture mart.  However, if purchasing furniture at full price makes you cringe, try some of the larger second hand or consignment stores.  They often have a good selection of used furniture.  Even if items are a bit worn, a coat of paint can bring things back to life.  There’s no rule that says all pieces have to match.  A little girl’s garden bedroom filled with mix and match items painted different colors can give the room a whimsical look and lots of personality.

 

Accessories

Next, it’s time to accessorize.  Try to think outside of the box.  Find unconventional uses for common items:

 

-     use surfboards as headboards in the Surf room

-     make grass hula skirts into decorative window treatments and use coconuts for small storage containers in the Tropical room

-   construct picture frames from old baseball bats for the Sports room

-     use baskets and flower pots for storage in the Garden room

-     make plain white sheets into a sail for window treatment in the Pirate room

-         nail horseshoes to an old board (pointing up and hanging off the edge of the board by 2 inches) to use as a hat or coat rack in the Cowboy room

-         Use small items such as wooden blocks, golf balls, Lego blocks, plastic animals, etc. to replace knobs on furniture for a finishing touch

 

Second had stores, flea markets and garage sales can be a gold mine when looking for all those little extras.  Also, many department stores and kids’ furniture stores now carry an assortment of accessories for a variety of themes.

 

Now that you have an idea of how to get started, here are some themes to consider: