(ARA)
- Most parents can relate:
Redecorating your child's room
often turns out to be far more
challenging than freshening up
the decor in other areas of your
home. After all, kids have their
own personalities and tastes -
and what you like might not mesh
with their ideas of the world's
coolest bedrooms.
Obviously, as parents, we want
the best for our kids but we
also need to be budget-conscious
these days. And, redecorating
projects often spiral into
endeavors that gobble up not
only your budget but also your
sanity. Often, what started out
as a fun redecorating project
can quickly turn into an
overwhelming task that everyone
in the family dreads finishing.
But, if you do it right and with
some thoughtful pre-planning,
redecorating kid spaces doesn't
have to be draining to your bank
account or your patience, notes
Donna Schroeder, Dutch Boy color
marketing and design manager.
"There are a few basic
decorating foundations that can
have a huge impact on a child's
room, with color being at the
forefront," Schroeder says.
"Aside from floors and window
treatments, the largest area
where color is used is on the
walls. Luckily for parents,
painting their child's room is a
fun, easy and very inexpensive
way to update a living space.
It's also a great way to involve
your child in the decision
process so they can help create
a memorable space to call their
own."
When choosing paint, a little
forethought and some fundamental
knowledge on color selection are
all that's needed. Don't make
the mistake of thinking there
are "right or wrong colors." Let
creativity -- and your child's
tastes -- be your guide.
To lend a helping hand, Crayola
and Dutch Boy offer a complete,
96-color palette of Crayola
colors tinted in Dutch Boy
Paint. It features fun, unique
color chips sure to generate
some enthusiasm from any child
for a room makeover, as well as
16 inspiration cards featuring
exciting room themes and designs
that can help jump-start the
creative process. With so many
choices, chances are your
child's "favoritest" color will
be among the mix.
Redecorating a fresh, new space
for children goes beyond
selecting paint colors and
decorating themes. If you're
planning a significant revamping
of a room, or are perhaps
welcoming a new baby, look into
double-duty furniture, such as
changing tables that convert
easily into a bureau, so once a
baby is out of diapers, the
table can still serve a purpose
in the room.
If your children are older,
there's nothing wrong with
refurbishing hand-me-down
furniture to give their rooms a
new look -- and save some money.
A little ingenuity, paint and
some old-fashioned elbow grease
can turn a beat-up, dated old
armoire, bookshelf or desk into
a whimsical piece of expression
in any room, not to mention
handy storage for toys,
clothing, books and more.
Speaking of storage, more is
always better - over-plan rather
than installing just enough for
current belongings. Let's face
it: kids come with lots of stuff
that seems to multiply nightly.
The cabinet that can hold a few
blankets and books today likely
will end up stuffed with
clothes, toys and collectibles
even a year or two down the
road. There are plenty of
cost-effective and colorful
storage and closet units
available at a variety of home
improvement retailers.
And don't forget extending
creativity to the finishing
touches -- accessories like
window treatments and novelty
throw rugs. Create fanciful
designs on plain, inexpensive
roman shades or room-darkening
blinds by decorating them with
patterns from fun stencils or
stamps, using paints that
coordinate with the wall and
trim palette. From flowers or
cars to trains or fairies, the
possibilities for livening up
plain window treatments are
endless -- and far from costly.
Area rugs add another bit of
special personalization to a
child's bedroom. A lively,
patterned rug can add a
lighthearted feel to any space.
"With a little planning and a
lot of imagination, it's easy to
create a playful space for kids
that pops with color and some
personalized magic, even on the
tightest budget," Schroeder
says. "In fact, they might like
it so much when you send them to
their room; they might not want
to leave."
Courtesy of ARAcontent
