Your young child is no longer small, and you decide that it is time to redecorate the room so that it is age-appropriate; however, makeovers can be expensive. From wall hangings to throw rugs to furniture, one can spend an exorbitant amount of money making over a child’s room. However, one need not spend a fortune to turn a small child’s bedroom into one that can grow to fit the needs of older children and teenagers.
When deciding to make over a child’s room, parents should take some factors into consideration. One consideration to keep in mind is whether the child is going to hit some major life milestone – for example, transitioning from a crib to a bed. Another factor is whether the room reflects that the space belongs to someone much older than the design. More importantly, a determining factor in redecorating is whether the child is developing their own sense of style. Finally, even if the above three considerations are yeses, if there is no budget, there is no makeover. Consider how much you need to redecorate.
Before shopping for furniture, parents should plan to redecorate. Practically speaking, any makeovers that you want done should be long term because you do not want to have to replace furniture that is too young for a growing teenager. Overall, you want to buy pieces that are absolutely necessary. To save on money, parents can purchase individual pieces on sale from various stores and coordinate these pieces around wall color. If buying furniture will stretch your budget, consider refurbishing existing furniture by painting it or staining the wood a different color. You can also rearrange furniture to give new perspective to the room.
More importantly, in designing the room, get your child’s input on ideas as to the way that they want the room decorated. The child will spend a considerable amount of time in the room, so it is important that the space accommodates and comforts them. While the room belongs to the parents, in the time that the child resides in the room, the space will define their personal style. As a team, the three of you can come up with some fun, whimsical, budget-friendly ideas.
Once deciding on furniture, search for flooring that is affordable but appropriate for the room. Flooring, whether it is carpeting, rugs, or wood flooring, is important because the child might spend an inordinate amount of time playing on the carpet, or teenagers might find themselves sitting on the floor while chatting with friends. If you are working with wood flooring, use decorative throws or area rugs to give the room some insulation. Just tape the rugs to the floor so that children do not slip when playing on them.
After making major decisions regarding furniture and flooring, you and your child can decide how to accessorize the room to accentuate the child’s sense of personal style. Parents and their children can go in so many different directions, but the following are some suggestions:
- For windows, some popular ideas can be to use loose scarves or swag valences for window covering. Even better, if you can find cheap shutters to cover the windows or let light in, then you would be making a better investment. In addition, the shutters will outlast any changes in style as the child grows.
- Instead of wallpaper, which can be expensive and impractical as the child grows into a teenager, let children participate in deciding what wall decals (stickers) to use for decorations. These decorations can make redesigning interesting for the children.
- Paint the room a fun color, but temper that with keeping in mind that the child’s taste might change in a few years – you do not want to paint with dark colors that will be difficult to paint over.
- Because children will attend school much of the time that they will be in the house, create a cozy study area, whether it is by partitioning a part of the room for a cubby study area or buying a desk that children can decorate.
- Allowing children to create mini-art galleries and choose their own bedding and pillow decorations can add flare to the child’s bedroom.
Redecorating a child’s room so that it is age-appropriate does not have to break the bank. In fact, parents might find that with some planning and a little window shopping, they can find much of the necessary pieces at a bargain. With their children, parents can redecorate a room that is comfortable for the child but budget-friendly for the parents.
