A Girls Room - For Today and Tomorrow

Designing a child’s room can seem like a daunting task that comes with a hefty price tag. Add in the belief that a child’s room needs to re-done every few years as they grow and their tastes change, and this task goes from daunting to discouraging. But it doesn’t have to be! A few simple steps can take it from chore to fun – for everyone!

First and foremost, think long term. The design should incorporate elements and furniture that can grow with your child through their years, carrying them from childhood to tweens to their teen years. Don’t get carried away with a character themed room; think more generic with colour choices and include small, replaceable (read: economical) objects to incorporate their latest character obsessions

Consider what the room will be used for, and layout zones for those functions. Within my client’s little girl’s room, I created a reading area, toy storage, floor playing space, clothing organization and, of course, a great bed to curl up in. All these zones are necessary now, and can be used down the road within an updated format.

For toy storage, a cube storage unit is a great solution for the younger ones. As they grow, it can double as a space for clothing, art supplies, and more. On the wall above the cube unit, I mixed together art pieces from Home Sense with artwork created by the room’s owner to keep it fun and personal. The fun, fashionable items on top of the unit can be used for her dress up area now, then transformed into a great make-up and accessory area as she gets older.

The reading zone chair is a great Home Sense find. This chair and pink puff will be ideal for entertaining friends when that time comes; but for now, we’ve added a faux sheep skin to make it the ideal spot for her curl up with a favorite book and drift off into princess fantasy land.

Something I splurge on for any room is the closet organizer. The right organizer is a great space saver, and this is especially so in a kid’s room. I turned to Cutler Modern Living (www.cutlermodernliving.com) for the perfect closet organizer, one which allowed us to maximize hanging space, along with adding drawer storage and shelves for her to grow into. The bonus of this unit is that it can be altered over the years to suit her clothing needs. We were fortunate to have an abundant sized closet to work with, allowing us to eliminate dressers and, thus, store everything in one area.

Readymade curtains are a great accessory that is budget friendly and makes a huge impact on the space. Plus they can easily be changed over the years to update the room without getting into a major overhaul. The blue pattern I used here adds drama to the room and a bit of an older look; however, incorporating her stuff animals and bit of a softer palette in the bedding balances it out for these childhood years. When the time comes, a quick change of the bedding is all that is needed to transition to a tweens room in no time. As for the blue zebra inspired rug from Home Sense, I couldn’t pass it up – it  adds personality and attitude to the floor playing zone while being another great transition piece.

 

Play with textures and colours – don’t get stuck on the traditional. Allow smaller accessories to be the themed items so they can easily be changed and updated as your child grows. Patterned baskets allow for quick clean-ups and add some fashionable elements to the space. Fun pillows and throws are budget friendly and can transform the design and mood within seconds. Have fun shopping and creating your child’s ideal room for now and the future. This is the space where your child will dream, read, dress and grow…so go ahead and enjoy designing this space for them.

Until next time,
w&c designer girl!