Decorating a Child's Room to Grow

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Creating a room to grow for your child has many benefits. Not only is it generally an economical approach, but it also can be fun, as well as simple. You don't have to be an expert to get the job done, just willing to dedicate a little bit of time and effort to the project.

One scenario is hypothetical child Trina, who is turning 10 in a week, but her room makes her feel like a toddler. That's because that was the last time she had a theme change for her room. There is heavy wallpaper that she no longer likes, babyish furniture, and pink, pink, pink everywhere.

The furniture, the walls, the carpets - everything's pink! She used to like pink, but not so much anymore. Had her mom designed her a room to grow, the task ahead of them would not be so difficult.

Follow the tips below to help prevent  something similar from happening with your child.

Choosing Colors and Theme

The first step to designing a child's room to grow is deciding what colors and theme to use. Choosing solid colors that go with the theme you have in mind can make for an easier transition as a child gets older. By choosing neutral solid colors, themes can be switched around more easily.

For instance, if your child wants a dinosaur theme, you can use primary colors. If that same child later wants a sports theme, the primary colors can still be used. Only the decorations, and possibly the bedding, will need to be switched.

If your child wants something wild, like stripes, on the walls, try using fabric or removable wall stickers to create that look rather than painting. This way, if your child changes his or her mind later, it will not be difficult to remove the look and add another.

Beds

There are so many different bed options, it's often hard to choose. Did you know that there are even beds that start out as cribs, convert to toddler beds, all the way up to a queen or king size? These convertible crib beds offer plenty of room to grow. Most come with everything you need, except the mattresses.

Some of these transitional beds can hit the wallet hard, but if you add up the costs of purchasing each bed separately, a transitional bed is usually a money saver. There are many options for these types of beds, and they are not all outrageously priced. Be sure to shop around. If you cannot afford the option that gives you every bed size, try opting for a crib that converts at least to a daybed or toddler bed. Some of these options are comparable in price to many cribs.

Convertible Changing Area

Using a traditional student desk as a changing table can save you some money and make for an easy way to ensure this piece of furniture has room to grow. At the diapering stage, purchase a traditional student desk with a drawer.

Also purchase a thick, strap-on changing table pad. Safely secure it to the desk. There are also inexpensive diapering supply racks that can be attached to the sides of a changing table. Many also will attach to a desk. One of those will hold all the items you'll need, and what won't fit there can go into the desk drawer.

When your child gets too big for a changing area, simply detach the diapering rack and changing pad and purchase a chair. Your toddler or preschooler now has a desk area that will last as he or she grows. As your child gets older, you may also wish to add a hutch atop the desk for extra storage or a new look.

Another idea is to purchase a changing table dresser. With these, the changing area comes off later when you no longer need it. You can use this type of dresser from babyhood throughout childhood, as the styles and colors are generally neutral.

Furniture Accents

A lamp is a useful item for the dresser top that can grow with a child. If the base is a solid color and decorations are added to the lampshade, the lampshade can be traded out as the child grows and changes styles and patterns in the room. Lampshades are fairly inexpensive, as are many things that can be used to decorate them, such as ribbon, plastic cars and sequins.

As for the dresser itself, choosing a roomy and unfinished design can help to ensure that a child will not outgrow it. To add style, instead of painting the dresser, try accenting it with decorative knobs or handles. These are easily replaceable and many are a very reasonable price at home improvement stores.

As with the dresser, keep it simple with other furniture. Try decorating the accents instead of the item and dressing it up with items that can easily be added or taken away as desired. Using decorative fabrics is a great way to dress up bed posts, dresser tops, desktops, the back of a comfy chair, and just about any piece of furniture.

Window Treatments and Bedding

This is an area where many people have trouble deciding what to use. If you go for flashy designs that match your child's theme, it will certainly look good, but it may not allow much room to grow. Instead, go for a more simple approach. Feel free to blend colors, but be sure each piece is one solid color.

For instance, in a dinosaur-themed room with primary colors, one pillowcase could be blue, while another may be red. Another example is having one white drapery panel, one silver panel and one gold panel in a room with an angel theme.

Mixing two or three colors is a great way to accent the theme while still leaving room to grow. Later, the colors can be switched around, taken away, or added to, creating a simple option for creating room to grow.