Tips for a Cool Kids Room Part 1

1. Think long term.

Avoid spending too much on anything that will be outgrown within a few years. Culprit number one here is scaled down nursery furniture. Yes it looks sweet and it might have shelves that are slightly more accessible for a preschooler but in a few short years, you’ll wish you’d bought something full-sized with more longevity.

The stage when a child is able to get their own clothing out of drawers or wardrobes but can’t reach into a proper wardrobe or drawer chest with a step stool is really very short.

Stick with full-sized grown-up furniture that wouldn’t be out of place in a teenager or adult’s room and you’ll thank yourself in eight or 10 years’ time.

2. If you’re buying for a baby and their room is pretty cramped, consider a cot-bed.

These are slightly larger than cots at 140x70cm versus 120x60cm so take up more floorspace in the short term but are worthwhile if fitting a single bed in will be a squeeze later on. They convert to a junior bed suitable up to around age five and at this stage will take up less space than a proper single.

Note though that they won’t save you cash overall as you’ll still need to buy a single anyway, it’ll just delay the purchase. If your child had a cot not a cot bed, avoid buying a junior bed as it’s an unnecessary extra expense – go straight to a grown-up single.

3. Use every corner of their room well.

As children get older, the amount of stuff they accumulate tends to increase and more of it is likely to be kept up there in their own bedroom.

The space under the bed isn’t just for hiding – get under-bed storage drawers (ideally with lids to make dealing with dustiness easier!).

4. Don’t go overboard with expensive themed products that might not work for an older child.

Future proof their bedroom by creating a blank canvas with painted walls in a neutral colour and curtains that are plain, striped or checked. Then add interest with cheaper items such as Murals, sticker kits, lighting, duvet covers or pictures.

5. Wall stickers are our number one tip for making that blank canvas more interesting.