Decorating your baby’s or child’s room is a daunting task; to make it a peaceful place where your baby not only feels safe, but also one where they can grow up and feel welcome in their whole life. Their room soon becomes one of the most important rooms in the house, and a place that you aim to be perfect even before they are born.
Now more than ever, we are overloaded with different ideas and creative plans for nurseries and kid’s rooms. How can we decide what is best for our child, while also adding a peaceful feel to a rather a chaotic chapter in our lives? Here are some important factors for you to remember when decorating for one of life’s biggest blessings. These ideas are not only good for when they are babies, but also for when your children grow up, and become young adults that are ready to take on the world themselves.
Nice neutral color with a pop of color
I have found the nicest way to decorate a child’s bedroom, is to use a nice neutral color as the base to the whole room and its walls. Colors like a light beige, faded gray or even off-white tone are perfect for either a boy or girl, and seem to work great with most other color schemes.
Adding a pop of color to the neutral base is a nice touch and easy on the eyes. This can include adding a trim of paint that makes it pop, or by making the accessories in the room the things that add the extra splash of color that the room needs. The light touch of a flashy color is also less overwhelming, and becomes a better space for you and your child to feel more relaxed in. This also makes it easy to change out the colors as time goes on and your child gets older and favors another color.
For instance, you may start with a bright blue as the extra pop of color in their room while your child is in the baby and toddler age. As they get older, you can change that out fairly easily without the hassle of painting over the whole room. As your child grows, they could start to show a preference towards a color like red, pink or turquoise to put in their space. All you would have to do is simply change out the accessories or paint over the trim color to accommodate to their updated tastes. This approach is easy and less stressful for both you and your child, especially when it saves you from repainting their whole room again.
Include their name somewhere in the room
Even as a teenager, and into my young adulthood, I always had a decorative design of my name hanging on the wall of my room. Something about seeing my name in there gave that space a feeling of being my own special territory; a place that no one else could take ownership of, and a room that I could completely be myself in. My childhood room was my sanctuary, and I was proudly marking it by seeing my name placed on one its four walls.
You will want that for your own children someday; a place that they will always think fondly of as being their home. This also includes the room that they grew up in throughout their youth and young adulthood. Marking it with their name, or with elements that are special to them, not only give them a sense of belonging, but also the welcoming feeling of being home with those who love them and make them feel safe.
Adapt to their age with appropriate decor
Your child will grow and change, so will their tastes in trends and what they think their room should look like over the years. When I first gave birth to my son, my husband and I choose a jungle theme for his room. While it was cute in the beginning, over time the look just got ‘old’ looking, and reminded us too much of the baby era. We decided to update his room in a way that looked more modern, but also reflected his current tastes in TV shows.
He now has a room that looks more like a preschooler, and fits his interests in regards to his TV characters and toys. Both my husband and I wanted our son to feel like this was truly ‘his’ room, by marking it with things he likes and enjoys. As our son gets older, we can allow him to have a more active say in what his room will look like, as well as how he would like to decorate and tweak it to his personal liking. After all, that is his personal space, and one that he should feel the most relaxed and at home in.
Place family photos in their room
One of my most treasured items in my room growing up were the photos that I placed in my room of my family, pets and friends. Now with social media our walls may actually mean those on Facebook, but there something irreplaceable about having them hung up in your own room. They’re more private, more sentimental, and they are special because we don’t always want to share them with everyone we have ever met.
Hanging up family photos, or of your child at an important event, will help them understand the importance of living in the moment and embracing those who love you. Pictures can make us hold unto the past, but let also us live in the present while enjoying them. They encompass wonderful moments and help us remember what’s most important in life, especially during life’s rough patches. Family photos are personalized mementos that can really bring a smile to your child’s face, and let them know that they are loved, protected and greatly cared for all at the same time.
Final Thoughts
Whichever way you decide to decorate your child’s room, keep in mind that there is their space, and will probably be their most treasured outlet. This is where they feel safe and completely comfortable. The best way to make it feel relaxed and at ease, is to let your child know that their room is their own personal haven. Offer ideas and let them assist you in decorating and personalizing it to their liking, especially as they get older. This place is your child’s sanctuary, and in a way, their identity throughout the fads of their life. The trends will come and go out their room, but your child will always be a part of your heart. The most important thing you can do is to let them make their room a reflection of their true selves, because that is what will matter most in the end for both you and your child’s happiness.
I’m a Lilac Lily living in the blooming fields of America 🙂