How to prepare for your (ever-changing) kids’ rooms

By Jane Lockhart
April 10, 2017

When it comes to kids’ rooms and decor, I have one rule of advice: Let your child participate in the decisions. It’s their room and they know best what they prefer for colours. Now, that rule also carries with it a caveat – these decisions will be temporary. Children grow, change and then change some more and so do their tastes.

I’m certainly not advocating that we indulge in their every whim and fantasy – unless you’re okay with that, but at least let them take an active part in the decision regarding colour. Paint is one of the least expensive decorating products and it can transform a space relatively quickly.

Think about it. Did your parents let you choose the wall colour of your room when you were a child? My mother chose it for me so my childhood room was gold and brown. They were contemporary choices “back in the day” but I wouldn’t have picked them for myself.

Babies’ rooms are (relatively) easier to decorate because you get to choose how the room will look. You get to indulge your tastes… for a while. As soon as your child can talk, he or she will develop opinions. From then on the countdown is on ‘til they tell you what they want in their room. I usually give it five years. You’ve been warned. There will come a day when they will outgrow that adorable space and insist on decorating their own space.

Today we see decor options for children that cater to their tastes, such as cartoon characters or hobbies. That interest may not last so add a few accessories based on the theme and spend your investment on the more permanent pieces in a room. A great bed, desk and dressers can last for years right into their first adult apartment. But that requires discipline on your part. There is a whole category of juvenile furniture that may look great but is sometimes smaller in scale and your child may not be interested in those furnishings starting in their teen years.

The next stage in your child’s developing opinions on their “territory” come when your child hits the pre-teen years. Suddenly all the childhood themes are replaced with something a little more “aspirational.” Whether it’s sports, hobbies or fandom, your pre-teen will want a room that reflects their changing tastes. As I mentioned, painting can produce great results, then let them participate in what goes up on those painted walls. You may not like it, but everything is temporary, including the holes in the walls.

Your teen may just start taking over the decor completely and become even more territorial over their space. I have a client whose teen son always left the empty drawers open in his dresser, the contents spilled out all over the floor. This client was mortified at the lack of respect for tidiness. The teen, however, saw it as a shortcut to getting dressed. This is normal – some teens express themselves through their room. This can be alarming and depending on your degree of tolerance, this may be the thing that puts you over the edge. But take a breath, try to relax, this too is temporary.

If we can just keep in mind that it’s just decor. That it’s going to constantly change and develop. Most children learn a healthy respect for their surroundings and develop their own tastes by the time they’re adults. It may be difficult for those who like to control the aesthetics of their homes, but try to look at it as a gift you’re giving your child – the gift to express themselves in their own four walls. After all, one day you just might have a chance to exact revenge by decorating the guest room in your grown children’s homes!

About Jane Lockhart

Jane Lockhart, B.A.A.I.D., Intern, A.R.I.D.O., is Founder and Principal Designer of Jane Lockhart Interior Design in Toronto. She can be reached at 416.762.2493. janelockhart.com

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