Decorating & Design
February 2, 2021
60+ Ways To Makeover Your Kids’ Bedroom With Their Help!
After a long winter at home, now is the perfect time to refresh your child’s bedroom. We’ve compiled nearly 70 bright and playful spaces, each with mini updates that are easy to achieve and will help keep life in order. Scroll down and start planning!
Streamline the storage bins. The compact home of Vancouver blogger Alison Mazurek is replete with stylish child-friendly features, like slim book shelves that double as display, and bins – only one per each child — that stow neatly beneath their beds.
Reference their favorite sports team. In a bedroom for two boys, ages nine and six, designer Arren Williams used the colors of their beloved Toronto Maple Leafs to create a fun, easygoing space. A vintage Atari poster adds a graphic focal point and a backdrop to favorite decorative objects and a pair of lamps from Ikea.
Add vintage pieces and nature. In her daughter Oona’s nursery, designer Alison Milne layered vintage Scandinavian pieces and dried branches and greenery into the restful all-white room. Wall shelving and drapery provide enduring decorative elements.
Create visual interest with textiles. A simple bunk bed from Ikea is upgraded with spotted fabric panels and dusty rose curtains, while two area rugs – one neutral, one vibrant – lend a sense of depth. Framed artwork enlivens the neutral backdrop and adds singular style (the Eeyore portrait was purchased from a street vendor in Manhattan).
Just add art. In the mid-town Toronto home of art curator Pamela Meredith, the children decorated their rooms with original artworks from her collection. Hot pink reading lamps by Artemide are the exclamation point in the tailored blue-and-white scheme.
Layer in pattern. In this charming bedroom, wall decals added above crisp white wall panelling, mimic the effect of wallpaper without the installation, cost and commitment. Drapery panels in a soft shade of pink and a patterned area rug keep the space from feeling too spare.
Add height (and storybook whimsy). The bedrooms of twin girls are adjoined by a child-scaled secret door, and share a palette of soft turquoise, peach and pink. A bed frame sourced from Pottery Barn incorporates a desk area to maximize floor space and a staircase primed for make believe.
Keep it calm. The refined and edited palette of Sonya and Stacey Weisberg’s home continues in the rooms of their two young children. In their son Pearson’s room, simple wall shelving from Stylegarage holds favourite toys and books and adds balance to an exposed brick accent wall.
Go bold with paint. Designer Shannon Vosters brought depth and drama to a boys’ bedroom by painting the knotty pine ceiling and walls a deep blue-grey, Benjamin Moore’s Steep Cliff Gray (2122-20). Upholstered bed frames in a similarly deep shade of blue, are paired with layers of light, neutral bedding, for a mature, sophisticated look.
Try a primary color palette. Vibrant shades of red, green and blue exude youthful energy and look great when paired together in a playful way. Throw a Hudson’s Bay blanket on the end of the bed or hang bold artwork overhead.
Turn a desk into a play station. For an equestrian-loving child like Drew, this built-in desk — made out of Douglas fir — is the perfect place for her stable and and toy horses. This could work for a doll house or action figure collection, too!
Add a larger-than-life stuffed animal. In this global-inspired nursery, a tall giraffe seems to come alive, peeking its head over the crib. Sometimes, bigger is better!
Hang hot air balloons. You can’t help but smile when you look at this cheerful and whimsical playroom. Rainbow hot air balloons seem to be floating mid-air, while sunny yellow chairs ground the space.
Build a play tent. Similar to a blanket fort (but more photogenic), a cozy hideaway for your little one is the ideal place to read a book, play with stuffed animals or revel in their imagination.
Opt for a bold headboard. Bright pink and red triangles create a quirky background for neutral linens. Tie the whole look together with colorful hand-lettered artwork and patterned pillows.
Incorporate more grown-up pieces. Just because it’s a kid’s room doesn’t mean it has to be childish — an antique armoire and Moroccan rug add an air of sophistication without feeling too grown-up.
Practice pattern mixing. Stripes, florals, zig zags, oh my! Don’t be afraid to pair different designs together — kids’ rooms are a great place to take a design risk (or two).
Achieve California-cool style. Small updates like a handwoven macramé drum light and rattan rocking chair inject a breezy vibe into a nursery, even if you’re miles from the coast.
Hang a graphic tapestry. Whether it’s a fun saying (like “Dear World”) or a notice-me pattern, tying a piece of fabric on one side of a crib makes a statement — literally.
Pick a theme. “He’s big into surfing,” says homeowner Hayley Atkins of her eight-year-old son, Chase. A surfboard triptych’s ocean-blue tones pop against the room’s monochrome palette.
Organize with open shelving. Custom built-ins in a mix of simple white and blond wood feel fresh with a collection of colorful books and stuffed animals.
Make a gallery wall pop. A coat of contrasting paint — like Benjamin Moore’s Cinder (AF-705) — draws the eye to an eclectic mix of doodles, photographs and other cherished pieces of art.
Reimagine second-hand furniture. In this storybook nursery, both the crib and the wooden stool were passed down from the homeowners’ family. When paired with woodland motifs — like an owl pillow and whimsical wallpaper, the hand-me-downs have fresh new life.
Do the unexpected with paint. Instead of swathing the walls from floor to ceiling, stop three-quarters of the way up. “With kids’ rooms, you want to make them playful,” says designer Cameron McNeil.
Choose in a vintage metal bed. There is something so delicate and feminine about an antique bed, which will turn a little girl’s room into a sleep sanctuary fit for a princess. A rollicking rocking horse keeps the space from being too precious.
Tweak a neutral palette. A nursery doesn’t have to be swathed in color to feel youthful. Designer Montana Burnett added plenty of stuffed animals, rattan accessories and electric pink tassels for a hit of color.
Add a sliding door to maximize space. When quarters are compact, save square footage by replacing a swing door with a sliding wood panel, which won’t get in the way of toddler-sized bunk beds.
Bring the outdoors in. “My husband and I love travelling to the Pacific Northwest,” says designer Jordy Fagan of the nursery’s forest wall mural. “It’s something we look forward to doing with the twins when they’re older.”
Go for gilt. Need to add some pizzazz to a nursery? Try adding touches of metallic — like this gold pouf and sleek lamp with a shiny bronze interior.
Add pom-pom trim. Give sophisticated curtains an age-appropriate feel with pom-pom detailing. This is an easy DIY you can whip up in an afternoon!
Make room for play. Arranging single beds back-to-back frees up floor space for games.
Carve out space for a desk. A memo board, desk and chair will make doing homework more enticing. Pretty containers are a nice upgrade from traditional pencil holders for new school supplies.
Incorporate sports equipment. Not all sports equipment is worthy of display, but if your child has a beloved skateboard, baseball bat or even surfboard, consider finding a home for it in their room.
Decorate their bookshelves. Pompom garlands, a large initial and even small plants are sweet additions to bookshelves.
Hang DIY garlands. Spend an afternoon doing arts and crafts with your kids and make personal garlands out of photos, tissue paper, tassels or even spools of thread. It’s a fun project that celebrates family, friends and history.
Consider graffiti art. Just like paintings or posters, graffiti is a great way to bring major impact to your child’s bedroom walls. Have your child pick a local artist whose style they like and collaborate on a design.
Hang pennants. Look for new or vintage pennant flags from your child’s favorite city or sports team to hang on their walls.
Add a patterned roman blind. Bring graphic impact to a window by letting your child weigh in on a roman blind fabric.
Create a reading corner. Tuck a small ottoman or bean bag of their choice in the corner of your child’s room to create a cozy reading nook.
Paint accent walls. Let your child choose the paint color (it’s only temporary!) and which walls to paint.
Spell our their name. Spelling out your child’s name personalizes their room. Choose letters that come in multiple colors and have your child pick the color of each letter.
Corral clutter. Let your child pick a few different bins to show them that everything has its place.
Add a memo board. Memo boards are great for keeping kids of all ages organized. Encourage creativity by letting them choose what to pin.
Accessorize around their favorite stuffed animal. If your child isn’t ready to give up sleeping with their bunny or teddy bear, have them choose some more grown-up pillows to tuck beside their stuffed animal.
Layer smaller rugs. Plush rugs make wooden floors more enjoyable for playtime and smaller ones are easy to move around.
Turn a bedside table into a desk area. Pull up a comfy chair (of your child’s choosing) and create a mini work station by your child’s nightstand.
Introduce a new reading lamp. Reading lamps come in so many colors — choose their favorite shade and place it next to their bed for bedtime reading.
Consider an ottoman. Swap a bedside table for a plush ottoman in a funky fabric. Your child can use it to place books on or as extra seating.
Paint a graphic pattern on the wall. Choose a graphic shape you can both agree on, like triangles or squares. Tape off a pattern to paint over together.
Hang grown-up art. Placing more grown-up pieces, like this botanical print, with youthful finger paintings creates a nice visual mix.
Look for something antique. Go antique shopping with your little one and have them pick out something old to add to their room, like a vintage wooden bed or a funky, inexpensive tchotchke.
Turn teddy into a floor cushion. Large stuffed animals (like the kind your child totes home from a carnival or amusement park) can find a happy home as a floor cushion.
Paint their closet doors. Help your little one pick out a gradient of colors and paint a different color on each of their closet doors.
Hang artwork with washi tape. Printing out photos from their computer and pinning them up using washi tape is an affordable and easily changeable alternative to hanging prints.
Paint their bunkbeds. Simple wooden bunkbeds look custom when painted in their favorite color.
Swap in a cute laundry hamper. Trading a plain laundry hamper for a fun kitty-inspired one will make them more excited to pick their dirty clothes up off the floor.
Frame artsy family photos. Candid photos, like a shot of the sneakers they practically live in or a picture of them playing, are a nice alternative to posed ones.
Add a sofa. If space permits, adding an inexpensive sofa to their room can turn it into a fun chill zone. Let them pick out the pillows to go on top.
Paint an arrow pattern. Arrows are easy to paint (they’re straight lines after all) and the pattern suits a range of ages — just have them choose the color.
Choose a funky rug. Keeping beds and fixtures in simple white sets the stage for a fun rug of your child’s choosing.
Let their favorite colors lead the way. Ask your child their favorite colors and let that guide the palette for the space. Here, magenta, orange and purple are an unexpected yet interesting mix.
Install a barn door. If space allows, adding a barn door brings an architectural element and fun feature to their room. Plus, it will be easy for them to open and close themselves!
Create DIY artwork. Although this Pray For Surf artwork wasn’t a DIY project, it would be easy to recreate one of your child’s go-to sayings using a thick paint brush, large piece of art paper and a steady hand.
Trade their bedside table for a small dresser. Rather than an open-framed table, a small three-drawer dresser provides ample storage and more display space on top for them to accessorize.
Paint the lower half of their walls. Cut down on the cost of wallpapering an entire room by painting the lower half of your child’s bedroom walls. It adds major impact, and they can choose the color.
Choose a cool new pillowcase. A pillowcase with their most-loved superheroes on it is sure to please.
Repurpose an old dresser. If you have an old dresser lying around in the basement, consider bringing it up to your child’s bedroom and using it as a nightstand. If it has keyholes like this one, your child will get a real kick out of being the “key keeper.”
Relocate their bed. Moving furniture provides a fresh perspective for the new school year. Placing this bed in between two windows is a smart use of space.
Wallpaper a single wall. Have your child pick out a fun wallpaper for their headboard wall. Since it isn’t going in the entire room, they choose a really fun pattern without it being too overpowering.