Children’s bedrooms often bring to mind walls covered in Barbie pink, superheroes, football team or the latest cartoon characters that they are into – and if that isn’t your style, then you probably aren’t very inclined to have that kind of thing in your home. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to create a dream bedroom that they’ll love, and you will enjoy being in too.  Whether your children are lucky enough to have a bedroom to themselves, or space is at a premium and siblings have to share, we’ve got ideas that will inspire all kinds of homes. 

Start With The Basics 

When you’re creating your child’s bedroom, getting the basics right is the key to a stylish space. Whether you’re working with furniture you already own, or you’re buying everything from scratch, quality furniture and good neutral décor can create a range of effects, and be pulled together with accessories so it can be updated regularly. 

Furniture

Furniture for children’s bedrooms is a tricky thing to choose. Do you pick smaller items, so that they are suited to their smaller size, or do you choose adult size furniture so that the items last that bit longer? What about whether to buy brand new, or second hand, if they decide they want to change the look and feel of the room in just a few years? Of course, your budget will come into play as well – but whatever your decisions about each of these considerations, you can still create a really stylish bedroom for your children. 

Choose The Right Bed For The Space

There is an old saying about the importance of choosing good quality for both your shoes and your bed, because if you’re not in one, you’re in the other – and for children, that’s pretty accurate. Since they spend so much time in their bed, making sure they are comfortable will ensure that they sleep much better, and bedtime will be much less of a battle.

If the room is a small room, choosing the right bed frame ensures that you can create much more storage, and give them more room for play. 

• Platform beds, and frames that sit high off the ground mean that you can utilise the space for storage 
• Divan models often have built-in drawers that don’t cost a huge amount more
• Beds with end lift storage provide a lot of space, but you’ll need to determine how safe they are for your child
• Bunk beds provide the possibility of comfortably sleeping two or more children to a room – look for trundle beds to allow for sleepovers, and drawers underneath
• Many ‘high sleeper’ beds are designed to include shelves, desks, sofa beds and even wardrobes, meaning that you really can give them more ways to use a small space

If space is limited, consider going upwards. Beds don’t have to be low to the ground, even for younger children – as long as you’ve got safety rails in place, of course. Bunk beds are an option, as are high sleepers, and there are many options that incorporate desks, wardrobes, and sofa beds underneath, allowing you to give them what they need, whether that is space for studying, or for sleepovers.

If a high sleeper bed doesn’t suit – perhaps because the room is for a teenager, or a child that has special needs – there are lots of options for creating a mezzanine floor, or a platform for their bed. DIY platform beds with storage can be created using flatpack furniture – we suggest starting your search for ideas on Pinterest, where there are quite literally thousands of great ideas for this type of build. 

Choosing the best bedding for your children is important too. Comfortable sheets, a great pillow, and a duvet or blankets are essential to helping us all settle into a good night’s sleep. There are infinite choices to make when it comes to which is the right bedding when you’re choosing, so be sure to include them in the decision – especially if you’re able to take them to the shop and choose the look and feel of the bedding themselves. 

Provide Seating

Giving children somewhere to chill out before bedtime means they can really wind down and relax properly away from their electronics. The seating you choose will very much depend on the space and budget you have available, but there are some fantastic options that don’t even need to cost a huge amount of money. Inflatable chairs may be enough for really little ones, and bean bags can be found in all shapes and sizes too. 

If there’s a little more space to work with, then you might consider adding a window seat, or a full size sofa bed or futon, which can be used for having guests to stay, for relaxing together with a book or an iPad, and for imaginative play. 

Tidy Bedrooms Need Great Storage

A wardrobe and/or a chest of drawers are traditional storage solutions, and are found in most bedrooms. Matching sets are traditional, and are likely to age well if you opt for natural materials, but they can be expensive if buying brand new. There are lots of solutions to make the space look great, and to help give them the tools to be able to keep their room tidy! 

Easy to access storage is absolutely key if you’re expecting your children to keep their bedrooms tidy. Be sure to add a laundry basket to help ensure that dirty socks don’t end up strewn across the floor! If bringing their laundry downstairs on washing day is one of their chores, make sure there are handles on the basket that you choose so it is easy for them to carry. This two piece soft felt basket and storage bin set is stylish and can be collapsed when it isn’t in use.  

Ottomans make a perfect solution to give kids somewhere to sit, and to store their stuff – whether that’s extra bedding, stuffed toys or bigger items like toy guns and remote control cars. Our large luxury storage ottoman is finished in a soft crushed velvet feel, and has a padded lid which makes for a comfortable seat, and is available in a range of colours to suit the colour scheme you’ve chosen. 

If you’ve chosen a bed that has plenty of space underneath it such as a platform bed, then you may be able to get coordinating under-bed storage. However, if that isn’t an option, then under-bed storage on wheels is a great way to ensure that they can easily clean up – they’re great for throwing toys they’ve been playing with in when they’re in a hurry! Easy to use options such as this 47 Litre Under Bed Wheeled Storage Box means that they’ll know what is under the bed too – which can help banish the fear of under-the-bed monsters. 

A Place To Study

It is usually a good idea for children to have a dedicated place to do homework, so they’re in the habit of sitting down properly to do ‘school work’ – even if all they are doing is colouring in. If you’ve opted for a high sleeper bed with a desk built in, then that’s perfect, but if there’s space then having a separate desk, then it is recommended to do so. 

Getting little ones to sit at a table and reach easily can be tricky, which is why height adjustable desks are worth opting for. Our height adjustable multi tables are available in black or birch finishes, and have rolling castors, meaning that they’re ideal for a range of uses.

If space is short, then a foldable laptop table might do the trick. Our bamboo laptop table is foldable and has a side drawer that is ideal for keeping pens and cables in, but if colour coordination is essential then our set of two folding serving trays could be the solution.

Furniture On A Budget

When you’re putting a child’s bedroom together, there’s often not a lot of room in the budget for buying everything brand new. A small budget doesn’t mean that you can’t get a great look though. Second hand furniture – whether it is hand-me-down pieces from friends or family, or found in charity shops or on marketplaces like Facebook marketplace or Gumtree – can take on a whole new lease of life with a bit of time and effort. 

We’ve seen some amazing transformations of dated furniture on Pinterest, simply by refinishing the wood – sanding the piece down and using a wood treatment like a stain, varnish, or paint – and changing features like handles. If parts like drawers, or shelves are missing, you can still use the item by adding baskets, or get creative with unexpected items to create more storage. These white rattan baskets, or these natural woven wicker baskets would look great on a unit in place of drawers, while items such as kitchen basket storage trolleys can easily be spray painted and repurposed for toy storage. 

Find Great Lighting

Lighting experts recommend having a range of lighting solutions available in all types of rooms, so there is more flexibility in the space. These include ambient lights that fill the space with near-daylight, task lighting for specific purposes – in a child’s bedroom, this might include bedside tables or desk lamps, and feature lighting to help highlight specific areas of the room, such as where there’s an architectural feature.

In an ideal world, you’d switch off the light when it is time to sleep and your child would go straight to sleep – but there are few children that go through their whole childhood without being afraid of the dark. While plug-in nightlights can be a solution, there are other, more stylish ways to provide brightness in their room. We’ll mention this again, but fairy lights or LED strip lights are a great way to chase away the darkness, while galaxy projector lamps and lava or glitter lamps are great to help encourage tired eye s to finally give up and go to sleep.

Décor & Colour 

We spoke at length about colour trends for rooms in the home on the blog previously, and if your child is conscious of the latest trends (especially if they’re a teenager!) then this is a great place to start. We covered colour psychology on that post, and while most shades that you might think of are likely to work in children’s bedrooms, it is certainly worth knowing in advance the colours that can disrupt bedtimes. You don’t want to encourage hunger (red and orange) or evoke frustration (yellow – studies found that babies cry more in yellow rooms!). 

Choose Your Colour Scheme

If you’ve got a little princess who is obsessed with pink, or a staunch football fan who is adamant that their bedroom must be in their team’s colours, you might feel the pressure to simply go with it. But since children can be fickle, and change their minds about their favourite thing week in, week out, choosing a neutral décor is often a better option, which allows you to switch out accessories to update the room.

As an example, if your child wants their room to be Barbie pink, compromise can be found by working with watered down shades of pink like blush or rose quartz, which are much more subtle and has the potential to last them a few years longer without looking dated so quickly. Allowing them to choose their bedding, curtains, and cushions – even if they are Barbie pink – will mean they’ve got the look they want without you needing to be ready to repaint when they move on to other interests. 

A really bold effect can be achieved using primary colours. Using red, blue, and yellow in bedrooms can be striking, but used in splashes on a plain white backdrop, can be tasteful.

For a more neutral, genderless look, whites paired with natural and earthy tones can look beautiful. Use textures on soft furnishings like rugs, bedding and on furniture like chairs to create warmth and depth. If that’s a bit too minimalist, then you can add in other natural shades of greens and blues, or sunset tones to add colour without being too bold.  

Be Creative With Themed Decor

Your child might be wishing for a completely themed bedroom, featuring their favourite characters such as those from Marvel or DC, Barbie, or Peppa Pig, or maybe they’re an avid follower of a certain football team. While there are a million and one ways to create a themed bedroom, they can work out expensive, and if they’re not to your taste (and perhaps you support a different football team!) then you might be reluctant to go all out. 

There are some great ways to create themed décor that is a bit more discreet. We’ve already mentioned how you can choose more subtle shades in the same colour palette, and here are some of the ways that you can bring in their favourite things. 

Find neutral photo frames – white, black, or wood toned to match furniture – to create the theme of the room. Add items that nod to their passions, such as cut-outs of superhero masks, framed comic covers or programmes from match day. This is a great way to preserve those memories too, rather than them being stuffed in a box! 

You can add wall art canvases next to those frames, such as this Spiderman one from our range, and make those the focus as you add other frames around it. Gallery walls are great to get the look that children love without being too overwhelming – and the items in the frames are easily (and relatively inexpensively) swapped out when your child’s tastes change. 

Flags and bunting are great ways to add pops of colour, and they can be a remarkably inexpensive way to change the look and feel of the room. If you’re a family that travels a lot, then collect flags from places you’ve visited to personalise their space and add to a gallery wall. 

Bedding and soft furnishings like duvets and pillows, cushions and curtains that can be switched out easily is another way to indulge their favourite things too. Again, they are easy to be changed for more tasteful sets when the time is right. 

Novelty lights can be a great addition to their bedroom too – these Hello Kitty fairy lights, or this Paw Patrol push lamp are great examples. Adding character lighting can be valuable if they’re still scared of the dark but don’t want their friends to know that they still need a nightlight. 

Stylish Ideas For A Child’s Bedroom

Now we’ve covered the basics, it is time to get on with the ideas that will make you – and your children – proud to show off their bedrooms. 

Inspire Their Dreams 

If you’re choosing their bedroom décor, then give them the type of bedroom that will help them to dream big. If you’ve got a budding astronaut, an intrepid explorer, or a future palaeontologist on your hands, then let that inspire their space! 

Space Odyssey 

Astronauts will love deep blues, and the ability to imagine faraway galaxies from their walls, and while there are thousands of wallpaper options that you can choose from, you can get them involved in decorating the space by using wall decals. These are like stickers, but bigger, and mean that you can stick them around furniture for a really unique look and feel – we’ve found some that create the effect of looking through a porthole on the side of a spaceship, as well as solar system ones, constellations and many more. If your little ones are likely to want to rearrange their space scene as they grow, then look for repositionable stickers to keep walls from being damaged as they remove the stickers.  

If adding stars to the ceiling feels a little bit out of date, then grab a galaxy star projector light – they are a perfect alternative for stargazing on cloudy nights, and can stand in as a nightlight too. Many models have timers, meaning that they don’t have to be on overnight.

Bold Adventurer

Wannabe explorers and palaeontologists will love having a tent-inspired bedroom that makes them feel like they’re going on an adventure every time they head into their bedroom. There are a few ways to make this a reality, and we love these ideas:

• Adding a tipi tent to a corner to create a cosy space for play and reading
• Hanging a canopy over the bed space to create a real Bedouin tent feel 
• Add plants (faux versions work!) to create the feel of being in the jungle 
• Use a world map on the wall to help them plot their excursions 
• Paint walls to suggest the look and feel of mountains – decent masking tape, and a couple of shades of paint are all that are required
• Add huge prints of the types of animals that they’d love to encounter on their travels – whether that’s elephants, tigers, or dinosaurs, there are plenty of ways to inspire them! 

Natural shades of blues and greens, or an earthy palette of sands and browns work well for this look – and since they’re fairly neutral, if you’re planning to move from your home within the next few years, it won’t need changing when your house goes on the market.

Pony Paradise 

Does your child adore horses and riding? If they’d be sleeping on the straw with their pony given half the chance, then use that to inspire their bedroom décor. You can go all-out with this idea, with a huge pony inspired mural, or you can be a bit more subtle, using natural shades and lots of wood – like sliding barn doors on built-in wardrobes, and tack inspired details like horseshoe curtain tie backs. 

If your child is a talented horse rider, and they’ve won lots of rosettes from their competitions, display them by attaching them to string and hanging from corner to corner around the top of the room, or add pinboards for them to display them. 

When you’re choosing furnishings, think about the colours they wear when riding – such as tweed, or velvet jackets – and echo that by adding blankets, cushions or even a chair in that style of fabric.

Fortress Fun 

Being in a castle or a fortress is the stuff of many childhood dreams – and inspires many games! If this sounds like your child – whether they’re playing the princess, or the guards battling to keep the king and queen safe – then this bedroom décor idea is the one for you. 

A four poster bed might feel excessive, but child sized ones are available at a similar price to other beds, and can create the effect you’re looking for – particularly for those little prince and princesses. A pampered look can be found by adding canopies and bunting, or make their bed feel like an olden-time castle by wrapping bedposts with faux ivy. 

If there is room, then a high sleeper bed with a slide is a fantastic way to add to the potential fun that they can have when playing – whether they’re the ones fighting the dragons, or they’re escaping the wicked queen! 

Ocean Lover

Does your child absolutely adore being in the water? If you can’t keep them from getting wet when you go to the beach, then use that as your inspiration when decorating their bedroom. There are a few ways that you can go about this, with these ideas springing to mind:

• A seaside theme is pretty timeless, and can be inspired by bright, classic seaside resort themes with hints of ice cream – whether in pictures, or the shades of paint you choose, as well as bunting and festoon lights to evoke the thrill of being by the seaside.
• If playing in, or on the water – perhaps boating, surfing, or paddleboarding – is their thing, then choose a more beach-oriented theme, with sandy shades combined with blues. Use sails and surfboards as your inspiration to decorate with – you can use bright, bold colours, or be more subtle, using vintage prints and shades. 
• If the creatures that live in the deep is their thing, then an underwater theme can look fabulous. Choose seafoam greens and deep blues, and add artwork that features corals and fish – and maybe the odd Finding Nemo toy to complement the décor! 

Indulge Their Passions

If you’ve got a really active child, use their favourite things to decorate their bedroom. We’ve seen some incredible ideas of using surfboards, skateboards, even bikes displayed as art on walls!

Frame football shirts that they’ve outgrown, and hang them – football shirts can be expensive, and if their name is on them, you probably won’t want to throw them out. If they’re a little older and you’ve got more than one old shirt for them, so much the better – it means you can create a gallery wall with memorabilia. If you’ve got a great photo of their team’s stadium, then get it printed on canvas – it doesn’t cost a huge amount, and is likely to be a piece that they will keep as they get older. 

Create A Mural

If your child is a bit older and toys aren’t going to be cluttering the space, then you can consider making one or more walls the feature of the room by creating a mural. If you, or they, have the artistic ability to make that a reality, then this is definitely something to consider, but if not, you can still create a fabulous mural wall – since you can buy wall murals relatively inexpensively online. Choose something, or somewhere they love (like in our picture!) for their feature wall, and they will continue to be inspired by it as they get older.

Don’t forget though, murals don’t have to be on the wall – you can bring in creative use of this type of artwork by decorating the ceiling. We’ve seen a lot of ceiling murals that incorporate stars, galaxies and so on, but they don’t have to be. You might use a jungle canopy theme for a little adventurer’s room, clouds to create a sense of space, or maybe even under water with fish – there are so many options!

Self-Design Décor 

Many kids love their own artwork – and that is absolutely to be encouraged! But when you’ve been given what seems like the 50,000th painting that day, you’ll be running out of space to put them. Use their bedroom as a place that they can display their favourite artwork. Here are a few great ideas: 

• Buy frames to create an ‘art gallery’ wall, so that they can swap their favourite drawings out as they choose (you can replace glass with cork to minimise the risk of accidents if they do this unattended!) 
• Hang a ‘washing line’ along walls that they can peg their paintings on
• Add a wall hanging grid that they can clip their colouring to – this mesh shop display grid is ideal, and can provide additional storage by adding hooks, baskets and so on. 
• Find cork boards to mount on the wall and pin work to 
• Install floating shelves to allow canvases, frames, and models to be displayed 
• Attach a group of clipboards to the wall to display pictures easily
• Take photos of their artwork and add it to a digital frame that cycles through all their work

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If they’re prone to ‘decorating’ walls themselves (whether by accident on purpose) then painting a wall in their bedroom with chalkboard paint means they can go nuts with chalks and recreate art again and again. Alternatively, if colouring is more their thing than drawing or painting, consider covering a wall with self-draw wallpaper – it’ll keep them busy for quite some time to come!

Bedrooms For Teenagers

Bedrooms for teenagers need a different approach – as you’re probably more than well aware, there’s a balance to be found between childlike and too grown up! Who they are is likely to change dramatically between starting their 13th year and finishing school, so choose décor that is more neutral, so that they can update their space as their tastes and preferences change.

When you’re buying furniture for a teenager’s bedroom, bear in mind that you’re likely to want to keep those items in place if they go off to university – at which point they may, or may not want to bring a partner to come and visit with you! If there is space, then buy them a bigger bed – even a small double (also known as a four foot bed) will make them a bit more comfortable. 

Plain walls can feature large frames for posters, while implementing some of the ideas that we suggested in our self-design décor section mean that they can add and remove photos, flyers, and other memories as they prefer. 

For teenagers with a lot of clothing and accessories, creative storage is key if things aren’t going to get lost, or simply get strewn across the bedroom. We love this cocktail dress jewellery and accessories organiser, which can be hung in a wardrobe, on a door, or even on a sewing bust, and has pockets, hoops and loops to store necklaces, scarves, and belts on. 

Final Thoughts 

Your child’s bedroom needs to be their sanctuary – their safe space that they can retreat to, enjoy alone time, and where they can enjoy peaceful nights of sweet dreams. While left to their own ideas, a child’s bedroom may have the potential to be garish, with your gentle direction and persuasion, you can create a space that you both love. Whatever theme, and colours you ultimately decide to go with, the key to a great bedroom – aside from a really comfortable bed, of course – is great storage. Whatever you need to give your child the storage that they need, be sure to start with our range of storage solutions.