Decorating your kids room
Lifestyle

Decorating your Child’s Room – Real Life Bedroom Makeovers

Decorating your kids room
Photo: Luigi Diamanti

Having a two-year-old is like having a blender that you don’t have the top for. ~ Jerry Seinfeld

Last month, our daughter came home from school and exclaimed, “I want my own room!” I was completely caught off guard. She’s 8 years old, and I thought she was contently sharing a bedroom with her brother, who is 6 years old.
We put them together after our son was born, so they could keep each other company at night. My husband and I knew the day would come that they would want their own rooms, but I thought it would be later than this.

Our daughter had been talking with her friends, who all have their own rooms. She was already planning on an all-purple room with flowers even before I said a word. Once our son heard of this, he too wanted his own room with cars and trucks.

After my head cleared from all the dizzying talk of new rooms and decorating, I starting calculating the costs. I wanted to save as much money as possible while keeping the children happy.

Design Stage

I gave each child drawing paper and crayons to design their dream bedroom. My daughter had already chosen all purple and my son wanted vehicles, but I wanted to figure out what other ideas they were thinking about.

Our son surprised me the most with his imagination. He drew a complicated highway system that went over and under his bed and furniture. His new dream room looked more like a traffic jam than a quiet place to sleep.

Flowers popped up all over our daughter’s bedroom plans. She wanted grass carpeting and blooms everywhere, even from the ceiling. Impressed with their creativity, we attempted to fulfill our children’s dreams.

Furniture Ideas

Most of our children’s existing furniture was old and outgrown. Each child needed a new bed, a desk and storage. My husband found a Captain’s Bed for kids online, which looked perfect for our two children.

Classic looking, the Captain’s Beds passed our children’s shrewd design sensibilities. They immediately said, “I want that one,” when I showed them two choices.

Once we decided on the bed, the other furniture was easy. The beds come with lots of storage underneath the mattress platform, so we didn’t need dressers or bookshelves.

We decided on the matching desks for each room, so our children had quiet places to read or do their homework. They usually used the dining room table until now, but it was too messy. They needed private space.

Budget

After we decided on how the bedrooms would look, my husband and I started budgeting. My mother, who contributed toward the Captain’s Beds, helped lower the final costs.

We used the same sheets and pillows, and we didn’t buy any new toys. We found creative ways of updating lampshades and curtains without the need to buy new ones.

My daughter painted her lampshade purple with daisies, while our son pressed removable decals onto his walls.

Final Touches

To complete the bedrooms, we assembled all the furniture ourselves. It was simple and straightforward, and we were impressed by the quality of the beds. Our children were so excited when we put them together.

My mother-in-law sewed throw cushions and curtains for each child according to their theme. I helped my daughter paint flowers on her walls, and we displayed vintage toy cars on wall shelves in our son’s room.

After the bedroom makeovers, our children were pleased with the results. My husband and I smiled when they each said it was exactly how they had imagined their rooms.

About the Author

A grandmother herself, Christobel Edwards has worked in sales and marketing her entire life. Based in London, she is excited about how the Internet has changed the world.

Like all grandmothers, Christobel loves buying things for her grandchild. Her latest purchase was a wooden bunk beds with drawers. It’s a real space saver and, best of all, her grandchild adores it.

Karla Urwitz
Follow Me