Your kids, they are everything to you. From their grumpy faces in the morning on the school run, right through to night-time when you tuck them in. There's no love like that effortless love you have for your children.
Our kids rely on us so much - think about it, where would they even be without good parents? They can't work, buy food, in some cases they can barely clean up after themselves! As a parent, you've got to do it all and sometimes that can be a thankless task - but you do it anyway.
In terms of the home, it's a safe space for our families. It's a place where they can foster skills, grow knowledge, have fun and escape from the world that is flying by outside. That obviously goes for the kids as well. Interior design is a heavy consideration - much like our kids, we want the best for our home as well! We want it to be the perfect place for us, it's ours, and we are paying a lot of money to have it - so why not? The dream of a good home preoccupies the mind of many an adult, and once you've unlocked the door to your new home, your mind can go wild with possibilities. The truth is, investing in the design of your home can be quite rewarding - the money you put into it could very well increase the value of the home, which is obviously a massive benefit.
But before you run ahead with your delusions of a wine cellar or what have you, spare a thought for your children. Obviously, if you can consider a wine cellar, it's likely that your children will want for nothing - but no matter your income, it's good to equip the kids with a bedroom or playroom that can allow them a safe space in your big, wide house.
So, when you think about creating a room for your children, whether it's a bedroom or a room where the toys are stored, there are a bunch of key considerations you must take on board.
The first thing you need to consider?
Well - your kids do grow up - that does happen. This means that you might want to curb some of your grand designs if your kids are approaching the ages of 9 or 10 as the room will only last them a maximum of three years before their needs change. If you've got younger kids, you can really go wild with your imagination as you'll get a good six or seven years out of a well-designed room. The needs of the children are going to change, so keep that in mind at all times otherwise, you'll be wasting a lot of time and money. If you design the room around the age of your offspring, you'll keep many problems at bay.
If your kids are growing up, a study space is of incredible importance. Between 10 and 18, they are going to be doing some serious learning, and a place to work is going to be needed through these years of school and college when the homework load increases. It also gives a great bay for a laptop computer to be stored. It's much better if your kids can work sitting upright than sprawled out on the bed; obviously, you can't boss them about in that manner, but you can certainly give them the option to study on a desk. What should a study space consist of? Well, the basics could be a desk and a chair - that's it.
You could go wild with the desk - say for example that your child loves comic books, why not buy some old Marvel or DC issues (depending on their preference, of course) and lacquer them over the desk with some varnish to create a unique piece of furniture out of what could be a cheap desk. Also, ensure the space is lit well, your young bookworm will endure some eye strain if not. A book case is also an excellent idea for a study space; it gives your young one a place to store their study materials along with their favourite books. Giving your kids access to a well-stocked bookcase can open up their minds to new ideas and amazing stories. It can never not be a bad investment, put it that way. With the study space, you are giving your kids a place to foster and concentrate on achieving their dreams and goals, no matter if they are the next big artist or the next mindblowing scientist.
It goes without saying, but a good bed should be the focus of any childrens bedroom furniture you choose to furnish a bedroom. Sleep is underrated and is so very important to the development of our little monsters, look at the below from the NHS if you are unsure:
'Evidence shows that nighttime sleep is just as important as healthy eating and exercise for children to develop. Those who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight or obese. This is because they tend to crave and eat sugary or starchy food during the day to give them the energy to stay awake. The key to how much is enough sleep is whether a child gets up fairly easily in the morning is alert and happy for most of the day and is not grumpy. Younger children who are persistently sleep-deprived seem irritable and overactive, seek constant stimulation and don’t concentrate well. Such symptoms can be mistaken for mild ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).'
The amount of sleep your child needs depends on their age, and it varies from 11-hours down to 9 hours. That all being said, the bed is crucial. Now, it might seem obvious to have a bed, but this bed needs to be inviting, warm and soft as it needs to carry them through the night right through into the next day of mischief. Some good quality blankets are a good idea as well to keep your child snuggled up nice and warm. It's amazing how a bed is so key to the development and health of our children, so take the purchase of a good bed seriously.
Storage is absolutely key for a children's room. They have so many toys and little gadgets that it can be hard to keep up - even when you are the one who paid out your hard-earned cash for them! Storage under the bed is always a good idea, but include a wardrobe of sorts and a few drawers so when it does get messy, all these toys scattered around have a place to call home when the time comes to put them away. Give your kids some options when it comes to storage and teach them some organisational skills.
You'd be making a huge mistake if you don't choose to reinforce your walls. Sometimes, our kids might not realise their own strength, and when they are chucking bags about and being a bit naughty, some damage can be expected.
Wall panelling is a good option for a playroom, or even a bedroom when the playtime gets a bit hectic. It's better being safe than sorry when a hole appears...
In terms of lighting, fairy lights are an amazing idea as they transform from cute to stylish as your child ages. They are not as brilliantly bright as some lamps so they have a lower chance of disrupting your child's sleep and LED lights are cool to the touch so that we don't have any burnt little fingers.
The decoration of the room is where you can go crazy with your imagination. There are some amazing designs on the internet for kid's rooms, ranging from floating tree-houses, to pirate ships. They are some more minimalist options as well if you don't have the time to construct Noah's Ark in the room of your little ones as well. Take the time and plan it out.
A word of warning, though. It's far too easy to become wrapped up in our own creative process as adults and end up leaving the kids out. We are building their room! The input of your children needs to be the focus of this, not an afterthought. This room is for your children, and they will be the people occupying it, not you. Now, it may be your house, but you need to allow your kids to lead the design process here. Let them choose what they want the room to look like so you can follow their demands and design the room of their dreams. Of course, you wouldn't expect them to lead the process on another renovation, would you?
Think of them and let their needs power the design.
It can be a lot of work, but a room full of love for your kids can go a long way, just don't forget them when the time comes to build it!
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