North American Wholesalers

8 Simple Strategies to Make You Both Happy!
by: Michael Holland

When it comes to decorating a child’s room, your approach should be much different from decorating an adult bedroom.For kids, their bedroom is where they play games, read, listen to music, day-dream, or just go to be alone sometimes. So use these eight strategies to help create a space that will make you both happy:
1. Talk to your child. Find out what activities and fantasies he or she enjoys; what their favorite color is; and what’s unique about their personality that a theme could be built around.
2. Allow your child to help. Let them have a say about colors, fabrics, and how they want to display their collectibles.
3. Make the room multi-functional. Since children use their room for many activities besides sleeping, it should have several different zones, such as a play area, reading area, and entertainment area.
4. Make storage a priority. Try shelving, large decorative wicker baskets, plastic see-through containers, and closets that contain plenty of shelving and racks.
5. Keep window treatments simple. Avoid long draperies. Shades, blinds, and shorter curtains are safer choices. The fabric should be versatile, and patterns should be repeated in other items in the room, such as in pillows, quilts, lampshades, bed ruffles, etc.
6. Choose the right lighting. A child’s room should include both task lighting for homework and reading, and soothing light for quieter times. A night light is also important.
7. Use wallpaper or paint (if it is allowed in your lease) to add color and texture. You can apply whimsical borders along the top edges of the walls, and clouds or stars on the ceiling. Make sure walls are washable, so if you are using paint, choose a semi-gloss or gloss finish. Kids love bright colors, but you should limit any strong color to only one wall.
8. Allow your child to select the design theme. Here are just a few: firehouse fun room, starry night, angels, rainbows, unicorns, baseball, a bedroom for a princess, underwater scenery, outer space, race cars, airplanes, trains, jungle motifs, wizards and dragons, and dinosaurs.

Decorating with your child offers a great opportunity to display your playful side, while doing some memorable family bonding, so have fun with it!

Tags: kidsrooms, kids bedroom ideas, decorating kids rooms

The one room in your home where imagination and fun can run wild is a child’s
room.

Castles, dragons, fairies, and royalty are written about in books and
captured in the hearts of children everywhere. But they don’t have to stay in a
child’s imagination!

Parents can help to make those dreams come true in their child’s room.
Wonderful fantasy beds expand a decorating theme for any boy’s or girl’s
dream room.

What little princess wouldn’t love to sleep in a golden coach? Do you know
any race car driver who couldn’t slow down enough to dream in a colorful model
car? A future sailor can rock gently to sleep in his or her own private boat.

There might be more practical solutions to childhood sleep, but the fun that
a fantasy bed brings to a child’s life will more than make up for the added
expense. And you’ll always know where you child is, since your child’s friends
will want to play at your house and plan wonderful sleepovers!

PoshTots interior designer Pam O’Hallaron advises that whatever style is
chosen for a child, “Make the new bed an occasion to remember.
Get them excited about their new environment and they’ll love spending time
there. Talk to your children and find out what they like. A favorite book or
color may be the decorating theme you’re looking for.”

Before you or your child has their heart set on a specific bed, make sure
your room will hold the bed. Some of the beds come in strange or oversized
shapes. Remember that some styles will require custom-made bedding.

Your child will undoubtedly outgrow the fantasy bed before it’s worn
out. And the novelty of a “golden coach bed” might get old before your child
changes his or her interest or goes off to college.

Be ready for the added expense and have a place to store the fantasy bed once
it’s outlived its usefulness. You’ll probably have no trouble at all finding
another youngster who would love to dream in the fantasy bed.

Too bad, Mom and Dad. Most of these fantasy beds come in
smaller-than-regular sizes! You’ll wish you could be a kid again!

Whether your purchase
is for your child’s fantasy – or fulfills your own fanciful
childlike desires — these beds will set the tone for a terrific, creative
child’s room.

Browse more fantasy beds…

The Botanical Bed can last through the teen years for girls who love
color.

All product photos shown on this page are courtesy of
PoshTots.com ®

A Nautical Boat Bed is the starting point of this fun child’s room.

Transportation captures the attention of little boys
everywhere. Let them sleep in this colorful bed with a trundle for sleepover
guests.

Canopy Beds are classic and popular with little girls and big
girls alike.

This fantasy bed could belong to a princess, gypsy, magician, or budding
young artist.

The Venice Bed, painted with classic floral designs might be just right
for a pre-teen or teenager who loves fantasy style.

Source: interiordec.about.com

Your baby boy is no longer a baby and is now
ready to shed the nursery look in his bedroom. Choosing the right bedding does
not have to be a challenge. You should resist the temptation to purchase the
"cutesy" character bed sets available unless you plan to replace bedding every
year as your child’s interests evolve. You can give in to this impulse for the
sheets but keep the rest of the bedding grown up.

Tip: For boys you are best to choose a
mixture of masculine patterns such as stripes and plaids and solids in a color palette that
is fairly neutral. A safe mix for boys is red, white and blue or cream, beige and browns.
These color combinations can be easily accessorized in any theme your little one
may think up over the years and the stripes and plaid will grow with your child
without having to be replaced as too childish later on.

Accessorizing:
 

With a neutral background of bedding and decor you can turn your child’s room
into a reflection of his age and personality by adding inexpensive
accessories and decorative items. To change the look and feel of the room you
only have to shop for a few accessories instead of laying out the expense for
new bedding and the hassle of repainting and redecorating.

You can take your little boy’s
room from the preschooler’s dreams of being a cowboy to the preteen sports
enthusiast with a quick switch up of a few decorative items in the room. Then
switch to music posters and cars when your little boy becomes a teen.
 

Tip: Do not scrimp on your child’s bedding. Buy the very best you can
afford as this bedding will last a long time. Remember the goal is to buy your
child’s bedding just once. You will replace the sheets but the bed skirt,
comforter, shams and drapes will go the distance if you buy well.

By Cathy Henry