Designing a child’s room is no small feat. You want it to feel like it fits with the rest of your home design, but also make it special for your little one. The key goal for designing a child’s room is to make it timeless enough that you don’t have to redo it every five years. Of course, you can change out smaller decor pieces and accessories, but the bones should be able to remain the same. With that being said, we’ve rounded up our top tips for designing a child’s room. 

Stage 1: Baby to Small Child

Choose a Theme
If you don’t know where to start when designing a child’s room, try selecting a style or theme. This will help guide your colour palette and design choices. Boho, Scandinavian, vintage and farmhouse are popular decor styles to consider, or you can opt for a theme such as travel, woodland or tropical. Keep in mind that just because it’s a nursery or child’s room doesn’t mean the decor needs to be juvenile. Opt for sophisticated art prints, classic light fixtures and warm accents so it’s a space you’ll love to spend time in as well. 

Stick to a Neutral Colour Palette
Gone are the days when girls’ rooms had to be pink and boys’ rooms had to be blue. A neutral colour palette will ensure the space is versatile for future purposes. Painting your walls dove grey, cream or muted green will provide you with a soothing and sophisticated foundation to which you can add pieces like a natural wood crib and dresser, a jute rug, and textiles made from materials like macrame and wool. If you want to bring some colour in, do it with soft shades in the form of throw pillows, blankets and window coverings. 

Pick Furniture That Will Grow with Your Baby 
Baby-sized, one and done furniture is out, and multipurpose furniture that will grow with your child is in. Opt for versatile pieces you can use in your child’s room for years to come. Look for a dresser with a removable changing table, a convertible crib they can use through their toddler years, and a glider or rocking chair you can move to your living room when its time in the nursery is over. 

Stage 2: Big Kid to Tween

Focus on Classics and Neutrals for Large Investments 
For larger investments like a bed, a large wool rug or chest of drawers, choose high quality pieces in a neutral colour palette that can grow with your child. These will act as foundation pieces, and then you can be more adventurous with the smaller stuff. For pieces like wall art, bedside lamps or even a wall mural, you can get more creative and have fun with it. Choose whimsical pieces that interest your child today and are easy to change and update as they get older. 

Bedding
Once your child has entered the “big kid” stage, you’ll want to update their bedding. This is a great place to let them in on the decorating fun, so have them participate in choosing their linens, duvet cover and pillows. For bedding that will last throughout the years, focus on options that are fun and play to their interests, yet still refined. 

Add a Workspace 
When making the transition to a big kid/tween room, adding a desk will make the space more grown up. They can use it for doing homework and working on art projects, and it will add more storage to reduce clutter in their room. You can easily customize your kids’ workspace to their taste. Think: A darling pink desk for the ultimate girly girl, a towering bookcase for the book lover, or palm leaf wall mural behind the desk for the nature enthusiast. 

Give Them Control
Once your kids becomes a tween, they’ll want more control and say in their space. Add shelving to swap out the kids toys and books, and allow them to add their own decorative pieces such as photos with friends, textbooks, plants and personal items like a jewelry box or sports trophies. If floor space is tight, vertical shelving is a great option. Let them choose wall paper that speaks to their style, and painting their dresser is another great way to change up the space. You can also consider adding a chalkboard wall for a fun, new component they’ll enjoy for years to come.