Have your kids been begging you for a room refresh? Are you redoing their room as a special surprise? No matter the occasion, it’s easy to update your kid’s room without breaking the bank. Fresh linen, fun accessories, wall decor and some key furniture pieces can all make for an easy bedroom transformation that will have your kids saying, “Wow”.
Pick a theme
This is your chance to play interior designer! Start the makeover by choosing a theme. Take inspiration from your child’s hobbies or interests, or choose a colour palette and start brainstorming. Instagram and Pinterest are great places to get ideas – save photos of decor you love and then create a mood board with them. This way, you can make sure all your concepts work together before you purchase. Think about decorating to reflect your kid’s current passions in a way that can be easily switched up as their interests change.
Choose a statement piece
If you’re working to a budget, it’s a great idea to choose one piece of furniture to splash out on a little, rather than changing all the furniture at once. An item like a bedside table is a great place to start, or introduce a desk if they’re about to start school.
If you have a little more room in your budget, you might consider upgrading their bed. Depending how old your kids are, a room refresh can be an excellent opportunity to move them from a single to a king single or a double.
Update the linen
Whether you’re keeping the same bed for your child or buying a bigger one, changing up the bed linen is a great way to update their room. Go back to your mood board and choose linen that matches the theme – either in colour or motif. Depending on the colour scheme your kid loves, it can be fun to select patterned sheets with a plain coloured quilt cover, or go funky with clashing colours and prints.
Add soft furnishings
Choose cushions and throws that complement the bed linen’s colour and design. For a younger child, it can be fun to be creative with giant soft toy animals for their bed – these days, you can find anything from dinosaurs and unicorns to lobsters and more. If you have enough space in their room, a kid’s armchair, bean bag or play couch can be a great way to set up a comfy reading nook. Do you have leftover fabric hanging around? Create a tent or drape it on the ceiling above the bed.
Decorate the walls
A fantastic way to make an immediate impact in your kid’s room is to decorate their walls. Rather than spending time and money repainting their room, vinyl wall decals are an easy way to dress up walls in any theme or colour. The great thing with decals is that you can move and re-stick them without damaging the wall paint, and there’s no glue involved, so they’re perfect for rentals. Another creative way to add colour to walls is to frame family photos or their own artwork. Pennants and bunting can also be a fun addition to walls or shelving.
Use what you already have
There are plenty of craft hacks for finding new ways to use everyday items. If your kid loves art, this is a great chance to do some recycling and paint murals on cardboard or boxes. A kitchen trolley can make a great storage cart for art supplies or study materials.
Is your child a bibliophile? Books are a great way to add colour and interest to a room. Display their collection with covers outwards on wall-mounted shelves, or a small floor-level bookshelf. Are there cushions or other bits of decor gathering dust around the house? If they fit the theme, don’t be afraid to repurpose them.
Be practical
Whilst it’s easy to get caught up in the fun side of refreshing a room, don’t forget about the practical things. A room update is a wonderful opportunity to take stock of storage for clothing, toys and other items, and consider if there’s a better way to organise them. This is particularly useful if your child is starting primary or secondary school, as their need for a desk and space for school supplies will change as they get older. Likewise, you may find the amount or type of space needed to store clothes may have changed. Cube storage that can serve multiple purposes is a budget-friendly option that can be adapted as your children grow.
It might seem daunting to consider updating your kid’s room if you’re on a budget, but it doesn’t need to be. Just take a piece of statement furniture, refresh the linen and soft furnishings, jazz up the walls and don’t be afraid to use what you already have. You’ll find it easy to create a new look that your kiddo loves.