10 Mistakes to Avoid When Decorating Children's Rooms
Decorating a child's room is an exciting adventure, but it's easy to make mistakes that affect both how the space looks and how well it works. In this article, we look at ten common mistakes to avoid when decorating a child's room.
How to Avoid the 10 Most Common Mistakes When Decorating Children's Rooms
Skipping Professional Advice
Not seeking professional advice is a mistake that can spoil the decoration of a child's room. Interior designers and decorating experts can offer valuable tips and solutions that make the most of the space and how it works, while also making sure the room meets the right safety and design standards for children.
Professional advice helps you avoid common problems and ensures the decoration is cohesive, safe and pleasing to the eye.
But if you're doing it yourself, research, plan and prioritise your needs; consider DIY, reuse and shop smart. Ask friends for tips, keep things simple and make the most of good lighting. Learn from your mistakes along the way.
Choosing Furniture That Doesn't Grow With Your Child
To avoid having to buy new furniture every few years, the smartest choice is timeless furniture that can adapt to each stage of your child's growth.
Adaptable, modular furniture such as trundle beds gives you the flexibility to adjust the design as your child grows. These beds, for example, can turn a child's room into a teen room, which makes them a versatile, long-term investment.
Not Thinking About Their Height
Children aren't the same height as adults. To encourage their independence, it's crucial to give them furniture suited to their height, so they can do simple things on their own, like choosing their clothes or picking out their books. This idea comes from the Montessori approach to raising independent children.
Letting Your Child's Tastes Dictate All the Decoration
A common mistake when decorating children's rooms is giving in completely to your child's tastes and wishes. While it's important to take their preferences into account, letting them have the final word on everything can lead to a disorganised, impractical room.
The key is to strike a balance between creativity and practicality. Bringing in touches that reflect your child's interests subtly and in specific areas, such as the choice of colours, accessories and decorative details, can work better than filling the room with themes that keep changing.
Not Enough Space to Play and Learn
It's important to give children space to play. If you can't have a playroom, it's essential to arrange the bedroom furniture strategically to leave a clear space in the middle, where they can let their imagination run wild and grow as people.
Solution: Choosing L-shaped beds and well-placed desks can be key here. L-shaped beds make use of the wall space, leaving the centre of the room clear and ready for games and activities. The desk can also go near a window or against a wall, so the central space is used to the full.
For long, narrow rooms, high sleepers are an excellent solution. The space under the bed becomes a versatile play area. Alternatively, if you have two children, trundle beds can save space and leave a practical play area when they aren't in use.
Not Enough Storage
Admittedly, this matters more to us parents, because if it were up to many little ones (and not-so-little ones), their rooms would turn into real mazes. It's important to have enough storage so the room doesn't look messy, as toys, clothes and other things pile up quickly.
Solution: As well as talking to your child, look for furniture with clever storage solutions: beds with built-in drawers, shelving units and toy organisers.
Ignoring the Colour Palette
Choosing the wrong colours is another mistake that can affect the atmosphere of the room. Unbalanced or overly intense colours can make a space feel uncomfortable.
Solution: Go for a harmonious colour palette that encourages calm and creativity, with soft, pleasant shades for the walls and furniture.
It's a good idea to repaint every three to six years, so as your child grows, they'll have the chance to choose their own colours. Quality furniture, on the other hand, lasts many more years, which is why at Muba we offer a palette of 18 shades to customise it.
We recommend reading our article on the best colours for children's rooms; you'll find it really helpful.
Not Paying Attention to Lighting
Lighting is essential when designing a space for children. Make sure there's enough light in the areas for studying, playing and sleeping. Use adjustable curtains to control natural light. Good lighting creates a cosy, practical atmosphere.
Extra Safety Measures
A rug is often a lovely decorative touch, but it can affect your child's safety (not to mention potential allergies).
Solution: If you do want rugs, look for non-slip ones, rugs made of washable materials, or vinyl rugs that lie completely flat against the floor.
Protecting the Walls
When it comes to decorating children's rooms, one mistake that's often overlooked is not protecting the walls. Children are known for their energy and creativity, but all that liveliness can often lead to bumps, scratches and marks on the walls.
The walls of a child's room are like a blank canvas, ready to be filled with your children's dreams and adventures.
Solution: You can put a chalkboard on one wall, or use washable wallpaper or vinyl that's treated so it can be drawn on with markers. Another option is to fit half-height wall panelling to protect the wall.
At Muba, we're here to help you every step of the way as you design your child's room. Feel free to browse the site and get in touch.
