Kids Room Decorating Ideas: The Basics

Decorating a kid’s room can be a fun and creative experience while at the same time presenting several challenges. A child’s room is a place for sleeping, playing, and letting their imagination run wild. The goal is to channel that creative energy by creating a room that’s practical, safe, organized, and with an enjoyable theme.

With that in mind, there are some basic ideas and decor concepts we need to go over: choosing the right type of furniture, keeping things organized, and creating a flexible theme.

Basic Furniture Tips:

Though every kid’s room needs a bed, desk, and storage items, the most important aspects of choosing the right furniture are selecting basic colors that can adapt to a changing room theme while at the same time selecting durable, well made pieces from the right materials. Popular materials are aluminum, plastic, MDF, and hardwood. In terms of safety, it’s important to do your research because materials such as MDF can cause irritability due to formaldehyde. There are definitely stores that do offer chemical free and eco-friendly kid’s furniture if you’re interested in moving towards organic decor.

In any case, make sure that the furniture you select has rounded edges, is easy to clean, can survive all sorts of “wear and tear,” and sits well on the ground. Lighter pieces of furniture have a danger of tipping over, so it’s crucial to secure them well. Versatile kid’s furniture can also be a great idea depending on your style. This type of furniture can transform as your child grows, such as cribs that turn into beds or multipurpose desks and dressers. There is no substitute for good furniture that can be passed on through the family line!

Organization Ideas:

Keeping toys and accessories organized is of vital importance to any kids room. Although it’s easier said then done, there are many creative ideas to help keep things organized and tidy.  The best way to do this is to look at things from a child’s view point.  Kids have a hard time reaching high places, so only keep things out of reach that they aren’t using on a regular basis.  Hooks are great for holding coats, jewelry, bags, umbrellas and more and are kid friendly if they aren’t too high!

You can also try clear storage containers (kids use what they can see!).  Kid friendly closets have low hanging rods and minimal clutter.  Beds with compartments underneath such as captain’s beds are great storage solutions.

Flexible Theme:

Having a theme your kid will love is another important aspect of kid’s room decor.  There are many great theme ideas out there like fairy tales, sports, the jungle, ballet etc.  The most important thing is that your child’s room can be modified with his or her ever-changing hobbies and interests.  It’s therefore a good idea to keep walls and furniture neutral colors. To add color and style to the room, try using less permanent accessories such as: area rugs, bean bags, posters and wall stickers.  These fun decorating objects can be found in many colors and themes. And who knows…you may enjoy decorating the room as much as your kid will!

Have You Ever Checked Out Organic Decor?

Organic decor is becoming an increasingly popular trend in 2009 as more and more people are looking to have eco-friendly, green homes that are healthier not only for the environment, but also for their bodies.

Going organic means choosing products that are grown from natural ingredients, are biodegradable, and manufactured without pesticides and all sorts of toxic chemicals. For the home, organic decor often refers to furniture that is ‘organic by construction,’ which means that in addition to the materials themselves being organically grown, the wood is also sustainable or reclaimed (the wood has either been recycled or taken without destroying anything). Therefore, all the components of the furniture are free of toxins and irritants.

So let’s get on to the organic decor! Here are some great ideas.

One of the best areas to start going organic is with your bed. Everyone agrees that sleep is important, and research has shown that mattresses made of organic materials are much more breathable, therefore regulating your temperature and helping you sleep better. The natural next step is to get organic bedding, linens, and pillows which also help reduce allergies. Today, more and more designers are creating stylish organic bedding, so you can be assured that you won’t be sacrificing style when trying to create an organic bedroom.

Don’t forget organic rugs and carpets. These can be made from organic wool, bamboo fiber, jute, cotton, hemp, and are dye free, which makes them so healthy that you should consider making a change now in your child’s room or baby’s room. Normal rugs usually are full of additives such as biocides to prevent mold. The air we breathe in a room is almost always affected by our carpeting, particularly if your home is fully carpeted.

Furniture that is organic by construction is also becoming more widespread. You can find stylish furniture made from sustainable wood that is upholstered with organic fabrics. Flooring is also important and can become a lovely decor element in your home. Organic bamboo or cork flooring is not only incredibly durable and healthy, it is also a beautiful decor element and can compliment your organic furniture.

Today, the organic decor trend fits in well with zen decor, feng shui, and other trends and is synonomous with a holistic approach to overall wellness. Nearly every store for home products or furniture has a ‘green’ section and carries organic products.

Here are some links:

www.organicconsumers.org - Has a section that provides a listing of all businesses carrying organic products in your area.

www.modgreenpod.com - Has organic home textiles and a neat link to a room creator.

Nursery Room Decor

Coming up with adorable nursery room decor ideas can be a lot of fun given the wide range of accessories you have to experiment with.  Starting from scratch gives you the most options, so to begin, start by getting a feel for the shape of the room and the focal point when you walk in. Where is the light entering from? In general, having natural light in the nursery is important for softening the colors of the room and creates an overall feeling of openess and air.

Once you have a feel for the room, probably the most important element of nursery room decor is choosing your color scheme and painting the room (or using wallpaper). Colors have profound effects on mood and should be chosen wisely.

After painting the room, the next step is to choose a crib style. There are 3 basic crib styles: standard, round, and convertible. Within these style groups, you can find crips made from wood or metal with innovative design additions to make them more comfortable and practical. Traditional, rectangular, wooden cribs are popular, so just make sure that the wood color works with the background color of the room. Crib placement can either be against the wall, or can be placed in the center of the room so that you have easy access from any side as well as using the crib as the focal point. Other basic pieces of furniture can also match the crib color, such as cabinets or a rocking chair.

Now you can start filling in the rest of the room once your major pieces of furniture are in place. Having a nice, soft, cozy rug underneath or beside the crib not only adds to the room in terms of decor, but also is very practical. Try to choose a rug that is stylish and soft yet easy to clean. Choosing a color for the rug that is a lighter or darker hue of the same color you picked for the furniture usually blends quite nicely.

Next, consider window valances which can add a bit of spunk to the color scheme. You can match them to wall borders or pillows and teddy bears. When choosing accessories for the nursery decor, think of them as an opportunity to add splashes of stimulating color. There are a variety of different lamps, pictures (including frames), and knickknacks that help bring the nursery to life.

Finally, bedding plays a huge role in your nursery room decor since there are numerous themes and designs. You can purchase themed crib sets with everything from bedding to matching diaper stacker. Try to find a set that includes as part of its design the color you painted the room, or the color you chose for the valance and wall borders. You can also easily find a matching mobile in all sorts of shapes and sizes that will fit right into the color scheme.

The most important thing to remember when thinking of nursery room decorating ideas is ultimately comfort and practicality, since you want the room to be easy to clean, cozy though not cluttered, and safe for your newborn baby.

Creative Shelving Ideas

As traditional styles of home decor give way to more modern designs, one of the areas which have enjoyed a burst of creativity is shelving. Where once homes were filled with standard bookshelves, today there is no end to the variety of shelving styles that complement the walls of any room, including kitchens and bathrooms. There has been a conceptual shift from standard, vertical, solid, wooden bookshelves to shelving made from any number of materials in any manner of shape, as long as it is capable of holding objects.

There are obviously some highly impractical designs, but just like in the world of fashion, the new concepts eventually trickle down into the department stores which then carry a more ‘reasonable’ variation of the original. So for creative shelving ideas, we’ve collected some of the more interesting designs and then moved towards more practical modern shelving.

This chair isn’t exactly standard or comfortable, but it is definitely a creative way to store books. In shelving, we generally see the designs split into two groups: shelving based on the ground and wall shelves.

The next design is also ground-based yet is a brilliant manipulation of wood to simulate fluidity whereas most ground shelves give off a very rigid, stiff feel.  Though the design isn’t so practical and wouldn’t exactly work in everyone’s living room, we can still take from the general idea when decorating a room in our home and think more in terms of bended wood rather than strictly vertical or horizontal.

Here is another example of a bookshelf based on a similar concept, though slightly more practical. This unique shelving concept bends the wood entirely to create circular shaped shelving. Although it may be strange to the eye at first, it is a very creative use of shelving and can potentially complement any modern living room.

Moving on to creative wall shelving ideas, we have here a set of shelves suspended off the ground simulating running. This is a very creative concept, though I’m sure the pricetag on this type of setup wouldn’t be so cheap even though it would add tremendously to anyone’s home. People are willing to spend so much money on artwork; here we have an example of the shelving itself becoming the art.

A more practical (and probably more affordable) single unit of wall mounted shelving can also add to a room. This smaller unit has a very dramatic design and would have a pronounced effect on any wall it is placed on. Notice that on these types of shelves, stuffing them with all sorts of books is not exactly the best use. A delicate blend of novels mixed with modern accessories will help keep them from looking cluttered and maintain the contemporary feel created by the shelves themselves.

Shabby Chic Living Room

By decorating your home shabby chic, you can have a super stylish and trendy look while staying in a budget. The idea of shabby chic décor is to use “barely there” pastel colors use flea market finds to furnish and accessorize. Shabby chic means you are using “not perfect” looking items, vintage fabrics, white furniture and a lot of creativity!

A shabby chic living should feel warm and inviting. Here are a few room decorating ideas to get your shabby chic living room started:

Your Couch: If it is upholstered it should be with a very pale fabric, without a pattern. It should be very comfortable and faded looking. You can also try covering your sofa with a slipcover. White slipcovers are shabby chic favorite. To liven it up a bit, you can try adding a throw pillow with floral fabrics that don’t necessarily match.

Furniture: Shabby chic furniture has a “fatigued” look and even if it is new, it is usually painted in a way that makes it look older. Flea markets are great places to find furniture for your shabby chic living room. Buying used, aged furniture and covering it with a fresh coat of white or pale paint gives it that “old but new” look that is shabby chic.

Floor: Shabby chic area rugs are soft and inviting. Try using an area rug that is shaggy, plain white or rose colored. Keep to light colors and make sure the fabric is welcoming and adds to the comfortable feeling your shabby chic living room will have.

Lighting: Shabby chic light fixtures are often embellished with crystal looking beads. Chandeliers are a favorite in shabby chic decorating. You can also try beaded lampshades or shiny pendant lights.

Accessories: Fresh flowers are a great shabby chic accessory. Flowers don’t have to be arranged with too much thought. Shabby chic décor uses the “thrown together” look. Other great accessories are wire wine racks, lacy white curtains, bohemian looking tins, and vintage paintings. There are many other fun shabby chic living room accessories out there!

Headboard Ideas

If you’re looking for a way to spice up your bedroom without spending a fortune, try making your own headboard.  Although this might seem pretty arduous at first, you can create your own unique headboard without being an expert of arts and crafts.

A headboard is a way to mark off the area behind the bed creating a more elegant and elaborate.  There are many possible creative headboard decorating ideas.  To start simple, you can try decorating a plain wooden headboard you already have.  You could also start with a metal screen or a large artist’s canvas.

If you’re starting with a headboard that you already have, try decorating it with wallpaper decals.  They come in all colors, styles and motifs so you can create a look that matches your general room decorating idea or theme.

You can also create a bold headboard with a simple metal panel or screen.  By painting the area behind the screen, you can create a funky and bold effect. Try using either bright or metallic colors behind your screen or paint a dark shade and add shiny spots or designs in a different color. You can also attach different accessories to the screen to add flair, like butterflies or beads.

An artist’s canvas is one of my favorite headboard ideas! There is so much to work with and a lot of room for creativity.  The great thing about canvases is they are the perfect shape for putting behind the bed and can be decorated in no time.  Try covering the canvas with a piece of fabric or a variety of coordinating arranged in a pattern (for example, you can mount them in a square shape in the center of the canvas).  Painting the wall behind the canvas accentuates the headboard, especially if the paint color matches the fabric you’ve used.

Adding a headboard adds a lot to your bedroom and can be done without breaking your budget.  So start decorating and give your bedroom a cheap and stylish upgrade!

Bedding Décor

It’s not always obvious that the way you decorate your bed has a major impact on the entire aura and appearance of your bedroom. Your choice of linens, pillows, pillow cases, duvet covers, bedspreads, bed skirts and comforters is actually essential when coming up with your specific room design. Different patterns, fabrics, and colors each make statements of their own and will affect the final look of your bedroom accordingly.

One way to make a bed the focal point of your room is by making it bold and loud. To do this, chose fabrics with bright colors and blunt designs. You don’t need to have a lot of “stuff” on your bed, but rather make it so that the bedding itself is noticeable. Another way to make a visual impact is by choosing white bedding and throwing on a few brightly colored pillows or fabrics. The contrast can help but demand your attention!

You might want to give your room a clean, simple, toned down look. By sticking to tans, pale blues and grays your bed will exude a serene energy and have a natural, organic character. Keep to simple basic designs and keep extra pillows to a minimum.

To create an elegant look, try using a bed skirt. Bed skirts hang from your mattress to the floor adding loads of style (and hiding whatever’s underneath)! I personally love using one or two embroidered throw pillows that reflect my own style. Whatever you do, don’t skimp on the bedding décor when creating your beautiful bedroom!

Bedroom Theme

Choosing a theme is so much fun and is something you can do in all your rooms. A theme can be absolutely anything you like, think is beautiful, or that reflects your hobbies and interests. It can be anything from city sleek, trendy, Middle Eastern, retro, Hollywood-glam, Zen industrial and even butterflies. When it comes to themes, there are absolutely endless room decorating ideas out there!

When decorating according to a theme, every inch of your bedroom must be considered, including the floor, walls and ceiling. You also need to identify the colors, patterns, types of fabrics, furniture, accessories and lighting that will give you the particular look you are going for. You will need to do a bit of brainstorming and researching but it is worth it if you want your bedroom theme to turn out just right.

The following is an example that you can follow when coming up with your own bedroom theme!

Example: Zen Decorating Theme

• Colors: Stick to neutral, organic shades like tan, green, blue and white. Use these colors in walls, fabrics, accessories, furniture etc.
• Furniture: Japanese-style low platform bed, simple nightstand out of Asian hardwood, dresser with Chinese handles, perhaps out of wood from government controlled forests or something “zen” like that
• Ceiling: White ceiling, make sure not to have a bright light coming from the ceiling onto the bed
• Floor: Tatami Bamboo mat or woven rug,
• Walls: Hang watercolor and calligraphy paintings
• Bedding: Simple, high quality, tightly woven, tan or white
• Lighting: Paper lanterns, bamboo lamps paper blinds over the windows
• Accessories: Candles, stones, plants and maybe a small fountain. Accessories should be kept minimal, uncluttered and related to nature.

Just keep to these basic instructions and your bedroom will have a beautiful theme in no time.

Creative Decorating Ideas

When it comes to room decorating, we are always searching for new ways to make ordinary parts of our home look new and exciting. Getting ideas from super creative people is one to get you thinking out of the box. Below are a few pictures of some of the most creative room decorating ideas I’ve seen on the web!

This beautiful tea-cup chandelier is a really creative and adorable lighting fixture. Though it might not be so easy to “do-it-yourself” without the proper wiring skills, using household items in unique ways is something anyone can do. Plates, cups, silverware and bowls are not only for food but can also add a touch or decor to any room.

This funky bedroom is not only stunning, but it also breaks the barriers of regular room design. The “dresser” is located in the middle of the room on wheels and gives the impression of being a bunch or randomly stacked boxes. This room contains unique shapes and modern edges that give it a contemporary appeal that is definitely one-of-a-kind.

The ordinary boundries of the sink have definitely been overstepped with this incredible sink/fish tank. This original and extremely cool design embodies the idea that no household item, product or appliance has to be limited to standard definitions. Each area of your house can embody things you love and find beautiful, even if you can’t afford a mini aquarium in your bathroom!

Although this may look like regular colorful wall decor, it’s more than meets the eye. This wall paper is actually “scratch and sniff”! Not only does it give your room a sparkle or decor, but it doubles as air freshener adding a nice scent to your home (well…at least if you scratch it!). Hey- what kids wouldn’t love this?

I hope this helped you find some creative decorating inspiration! Dream away!

Relaxing Bedroom Decorating Ideas

Your bedroom is a place specifically meant for rest and relaxation. The way you decorate it can create a peaceful and Zen-like mood. Here are some ideas to get started:

Color: Nothing is more relaxing than nature itself, so try choosing colors inspired by the great outdoors like greens, browns, or grays. Using different shades of the same color help create a serene feel. To keep things interesting, other colors can be used for accents and in accessories. Try to avoid shades that are very bright or very bold. They tend to evoke more energizing emotions.

Sounds and Scents: Gentle music playing in the background instantly gives a room a relaxing feeling. You can also try putting on CDs with soothing sounds of nature like waterfalls or crashing ocean waves. A sweet aroma can be easily added to your room by lighting incense, candles or scented oil.

Accessories: When looking for accessories to create a relaxing vibe, nature inspires once again. Plants filter the air, add color, and have a mood lifting effect. Other ideas are candles, vases, wall art with tranquil natural themes, and flowing white curtains.

Avoid Clutter: If you have too much stuff in a room, focus gets frazzled while furniture, artwork and accessories go unnoticed. Make sure to have a place for everything and only keep things in the bedroom that belong there. Get rid of extra odds and ends lying around and have storage space hidden places like under-the-bed containers.
I hope these relaxing bedroom decorating ideas will help you create a peaceful atmosphere and get all the ZZZs you need!

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