“When I asked him what colour he wanted his room to be, he said black (it’s his favourite). When I asked what he wanted on the walls, he said black things…” writes fellow blogger Stephanie Kaloi. She didn’t give her son a black room. He’s a preschooler.
Jordan Ferney of San Francisco writes in her blog “Oh Happy Day”: “When we realized that we usually only spent time in our bedroom at night it made sense to give the bigger room to the kids so that they could also use it as a playroom.”
Kids Spend More of Their Time in Their Bedrooms
I figure I was at least in grade 3 when my room had to be redecorated following a long bout with a lung infection and a vaporizer, which had left the walls covered in drippy steam marks. I asked for sky blue, with spray painted clouds. I got one wall ospray-paintedggedy Ann wallpaper which had been on sale and the rest in bright yellow (I really had no idea who or what Raggedy Ann was). My parents said things that I didn’t really understand, about “equity” and “resale value”. Then they said, “Because we said so.” By the time I was in my twenties, they had admitted that they couldn’t decorate, and were giving me money to fix up parts of their home.
Reading this article in House Beautiful online, I realize that interior designers, already confident that they know what looks good, how to change a paint job, and how to consult with a client tend to give their children more input in the look of their own rooms.
(More great pictures: Kidspace Stuff)
We can count on a few things with kids’ rooms. First, it’s rare that you and your child will agree on everything. Try to move communication from words to pictures as quickly as possible, as often even when two adults discuss the same space, the same verbal description can call up two entirely different mental images in their respective heads. (A terrific source of interior pictures is the massive website Houzz). Second, kids will tend to spend more of their time in their bedrooms than adults. You might not believe it when you see toys scattered around the house, but your child’s room is the only space they have that is truly theirs. Third, expect every surface of a kid’s room to take a beating.
(More Photos: Lushhome)
Think about cleaning and durability in selecting every material and finish. Finally, what works for a three-year old’s room is not going to work for a teenager. Plan on redecorating, plan the décor according to how often you feel able to do a room, and keep in mind that today’s latex paints can be scrubbable, non-toxic and VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) free, so if your offspring can hold a roller or brush, they can be involved in the process.
This will give them both a valuable life skill, and an appreciation of the work that will be involved before they ask you for another home instalment of Pimp my Room.
The older your kids get, the more likely they become to host friends in their room. A group of friends will quickly determine and state out loud to each other whose room is the biggest, and whose is the coolest, as well as who has the most toys and entertainment equipment, so if you want to play host or hostess to a group wanting to moss, keep these factors in mind. For a shy teen or ‘tween, a cool room can boost social capital and ensure inclusion.
Stretched Ceilings for Children’s Rooms
How do stretched ceilings fit into planning your children’s rooms? (I know you’ve been wondering…) Beautifully, of course! They’re scrubbable for life, even when digitally printed – the colour, design or photo never rubs or wears off. Everything arrives at your home already dried and set. Static properties resist the accumulation of dust and particulates, so they’re especially good for allergy sufferers.
Once the track is installed around the perimeter of a wall or ceiling (Yes, they work GREAT on walls!) the membrane can be easily changed within an appointment of a couple of hours, so you can change the whole look of a room to suit the occupant’s age with ease.
The membranes are very tough – however – sharp objects and direct contact with a heat source, like a heater or light bulb, should be avoided. (These items would likely also damage a conventional wall beyond just the paint on the surface).
Cool factor? Unbeatable. Our membranes come in high gloss, satin, and matte finishes in 260 different colours, which can be combined in any shapes you can imagine, plus we can digitally print high resolution images on them. So don’t be afraid to do something daring, because YOLO (and besides, we can change it for you), add some swag so your yute’s mains will be asdfghjkl!
–Esther Yates-Abrams
More ideas for kids’ rooms ceilings & walls on Houzz
–Esther Yates-Abrams
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