Toddler Bedroom Ideas That Easily Transform To Teenage Rooms

Summer is a good time to re-decorate childrens bedrooms.   Schedules are not as hectic as they are during the school year and some kids are at away camp, allowing parents to even surprise their cuties with a hot new room when they come home.  When looking to re-design your child's bedroom keep these 3 factors in mind:

Think about         1. Space         2. Look         3. Function.

Choose your kids bed carefully to get you the best space planning possible (see BEDS THAT GROW WITH YOUR KIDS).  Create a look that works with your child as he/she grows (see FOCAL WALL POWER below).  And lastly make the bedroom as functional as possible by investing in the right furniture (see FURNITURE THAT IS THE RIGHT INVESTMENT below).

BEDS THAT GROW WITH YOUR KIDS

Daybeds are excellent bed options for toddler rooms because they allow more space in the center of the bedroom to play.  These beds become relaxed sofa seating for friends when the child gets older.  Add a trundle to allow friends to sleep over!

Another flexible option is to buy a twin or full sized bed on a simple metal frame.  No big decorative head and foot board with it.  Without the bulky frame around it you can easily move it around their bedroom from front and center as toddlers, to pushed up against a wall lengthwise to be more of a bohemian hang out spot, or allow more casual seating in a tight space.  

Here are some examples below:

*With a little DIY you can re-use lighting and furniture by gently sanding the piece with fine grade sand paper, wipe it clean, then spray paint it in a well ventilated area.  

FOCAL WALL POWER

Applying a theme to your kids bedrooms can be so fun but as your children get older they may grow out of it and request changing it up.  If you choose to go crazy and bold on just one focal wall, and keep the other walls a soft neutral color, it will not be as laborious and expensive to make changes.  

Below are great examples:

FURNITURE THAT IS A GREAT INVESTMENT 

Invest in furniture that will grow with your child.  I would avoid buying an expensive matching furniture set when your child is really young.  I have worked on my share of children bedrooms and have heard over and over again from parents 'Do you know anyone who wants this childrens furniture set?  We spent a lot of money on it but doesn't work any more.'  If you want a car bed for your son who loves automobiles, look to local second hand shops, or online sources like Craigslist or Ebay.  

The piece of furniture I would invest in is a bookcase or two!  It grows with your children.  As kids accumulate more home made objects, awards, and books, its a wonderful space saver for all that stuff!  

A great way to use your bookcase if your bedroom is small, is to place it next to your kids bed.  Narrow bookcases like the ones shown below look great with wall sconces screwed into sides.  

*notice how the daybed, as well as the bed with no decorative frame, shown above, work so well flanked by the bookcases!

Buy your furniture as your child grows and needs it.  Don't be afraid of mixing up finishes with the pieces you choose.  An eclectic blend of furnishings will keep your childs room special.

Keep the above ideas in mind and have a ball with bedding, pillows, decor and artwork!  Wall decals are great choices (writing, characters, and even wall scenes).  They can be found everywhere these days, are affordable, and easily removable.

2 Kids Bedrooms Get an Inexpensive Makeover: The Design Plan

As seen on my design segment this morning on WFMZ-TV 69 news (CLICK HERE to see the segment) I have big plans for a little girl who is about 4 and young man age almost 6.  Their bedrooms are getting re-designed in a very BIG way on a SMALL budget.  With a budget of less than $500 per room, I plan on making the most of LOL.

What does 'Laughing Out Loud' have to do with this???  Nothing! LOL stands for Layout, Operation and Lighting.   Before you spend a dime, create your Layout keeping in mind that this space will be used differently as your child grows.  Think about how the room will Operate for your child now and in a few years.  And where will overhead and task Lighting be, for today, and as they grow in the room?  Want to save tons of money and headaches down the road?   Know your LOL. 

Now comes the THEME-I am working with pint sized clients that have a definite idea of what they want in their room-princesses and cars of course.  If you are working on a bedroom redesign for your little one, you might get similar responses.  So when thinking about their theme, incorporate it using a conceptual approach, instead of literal.  In other words, translate their ideas through colors, shapes, and imaginative ways that won't keep you 'stuck' in Barbie World, or Tonka Truck Land.

Save money using your secret weapon-paint.  Create big impact with it on the walls and the ceiling; try a pattern or mural- you will have no need to spend money on any artwork.  Keep well made furniture pieces and simply change out knobs, or if handy, re-finish pieces using paint or spray paint.  My $500 budget will be going toward bookcases, lighting and window treatments.  Items that will be there for years to come.

   

Taking into consideration everything above, I created the 2 design plans:

GIRLS BEDROOM

BEFORE:

The LOL needs to change but the furniture and bedding is in great shape so we will keep it.

DESIGN PLAN:

With new LOL, we will use paint to create a dramatic theme up onto the ceiling creating a faux tray.  We will spend most of our budget on storage around the window, and add a dollar store DIY artwork idea above the bed.

DIY artwork preview (this is one cool easy project!!)

BOYS BEDROOM

BEFORE:

The LOL does not work but will keep the furniture and bedding. 

DESIGN PLAN:

Using a grey palette, I will add my interpretation of 'the love of cars' with a zig zag pattern in yellow and white, and red accents, all the colors you would see on the road.  We will spend most of our budget on a large bookcase, window treatments and lighting.

I created the pattern using the paint colors on a canvas board to show my client.  

We both went 'oohhhhh!'

I can't wait to reveal the two bedrooms to you!!  I will include how to do a lot of it, costs, and how the kids reacted to their new cool rooms!

STAY TUNED FOR THE REVEAL!!

A Harry Potter Tween Bedroom Design Plan And A Funny Phone Call

I thought you would get a 'hoot' out of a space I am designing for a tween age girl who is hot for Harry Potter!  Kids bedrooms are so much fun for me because I get to think loudly and colorfully!!  I adore what these little clients have to say when I consult with them (Oh yes, they are very much involved in the process because it is so much fun for them).  I bought this little guy above as my inspiration for the project.  Below is part of my idea board:

When designing a tween's bedroom you have to keep in mind his or her needs and wants now; and at the same time think about how the room will work in future years.  This is very helpful when investing money in furniture.  What will the room be used for besides sleeping? Homework & studying, reading, hang out zone with friends? Think about the layout and function of the furniture pieces, for example, for this tween I will turn her full size bed into a sofa by turning it lengthwise against the wall and adding a sofa like padded headboard along the back.  Her bed is now multi-purposed as a lounging sofa for her and her friends.  I have added a mobile laptop table instead of a traditional night stand on one side of the bed so she can pull it up to any part of the room and study or write on it with ease and comfort.  The tabletop can be lowered or increased in height.  This is a multi purpose piece that is inexpensive!  

On either side of the bed I opted for wall sconce lighting that can swivel vs. table lighting that would remain stationary and take up tabletop space.  And think about bookcases as a great place to keep small items your child creates or collects.  For this tween I have designed built-ins on either side of a double window, with a window seat in between that opens for further storage.  

When it comes to the theme of any space, I like to add it simply and organically, especially in a kids space, because too much theme gets old quick.  For this tween bedroom I will incorporate decor accents and fabrics that remind me of the Harry Potter movies.  Owls are great accents, and fabrics with patterns that look like mazes, magic wands, stars, swirls, etc.  And as a wall treatment I will use a similar diagonal stripe pattern that incorporates the burnt orange and red from the tie as part of the uniform at Hogwarts.  I will also use furniture hardware that is colorful and again has that magical fun look and feel. 

Someone must have cast a magical spell on the weather in PA because I have been able to actually leave the house and get a lot done!!  I have been busy at window installations, client consults, and well......prank phone calls it seems:

Oh yes she did!!  This week has been full of surprises.  First, I had one of those classic miscommunicated phone calls that left me blushing.  As part of my brand spanking new website relaunch (coming very soon), my clever web designer told me to get some photos taken of myself for my site doing different design-y things like holding a vase, measuring something, etc.  I called a photography studio and said "Hi,I would like photos taken of me in different poses, wearing different outfits; my husband will direct me and I have props I will be bringing with me." There was silence on the other end of the line then the woman cleared her throat and said "We don't do that kind of photography here." I was red in the face and laughed for ten minutes in embarrassment.  I called back and explained what they were for and we both chuckled.

So I did not strip down for the photo shoot BUT I did strip down a piece of furniture that I was reluctant to do but then swayed by my clients sentimentality toward the piece.  I have been designing multiple spaces in a beautiful home in Nazareth.  One of those spaces is my clients master bedroom.  We are taking it from white chalky walls with little excitement to a big- 'O-WOW' with an exclamation point.  In the room she has a chair and a half with big rolled arms and a short back.  My plan was to replace the chair with a chaise that would take up less space in width but after hearing that it was her mother's chair and meant a lot to her, we opted for slipcovering it.  We had a custom ottoman built to go with it.  It came out so gorgeous that I wanted to share it with you:

BEFORE

AFTER - we increased the height of the back cushion for neck support and changed out the chair skirt to a tight tucked look.

I want to give a big shout out to the genius who created the slipcover because as you can see, she managed to line up the pattern between the welting which is not easy.

My next blog will include the before and after of a contemporary plum color infused master bedroom I recently completed for a gentleman in Allentown.  Have a great day friends!