From An Interior Designer & Mom: Design Choices that Adapt!
I designed my kids’ rooms before I even knew them! I had to show, in my home study, that I was ready for kids to come to my house. Who? No idea. How many? No idea. Boys or girls? No idea. You get the picture! Starting with so much flexibility allowed me to create a space that would adapt as my children grow and show more of themselves. As designers, we move with the intention of adaptability and timeless design in all spaces. All children, adopted or not, are ever-changing, and their rooms should be flexible and able to grow with them!
Start with AN adaptable Bed size, finish, and bedding
I’m a big fan of getting the size bed they’ll eventually need (or that suits the space) and starting there. Once we’ve graduated from the crib, let’s move to the full or the queen straight away. That gives us room to grow physically and steadily so that, in the future, everything doesn’t always change! Haha. Let’s have a little felt safety at home and in our rooms. For headboards, I recommend we go with a timeless finish here. I know my girls like pink sparkle now—but their headboards are white iron. White iron will work with many aesthetics, while pink sparkle will limit us in the future. Bedding is absolutely the easiest thing to change! It’s the trendiest item to play with, and it’s the least expensive to update. Begin with sheets and a comforter, and then feel free to add a few shams and a duvet or quilt on each bed. That way, we can learn to make our bed or take care of our things slowly rather than all at once.
Our clients on Treehouse Lane have four daughters who love everything pink! So much so that the parents wanted to create a girly, pink bunk room for all the girls to share. But, of course, we wanted to ensure that the room would grow with the girls. I mean, fully custom bunk beds that you'll just have to update every few years would be a nightmare! So, we built their plans around full-sized beds! Now, the girls will be able to have cousin sleepovers and not outgrow their beds as the years pass. It's a win-win!
Choose an ageless Wall Color or finish
I have painted walls, but I love a wainscot in a kid’s room. It protects the drywall, adds an architectural detail, and can make a trim statement. I do not necessarily recommend the diagonal or chevron wood accent wall as a timeless, flexible choice. Above the wainscot could always be wallpaper, but wallpaper might be one of the first things to date the room if you go too juvenile. It can be a hard balance between timeless florals and pre-teen aqua vibes, or between masculine plaid and Nintendo throw pillows! My kids’ walls are light, light blue, and I STILL love it years later for its flexibility. At Treehouse Lane, we took a similar approach by intentionally selecting a pink that would grow with the girls. With a slight change of bedding and throw pillows, the pink will transform from girly to feminine! We love to suggest the same to all of our clients. Pick a color or wallpaper that will never go out of style, that is classy, and adaptable!
Select neutral Drapes and window covering
I believe these should be super timeless. We don’t want to get new roller shades or shutters for light control every few years. Let’s pick a neutral with some texture for rollers. Let’s pick a trim white for shutters. Period. For drapes, they’re easier to change out if they’re a ready-made height, but if you’re going custom, I’d stick with a neutral drape with a colorful tape trim. In the future, you can remove the tape trim and add a new one without breaking the bank!
Display their tiny treasures
I always recommend incorporating open shelving for each kid to display their precious things. My kids love little junk, and I’m sure yours do, too! :) And I’m putting that nicely! A little collectible. A baseball card. A fidget from school. Homemade art. They like to display their collections and see them! So I suggest giving each of them a spot to display or collect. They’re in charge of what goes there. They’re in charge of purging what we’re done with…you get the picture. As they grow and mature, the 3D-printed dragons may disappear for newer obsessions, but they’ll have room for whatever is piquing their interest. One child might fill their shelf with miscellaneous items, while another may have a single book and a LEGO flower. They’re their own people, and this gives them the perfect space to show it!
And that’s really the point. Our kids are already their own people; they are developing their preferences, likes, and dislikes. They are already learning how to take care of their things and learning pride in their surroundings. I know my rooms growing up were formative for me—I could still describe the bedding suite in detail! I could describe how it made me feel and the weight of that comforter! I love having the opportunity to create that same experience for my four kids and even for your kids!
If you’re interested in a kids’ room consult, we’re here! Reach out, we’d love to help craft their dream space into a timeless and authentic reality.
