Theming a Child’s Bedroom for Amateurs*

Little Miss’ bedroom has been a working progress for almost a year now, and I am so ashamed of this. Our house kind of takes a back seat to having adventures because realistically on one income I can only afford one or the other (and this is one of the reasons I don’t drive or have a car). As long as the house is clean, I’m happy. We have paint peeling, worn carpets and I desperately need a new mattress. But having a life time of adventures is way more important to us that material possessions. But LM’s room, I feel like that should be finished and that’s one of my aims for the first half of 2018.

I’m not a decorator, or even someone who takes pleasure in planning colour schemes and picking out the perfect furniture. To me a wardrobe is a wardrobe, a sofa is to sit on. I’m also not the best at DIY. In fact when it comes to my house, I’m some what an amateur. Being someone who cultivates their Instagram regularly, I often see these perfect home Instagrams, those stylish kid bedrooms and colour coded toys and I know that’s not me, no matter how hard I try.

So here are 5 ways I’ve tackled LM’s theming a room as an amateur;

Pick a Popular Theme
So LM’s room was once upon a time, Bambi themed. I bought a whole nursery set that was white, beige with hints of pink and blue. So easy to find matching curtains and a rug. Then it changed to patchwork princess. Again, pastel colours, that shabby chic patchwork style, again easy to match with. Now it’s Peter Pan. And unless you buy bespoke, it’s a nightmare! I cannot recommend enough that you pick a theme that’s easy to pick up bits and pieces to go with. Something generic like dinosaurs or flowers, or something popular that never goes out of fashion. Don’t go over the top though, it’s so easy to get swept up in car shaped beds and princess canopies only for them to get bored after less than a year and want their room done again.

Decide How You Want Your Walls
When theming a room you don’t want too many colours, especially if you’re planning on hanging things on the walls. Go for white or cream and choose some colourful art work. I love Etsy for picking up pieces for LM. A feature wall can bring out colours in bedding and curtains. If you don’t want to go for the basic white walls and then hang photos, why not try a mural wallpaper? Perfect if you’re not very artsy to pain one yourself and it’s as easy to hang as wallpaper.

Storage Is Key
A lot of kids have the smallest bedroom in the house as their parents take the big room. In our house I have the front room with the airing cupboard (for storing towels and bedding) and LM has a literal box room in the back. She probably has more stuff than me these days so I have to make sure I have sufficient storage. I love the storage cubes from Argos as they’re great for books and boxes. I also couldn’t do without the under the bed plastic tubs. If you don’t like the way they look get a valance sheet to hide them.

Search for a Discount Code
If like me you don’t really enjoy spending money on housey make sure you search the Internet for discount codes before buying anything from furniture to paint. You can also check out a website that offers freebies. A lot of them require a sign up but you can get money off vouchers as well as items that could take the sting out of decorating.

Talk to Your Child
A lot of parents barrel right in and decorate their kids room how they want it. You have to remember that it will be your child that gets the pleasure out of the room. It’s easy to take full control given you’re the one buying and doing the hard work, but a kid won’t want to spend time in their room if they hate the theme or style of it. Get their input and respect their wishes, even if you have to compromise on a few things to make their dream room feasible!

LM and I know where we’re going for her bedroom and hopefully it’ll be done soon. The guinea pig definitely set us back a little but hopefully in February we’ll be back on track.