Decorating a home with both kids and style in mind can seem daunting. However, with intention and purpose, you can create a space that is both kid-friendly and aesthetically pleasing. The key is finding the right balance between practicality and design. With a few tips and tricks, you can love your kids while keeping your decor stylish.
Embrace Their Interests
One of the best ways to merge your kids’ preferences with your own is to embrace their latest interests within your decorative scheme. For example, if your child loves space, bring in galaxy prints, moon phase art, and planetary accents. For a budding chef, display fun kitchen signs and food art.
You can include your child’s interests in subtle yet creative ways that add personality without sacrificing style. Here are some ideas:
- Feature their artwork: Frame your kids’ art and rotate it on the walls. Not only does this provide a personalized touch, but it teaches them art appreciation.
- Incorporate theme beds: Use colorful bedding with motifs your child adores, like animals, superheroes, or princess castles. This creates a special sleep space just for them.
- Display favorite books: Keep bookshelf knickknacks and accessories related to the types of books your kids love. It brings a part of their reading adventures into the decor.
- Add specialty lighting: Fun night lights, string lights, or lamps featuring your child’s interests add ambiance and character to their room.
Choose Multifunctional Pieces
When decorating a kid-friendly home, look for furniture and accessories that serve multiple purposes. pieces that transition from space to space or grow with your child allow you to get more use out of high-quality items.
Some excellent multifunctional decor ideas include:
- Storage ottomans: These provide extra seating and stash away toys when not in use. Look for ones with removable tops for easy cleaning.
- Bunk beds: These morph from bunks to two separate beds as your kids get older. Many have built-in storage as well.
- Play tables: Tables that double as craft areas or board game storage are ideal. The workspace converts back to a dining table or coffee table when company comes over.
- Desks: Opt for a desk your child can use for homework, crafts, puzzles, and gaming. Style it to match the room’s decor.
- Benches: Long entryway benches offer seating and shoe storage. Repurpose them in bedrooms later as surfaces for blankets or toys.
Choosing flexible, functional decor allows you to get the most out of your space with fewer pieces.
Blend Old and New
An eclectic mix of old and new items often creates the most stylish, personalized look. When decorating your child’s space, blend vintage finds with modern necessities to develop a unique style.
Here are some tips for seamlessly merging old and new:
- Scout flea markets, antique stores, or your own home for charming retro finds. An old bookcase, trunk, or dresser can add character.
- Reupholster an antique chair or have a sentimental piece refinished. This gives it new life in your child’s room.
- Incorporate family heirlooms, like an old quilt or photo. These meaningful items enhance the decor’s emotional appeal.
- Offset vintage pieces with clean-lined, contemporary furnishings and accessories. This prevents the space from feeling too busy.
- Add modern amenities like lighting, storage, or tech furnishings to make a retro piece fully functional.
- Use a fresh, bright color palette of paint, bedding, and accents to give an older item a playful look.
The combined effect feels curated, personal, and full of discovery. Vintage charm plus modern function creates a kids’ space they can happily thrive in.
Organize Creatively
A kid-friendly home filled with energy and imagination requires thoughtful organization. But storage solutions don’t have to be boring! Get creative with ways to neatly stow items that enhance the decor rather than detracting.
Fun Book Storage
Books tend to multiply in homes with kids. Keep them organized and accessible by:
- Placing picture books in charming baskets or bins. Use different sizes to corral board books, young chapter books, and early readers.
- Sorting by subject, like science, math, or nature, using different labeled bins. This doubles as an educational activity!
- Displaying with coordinated bookends and arranging vertically, horizontally, or fanned out.
- Filling built-in shelving with books arranged by color. It creates an eye-catching accent wall.
- Adding kid-sized seating by the bookshelves so they have a cozy reading nook.
Smart Toy Storage
Keep toys orderly using storage that fits your kids’ interests:
- For building toys, use colorful bins and baskets designated for different types, like blocks in one, Legos in another.
- In a playroom, install shelving at kids’ height with fabric bins for easy access and clean-up.
- For outdoor gear, use wall-mounted hooks and racks. Designate each hook for backpacks, scooters, bikes, etc.
- Corral art supplies in vintage printers trays, tiered acrylic drawers, or compartmentalized tackle boxes.
- Display collections like stuffed animals or dolls on open shelving using risers or dividers to separate.
Handy Clothing Storage
Conquer closet clutter with these tips:
- Install double rods for hanging separated short and long clothing. Add shelves above for storage.
- Use over-the-door hangers behind closet doors to multiply hanging space.
- Add drawer dividers and small baskets to corral socks, accessories, and undergarments.
- Store out-of-season clothes under the bed in underbed storage bins.
Creative storage keeps belongings accessible yet out of sight. Kids can actually find and put away their own items!
Incorporate Color Palettes
Color is an integral part of any well-designed kids’ space. Think beyond primary colors and cliché themes when planning your palette. For a sophisticated look, incorporate these color concepts:
Coordinate a Color Scheme
Pull colors from fabrics like an area rug, quilted bedding, or window treatments. Then repeat those hues in accents like throw pillows, lamps, and artwork. The effect unifies the space.
Color Drench a Wall
Painting one wall a saturated shade adds a bold, vibrant accent. For older kids, include them in choosing the color. Just be sure it coordinates with the room’s main palette.
Vary Color Schemes
Create an energetic mood by allowing different spaces to have their own color schemes. Just be sure some hues repeat for continuity. For example, a blue-green bedroom could connect to a red-orange playroom and sunny yellow kitchen.
Make Neutrals Interesting
For a calming background, use varied neutral tones like beige, oatmeal, cream, taupe, or gray. Then layer in punches of color with furnishings and accessories. The neutrals prevent brighter hues from becoming overwhelming.
Add White Space
Don’t overlook the power of clean white walls and ceilings to make colors pop. White provides breathing room and keeps spaces from appearing too busy.
Intentional use of color creates vibrant, cheery, and stylish kids’ spaces. Consult your child and experiment to find the perfect palette.
Decorate With Growth in Mind
To make the most of your investment when decorating your child’s space, choose pieces flexibly suited to grow with them. Here are some ways to decorate with adaptability:
Invest in Quality Furniture
Opt for durable, well-made furniture built to last through childhood. Pieces constructed from quality hardwoods will withstand daily use and can be adapted to tweens and teens with easy updates like fresh paint or knobs.
Choose Furniture That Expands
Look for beds, desks, and dressers designed to expand along with your growing child. Many feature removable modules, extendable leaves, or the ability to separate into stand-alone pieces.
Select Ageless, Classic Pieces
When possible, choose versatile furnishings with timeless silhouettes rather than highly themed items. Then freshen them up with new paint, fabric, or accessories.
Factor in Hand-Me-Downs
If older siblings hand down bedrooms sets or dressers as younger ones grow, select complementary pieces able to incorporate hand-me-downs. Create a cohesive look with paint, drawer pulls, and extras.
Plan for Repurposing
Decide how youth furnishings might be useful elsewhere later. A whimsical child’s desk could work in a future entryway, and storage pieces move anywhere in the home.
Choosing adaptable, quality pieces you can modify creates a long-lasting, eco-friendly kids’ space.
Make Artwork Special
Carefully chosen artwork adds color, visual interest, and personality to kids’ rooms. For meaningful gallery walls or accents, implement these tips:
Spotlight Favorite Creations
The refrigerator door gets crowded fast, so rotate your child’s best masterpieces into framed wall art. Choose unframed pieces to display gallery-style for easy swapping.
Look for Youth Themes
Seek out professionally created art and photography featuring subjects that resonate with your child’s interests. Images of dinosaurs, ballerinas, treehouses, or animals enhance their personal space.
Incorporate Collections
Encourage hobbies by showcasing related finds. Frame representative insects and specimens for budding entomologists or sea life sketches for oceanography fans. Displaying their treasures becomes meaningful art.
Create Collage Arrangements
Collect found items like leaves or ticket stubs and compose one-of-a-kind collages. Alternately, collate fabric swatches, photos, magazine cut outs or other ephemera in an artistic arrangement.
Display Cherished Photos
Create custom photographic arrangements, like a constellation of family pictures or a themed memory board of special events. Photos make artful accents kids will treasure.
Thoughtfully curated and updated galleries keep artwork meaningful as your child grows and interests evolve.
Add Whimsy
A kids space should engage imagination and encourage playfulness. Adding touches of whimsy brings out a child’s inner joy and gives their room unique character.
Incorporate Unexpected Accents
Inject playful personality using unconventional decorative accents. Opt for a vibrant birdcage instead of a lamp, a model solar system overhead, or a pretend zeppelin “crashing” into a corner.
Use Conversational Wall Decals
Decorative vinyl phrases, your child’s name, inspirational quotes, or creativity prompts make any wall talk. Opt for words that add meaning and spark imagination.
Showcase Beloved Characters
From beloved storybook friends to favorite action heroes, displaying cherished characters helps a child feel comfortable. Add figurines, plush versions, framed vintage sheets, or wall decals.
Create a Whimsical Reading Nook
Curtain off a special read-and-imagine space. Add plush seating, fairy lights, canopy draping, tent structures or fun signs to create a cozy retreat.
Paint an Enchanted Mural
Commission (or DIY!) a fantastical painted mural filled with unique creatures, forests, celestial scenes or storybook settings. It provides endless inspiration.
By including playful details meaningful to your child, you create a personal space that nurtures imagination and contentment. Whimsy and style can absolutely co-exist.
Prioritize Flexible Storage and Seating
To create room for active play and minimize clutter, include storage furniture and seating with maximum flexibility. Here’s how:
Choose Multitasking Storage Pieces
Seek furniture that stashes away ample toys, clothes and gear when not in use but still looks great. Opt for benches with lift-up seats, toy boxes with padded lids, or ottomans that open for storage.
Add Rugs That Roll or Fold
For play spaces, choose durable, easy-to-clean rugs and mats designed to roll up or fold away when not needed. This leaves clear floor space.
Use Folding Seating
Keep extra chairs like a bean bag, pouf, director’s chair or camp stool on hand to pull out when friends come over. Look for folding designs that tuck away neatly when not in use.
Select Convertible Furnishings
Opt for pieces that change functions for adaptable seating and uses. For example, look for twin beds that convert to sofas, desks that fold into tables, or stools that flip into toy chests.
Take Advantage of Wall Space
Install floating shelving or slatwall panels to organize wall space from floor to ceiling. Use for storage, display, hooks to hang gear, and modular seating cubes.
Prioritizing furnishings designed for flexibility allows busy kids’ spaces to stay organized and clutter-free. Functions convert as needs change.
Curate Meaningful Accessories
Thoughtfully chosen accessories enrich kids rooms with visual interest, comfort, and personal connections.
Add Tactile Textiles
Incorporate plush pillows, cozy throws, and luxe area rugs to create softness and warmth. Select materials like velvet, faux fur, or quilted cotton kids can’t resist touching.
Pull in Nature
Display a changing rotation of natural items like pretty rocks, shells, pinecones, or branches found on adventures. Add plants like mini succulents or air plants for living décor.
Showcase Collections
Kids tend to accumulate treasures that hold meaning for them. Display special finds like sports team caps, souvenir spoons, or character figurines in acrylic cases or wall-mounted shadowboxes.
Feature Cherished Photos
Frame important snapshots and family photos to surround children with loved ones. Opt for whimsical displays like clothespin or string lights to show off favorite images.
Add Personalized Touches
Seek out customized items featuring your child’s name or initials, like decorative pillows, wall art, hooks, cubbies, or door signs. Monogramming adds a special signature.
Thoughtful accents infuse rooms with emotion and connections. Let your child help select pieces with personal significance to spark pride.
Embrace Shared Spaces
Making communal family areas kid-zone friendly helps your whole home feel welcoming, while teaching children to respect shared spaces.
Set Up a Family Command Center
Create an organizational hub for the whole family. Use a large bulletin board or dry erase wall calendar to track activities, chores, and events. Add space to hang keys, bags, leashes, etc.
Design a Playspace Zone
Carve out an area just for kids in an open playroom, living room, or den. Use a colorful rug to define it, and store toys attractively in low shelving or baskets.
Add Child-Height Furnishings
Incorporate pieces sized for kids in main living areas like a play table and chairs, mini sofa, or arts and crafts center. This creates spaces just their size.
Include Toy Storage
Keep communal rooms looking neat with bins, baskets, or shelving to organize kids’ items. Labeling helps teach organization. For large toy stashes, use a storage ottoman or cabinet.
Childproof Accents
Secure items like vases and framed art to walls with museum wax. Place delicate objects up high or in plexiglass cases. Install safety gates at stairs. Childproofing prevents damage from exuberant play.
With design adjustments, the whole house can become kid friendly without sacrificing style. Shared spaces teach responsibility.
Embrace Eclectic Mixing
The most intriguing, design-savvy rooms mix up furnishings and decor from an eclectic range of sources. Creating a curated blend allows you to incorporate personality.
Here are some tips for skillfully combining finds:
Pair Timeless and Trendy
Blend classic furnishings with of-the-moment accents and patterns. The mix feels both traditional and fresh.
Mix High and Low
Combining high-end splurges with budget scores makes a room uniquely yours. Just ensure furnishings complement one another.
Join New and Old
Source new pieces from contemporary brands along with antiques, vintage scores, or hand-me-downs for an evolved look.
Mix Colorful and Neutral
Prevent bright colors from becoming overwhelming by pairing them with natural hues. The neutrals provide breathing room.
Layer Textures
Mingle pieces with varied textures like nubby, smooth, polished, matte, leather, ceramic, linen, velvet. The interplay makes a space visually appealing.
Add Global Influences
Infuse diverse cultural details like Turkish poufs, Scandinavian woodwork, or bohemian textiles for an exotic vibe.
Blending finds in creative new ways helps you avoid clichés and express personal style. An eclectic mix makes a space distinctive.
Final Thoughts
Decorating a stylish, kid-friendly home is achievable through intention and balance. Focus on smart multifunctional pieces, creative storage solutions, adaptable furnishings, and meaningful personalized details. Embrace your child’s interests, and add playful whimsy. Choose timeless over trendy, and invest in quality. Mix and match with purpose to reflect your family’s story. Then infuse with plenty of color, light, and joy. With the right approach, you can craft a space that nurtures your kids’ growth while maintaining a decor vision you love. Bring patience, energy and collaborating with your child. Soon you’ll have a home that stylishly meets both your family’s needs and ever-evolving sense of design.
Frequently Asked Questions About Decorating a Kid-Friendly Home with Style
Q: How can I incorporate bright colors kids love without my home looking like a playground?
A: The key is thoughtfully balancing brights with neutrals. Use saturated shades in accents like throw blankets or patterned rug, then keep walls, larger furniture, and flooring neutral. This allows vibrant colors to pop without becoming overwhelming.
**Q: I want nice furnishings, but isn’t kids’ furniture
