A friend with five kids recently mentioned that she’d love to have me makeover her home, but would wait until they stopped wrestling in her living room. They also ate cheesies in there, but fortunately her couches are yellow! So how to create spaces for youngsters that are both practical and presentable? Her solution was “scrubbable” design. Well, not everything in the home can be readily wiped clean, but here are some general tips for planning their bedrooms:
When re-imaging a child’s space first consider how the room is regularly used. Do they play, read or do homework there? A list of all items to be incorporated is beneficial. Start with the necessities such as bed, storage, lighting, furniture, window treatments and flooring.
Make sure all building materials are VOC-free so they don’t leach toxic chemicals into your kid’s new room.This is especially true of carpets. Here you can opt for natural fibers with formaldehyde-free adhesives.
Furnishings should be suitable and comfortable, hopefully somewhat durable and if possible, easy to look after for those inevitable accidents. Once the essentials are in place it’s on to accessories, artwork, toys etc.
Before beginning, ensure you talk through all changes with your child to fully engage them. Ideally, you’ll both learn about the design process along the way while creating a functional, unique area that reflects their personality. Make it fun by including inspirational images or mood boards so their vision comes to life. Vibrant colours and use of textures will certainly enliven the space and certify they spend time there. Use natural fibers and fabrics where possible to create a healthy space and add some plants for fresh air.
Finally, design prudently so that the room can evolve as your child grows to increase the space’s lifespan. For health reasons choose materials that are safe, like a natural wool carpet that won’t off-gas or low VOC paint for the walls. Lighting, particularly for doing task-work, should be conceived carefully. Remember that this is also an excellent opportunity to teach children about eco- friendly design so they appreciate the importance of sustainability at an early age.
Need some good karma? ‘Like’ us on Facebook and get more good vibes than you can shake a sharp stick at!