Choosing wallpaper for a child’s bedroom

Advertisement

Years ago when the girls were little, we made the decision to put them in the same bedroom so I could have the spare room as my office. At the time I needed it. Working from home with children as young as they were, I had to have a dedicated space. As time passed, the girls learned to love sharing. They’d play together, chat as they were falling asleep and enjoy each other’s company. There was one problem though. Libby doesn’t need as much sleep as Lia. This came to a head a few days ago when Lia asked if she could have her own bedroom. It’s not convenient and it will be a big job, but I’ve always said they could have their own rooms if they wanted to. So, it’s time to declutter, redecorate and move them into their own rooms. 

Redecorating our home

Our home has to be described as a work in progress. Each time we’ve had a bit of money spare, we’ve done something small to improve it. New windows, a new boiler, decking to level our sloping garden and kitchen units. What we haven’t spent time and money on is decorating it the way we want it. 

The main reason for this is because we need new floors and carpets throughout the house. We see the whole thing as one project. We’ll decorate the rooms, sort out skirting boards and then get the floors and carpets down so we don’t make a mess of the new floors when we decorate. 

Until now, we’ve been putting it off. It’s a huge expense and we have worried about spending that amount of money. The children’s request to have their own room has changed things though. We’ve got to have a clear out, so we might as well redecorate at the same time. 

To enhance the simple aesthetic while maintaining functionality, you can choose cabin beds with shelves and drawers. These versatile beds not only serve as a focal point but also provide ample storage space for books, toys, and other cherished possessions. The combination of a creatively adorned wall and cabin beds with shelves and drawers adds a personalised touch to the room, creating a harmonious blend of style and practicality for your child’s space.

Bedroom Feng Shui

I love the ideas in this Bedroom Feng Shui post from Simba, who make fabulous luxury mattresses and sleep products. They advise on the relationship between feng shui and sleep, including how to make sure your bedroom is the ultimate environment for a good night’s sleep.

In particular, we have made sure that there are as few electronics as possible, minimal clutter and plenty of plants. I always feel that plants make every room more pleasant. This is particularly true in a child’s bedroom.

Choosing their own decoration

Do you remember your childhood wallpaper? I do. We moved house when I was about Lia’s age and I remember crying the night before we moved because I’d miss my wallpaper. My parents managed to find me the same wallpaper for my bedroom in the new house. 

Because the girls are old enough to have an input into the way we decorate, I’m going to discuss wallpaper and paint with them before we start decorating. Up until a few months ago, Lia would definitely have chosen pink paint and unicorn paper. Now though, she’ll go for a light blue paint and wallpaper with horses on it. 

I’m actually quite glad that the girls will be in different rooms now we’re decorating, because Libby will absolutely not go for the same thing as Lia. She’s all about the bright colours. Yellows and greens. She loves horses but I’m not sure she’ll want them on her wallpaper. I’ll be interested to see what she does choose. 

Wallpaper inspiration

Because we haven’t done anything more than paint the girls room in the past, I’ve been looking around for children’s wallpaper inspiration. Pinterest is always a good option for inspiration and there are some lovely Pinterest boards for children’s wallpaper but I think a lot of them are a bit young for my two. So instead, I’ve been looking for websites that sell wallpaper for children. I am certain that Lia will go for this one.

I’m less sure what Libby will choose and I think her decision may be more problematic. There are lots of lovely bright papers that she’d love now, but I can’t help thinking that she’ll grow out of them quite quickly. She’ll be eight years old next year and as she creeps towards high school age, I know her tastes will change. For now though, she’d love a bright, colourful, cheerful wallpaper that matches her bouncy personality. My prediction is that she’ll go for this one.

Whilst I love the vibrance of this, I can’t help thinking that she’ll soon grow out of it. I’m reluctant to get too involved with the girls’ choices when they’re deciding how to decorate their rooms. I do feel I need some sort of input from a self-preservation point of view though. After all, it will be me that ends up redecorating again in six months time if they change their minds.