IT'S fairly easy to design a room for an infant or a toddler.
You're essentially designing their space to please yourself, but all bets are off when your baby reaches age three or so and suddenly little Miss or Mister have their own ideas to stir into the design mix. It's a tough balance trying to please your "kid-client" and yourself, but with a little forethought it can be done. Here are six design tips to make the ride smoother:
- Let them pick a theme
It's their room after all so let your child choose a theme. Ask them what they love (you know of course) and see how you can help them move their room in that direction. My instinct is always to encourage a child to drift towards a general theme or fantasy rather than to a specific brand or product. The outer space concept, for example, will be far more inspiring and will convey a better message than say a Buzz Lightyear refit.
- Let them colour their world
Along the same lines as the theme of the room, let your child pick their own colours for their space. Colour is a great way to bring out a child's personality and natural design instinct. And for those parents with kids who have very distinctive instincts, tranquility is only a coat of paint away.
- Make healthy choices
Your child's room needs to be as healthy as you can make it. Use low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) latex paints and solid wood furniture where you can. Try to shy away from fiber board, particle board and plywood as much as possible (the glues that bind these products together chemical off-gas) and think about eliminating carpets altogether. Carpets collect all sorts of nastiness and, when new, are terrible off-gassers too.
- Have fun decorating
Here's another area to empower your youngster's design sense: Throw rugs, lamps, arts, mirrors, pillowcases and covers are all inexpensive accoutrements that make your child's room uniquely theirs. Have fun decorating your child's room by letting them go to town.
- Lots of storage
The only way to counter the inevitable "the-bomb-went-off" esthetic of a child's space is to counter it with lots and lots of storage. Provide ample hanger and shelf space, heaps of cupboard and basket storage and generous amounts of book storage. You'll never fully contain the mess but plentiful storage will go a long way in helping.
- Workspace
It's a great idea to provide a well-lit work surface for your child to use for painting, for building models or doing any assortment of fun crafts. There's always a time when your youngster needs a little space and wants to do something on their own. Providing a space for it makes for a happier child and a happier parent.
Creating a fun and distinctive room for your child isn't all that hard. The key to an enjoyable process is to know where your input is critical and, more importantly, where it's not.
Kevin Vallely is a residential designer in North Vancouver. Follow along Kevin's "small house" design at cliffhangerhouse.com.
