Decorating a child's room

There’s nothing more exciting than designing a child’s bedroom. You can go whacky and wild, introduce bright colours, or opt for a calming room by using neutrals – but add in a little bit of drama for effect.

Murals and wallpapers can easily and quickly change a blank canvas into an amazing space and never more so in a child’s room. I’ve used freelance mural artists to create themed rooms (always bearing in mind the young occupants requirements as they can be the most demanding of clients!)

I love Villa Nova’s wallcoverings and illustrator Noval Zommer has created some beautiful designs that are amazing, with bugs, butterflies and nature themed options (as in image above). You can buy co-ordinating items such as cushions, rugs, pom poms and braid (Dunelm offer a great range of great accessories). I’ve used ‘fetch’ wallpaper and ‘park life’ material from Villa Nova in a clients home to create a lovely child’s room for their 4-year old doggy lover. We made a kennel out of ply wood that was covered in fabric and pom-pom edging, complemented by a made to measure blind, lampshade and cushions. It was finished with co-ordinating bunting. Consider introducing a tent or teepee as they offer a great place to play. I have wallpapered wardrobes to great effect and a ceiling wallpaper would work well – a twinkly star design would be lovely for this – or a night sky with planets – could be educational too.

When it comes to the bed, make sure you have plenty of storage for all those items left on the floor. Bunk beds are a good option, especially if your child has friends for sleepovers (in my experience there was always more talking than sleeping!) For a fairy tale bed choose one with a ‘house’ frame and add lots of fairy lights – the frame can also make a child feel more secure. If you’ve got little ones, consider putting a textured bed head around the bed walls to protect against night wriggling and bumps – also adds a nice feature.

Finish the room with a soft carpet, perfect for little feet, and add a cosy rug too. Side lamps and night lights add atmosphere whilst also providing a small amount of light (choose a really low wattage bulb).

Older children/teenagers can be tricky to design for. A Scandi look is a good choice for a sophisticated option with calming neutrals, woods and natural accessories. If you’re going for a themed option, design around your child’s interests. Remember less is more and add touches of a theme rather than a big impactful wall – your teenager will only get older and their tastes might quickly change.

Catherine, Interior Designer, Bert and Wills