Creating a room to grow for your child has many benefits. Not only is it generally an economical approach, but it also can be fun, as well as simple. You don't have to be an expert to get the job done, just willing to dedicate a little bit of time and effort to the project.
One scenario is hypothetical child Trina, who is turning 10 in a week, but her room makes her feel like a toddler. That's because that was the last time she had a theme change for her room. There is heavy wallpaper that she no longer likes, babyish furniture, and pink, pink, pink everywhere. The furniture, the walls, the carpets - everything's pink! She used to like pink, but not so much anymore. Had her mom designed her a room to grow, the task ahead of them would not be so difficult. Follow the tips below to help prevent something similar from happening with your child. Choosing Colors and Theme The first step to designing a child's room to grow is deciding what colors and theme to use. Choosing solid colors that go with the theme you have in mind can make for an easier transition as a child gets older. By choosing neutral solid colors, themes can be switched around more easily. For instance, if your child wants a dinosaur theme, you can use primary colors. If that same child later wants a sports theme, the primary colors can still be used. Only the decorations, and possibly the bedding, will need to be switched. If your child wants something wild, like stripes, on the walls, try using fabric or removable wall stickers to create that look rather than painting. This way, if your child changes his or her mind later, it will not be difficult to remove the look and add another. Beds There are so many different bed options, it's often hard to choose. Did you know that there are even beds that start out as cribs, convert to toddler beds, all the way up to a queen or king size? These convertible crib beds offer plenty of room to grow. Most come with everything you need, except the mattresses. Some of these transitional beds can hit the wallet hard, but if you add up the costs of purchasing each bed separately, a transitional bed is usually a money saver. There are many options for these types of beds, and they are not all outrageously priced. Be sure to shop around. If you cannot afford the option that gives you every bed size, try opting for a crib that converts at least to a daybed or toddler bed. Some of these options are comparable in price to many cribs. Convertible Changing Area Using a traditional student desk as a changing table can save you some money and make for an easy way to ensure this piece of furniture has room to grow. At the diapering stage, purchase a traditional student desk with a drawer. Also purchase a thick, strap-on changing table pad. Safely secure it to the desk. There are also inexpensive diapering supply racks that can be attached to the sides of a changing table. Many also will attach to a desk. One of those will hold all the items you'll need, and what won't fit there can go into the desk drawer. When your child gets too big for a changing area, simply detach the diapering rack and changing pad and purchase a chair. Your toddler or preschooler now has a desk area that will last as he or she grows. As your child gets older, you may also wish to add a hutch atop the desk for extra storage or a new look. Another idea is to purchase a changing table dresser. With these, the changing area comes off later when you no longer need it. You can use this type of dresser from babyhood throughout childhood, as the styles and colors are generally neutral. Furniture Accents A lamp is a useful item for the dresser top that can grow with a child. If the base is a solid color and decorations are added to the lampshade, the lampshade can be traded out as the child grows and changes styles and patterns in the room. Lampshades are fairly inexpensive, as are many things that can be used to decorate them, such as ribbon, plastic cars and sequins. As for the dresser itself, choosing a roomy and unfinished design can help to ensure that a child will not outgrow it. To add style, instead of painting the dresser, try accenting it with decorative knobs or handles. These are easily replaceable and many are a very reasonable price at home improvement stores. As with the dresser, keep it simple with other furniture. Try decorating the accents instead of the item and dressing it up with items that can easily be added or taken away as desired. Using decorative fabrics is a great way to dress up bed posts, dresser tops, desktops, the back of a comfy chair, and just about any piece of furniture. Window Treatments and Bedding This is an area where many people have trouble deciding what to use. If you go for flashy designs that match your child's theme, it will certainly look good, but it may not allow much room to grow. Instead, go for a more simple approach. Feel free to blend colors, but be sure each piece is one solid color. For instance, in a dinosaur-themed room with primary colors, one pillowcase could be blue, while another may be red. Another example is having one white drapery panel, one silver panel and one gold panel in a room with an angel theme. Mixing two or three colors is a great way to accent the theme while still leaving room to grow. Later, the colors can be switched around, taken away, or added to, creating a simple option for creating room to grow.
0 Comments
When you want to relax, retreat, or rest, where's the first place you go? Most likely your answer will be the bedroom. Shouldn't your spot to relax make you feel comfortable? Shouldn't it feel like a calm, soothing, and cozy place? Turning your bedroom into a sanctuary is simple and fun.
Choosing the Theme for Your Sanctuary Your bedroom's sanctuary theme should be something that makes you want to relax. For me, it's a warm and soothing beach. A quiet walk in the park, a serene forest, or midnight breeze are all examples of calming themes. If you're not the outdoorsy type, maybe your relaxing theme is a cozy fireplace. Maybe you imagine yourself as a princess in a royal castle. Wherever you feel most relaxed should be your theme, even if it's exotic to others. Your bedroom should make you relax, not please others. Choosing Your Colors Your colors should mesh with your theme, as well as soothe you when you see them. For my beach scene, I use light blues, foamy greens, and dark greens. All of these colors soothe me. Some colors associated with relaxation are blue, green, and pink. Pink has been shown to immediately calm an angry person. Blue has shown to cause tranquility and lower blood pressure. Green appears to have the same effect as blue. However, not all people would enjoy having a room in these colors. Your colors should be something you feel comfortable with and that make you feel happy and relaxed. Choosing Your Furniture Here again, you want to mesh with the theme, if at all possible. If you already have furniture you adore, try dressing it up with scarves, lace, or other fun accessories that will match your theme and colors. For a beach scene, you might have sand-colored scarves on an end table with a bowl of decorative blue rocks or glass atop the scarves. You could also purchase a couple small blue or tan wicker chairs to go with the theme. The main idea is to make everything blend together to create a scene that makes you feel like you are in your calming place, your theme, wherever that might be. Sometimes if you hunt around your house you can find all you need without having to shop for accessories. If you do have the freedom to go with all new furniture, don't be afraid to let the sales associates know your theme and what you're trying to accomplish. Some furniture stores will even come to your house, scan "your room" into their computers, and plan a layout with you using their products. It sounds a bit spoiled, but it can actually help you visualize how it will turn out, so you don't end up with a look you weren't trying to achieve. Arranging Furniture for Your Bedroom Sanctuary The furniture should be arranged in a way that will make you feel like just plopping down on it because that's what you do in your bedroom. It should be easy to access and should make your theme pop out. When you walk into your room, you want to immediately feel like you are walking into your fantasy place. When I walk into my bedroom, I feel like I am on the beach. I can actually hear the ocean in my head, feel the warm sand on my feet, and smell the fresh ocean water. Sometimes I can feel the warm breeze and see the palm trees swaying in the wind. This is my ideal relaxation zone. Your furniture should make you feel like you are actually in your ideal sanctuary scene. It should take your breath away and make all your troubles slip away, even if just for a moment. If your room is large enough, the ideal bedroom furniture would be to have at least a bed (of course), a lounger or chaise, a couple chairs, and of course an armoire or dresser and nightstands. The pieces should be chosen to your taste and arranged so that they are not all cluttered together. Hanging some furniture, like hammocks or swing chairs can help with comfort, as well as removing clutter. If they are cluttered together, this will be stressful, rather than relaxing. Try having the bed and dressing furniture on one side of the room and the chaise (or couch or lounger) and chairs on another. The television (if you have one in your room) should be placed in a manner that will be easy to view it from any of the furniture, but it should not be the center of attention. Try to make it blend in with the theme as much as possible so it doesn't stick out. If at all possible, omit a television altogether. Televisions can throw off a design, but you can sometimes find a way to implement it, such as placing a picture frame around a flat screen television that's attached to the wall. Decorating With Your Style Your room should have plenty of accessories that go with your style or theme. Some examples of items you might use could include throw pillows, scarves, vases, marbles, chandeliers, beads, lamps, books, plants, dishes, paintings, mirrors, shapes, and more. Whatever you use should pull it all together. Once the furniture is arranged just so and the walls are painted, your accessories should fill in any missing gaps that will complete the final design. Accessories can be placed on shelves, on stands, on dressers, on drawer pulls, on the end-posts of your bed, and on chairs. The possibilities are endless. When you have an idea, run with it and see where it takes you. If it doesn't work the way you'd planned, don't give up. Try another idea. Soon your room will be looking relaxing in no time and you'll be ready to fall into a soothing slumber. |
LIfe & Home Journal
Archives
January 2024
Categories
All
|