A guide to decorating your child’s bedroom

Children's bedrooms can be tricky to decorate, as tastes and needs change with each growth stage. Here are some stylish and inexpensive tips.

Make use of easy-to-replace wall stickers and create inexpensive artwork. Sarah Lazarovic for The National

Decorating a nursery can be an expensive job – particularly when you consider that you might have to change it all in a year or two (and again a few years after that). But there are ways to avoid endless makeovers as your child gets older.

Stick with a neutral base

It’s so tempting to go crazy with colours when it comes a child’s bedroom – after all, this is the time when you can abandon so-called adult taste and sophistication, and just have fun. But constant repainting is costly and it also takes a lot of effort, and who can afford to replace things such as curtains on a regular basis? To reduce the number of full makeovers you have to go through, opt for relatively neutral shades for the more expensive base objects, and add colour with accessories such as artwork or a bold statement rug.

Choose adaptable and multipurpose furniture

There are many furniture items we might deem essential at various stages of a child’s development, but it’s worth considering how long each will be used before investing too much. For example, a changing table might only be needed for a couple of years, but a chest of drawers has much more longevity, and can be adapted in those early stages by adding a changing mat with raised edges. Look out for dedicated adaptable products, too, such as the Stokke Sleepi cot that grows with your child up to the age of 3, or 10 with the expansion pack.

Avoid bedroom sets

They may look pretty in the catalogue, but the problem with a furniture set is that when you want to change one part of it, you really have to change it all or risk the new item standing out like a sore thumb. It’s far easier to choose individual items that blend with each other, which also gives you greater freedom to combine new and second-hand items – or repurpose pieces from other parts of the house – helping you stretch that budget. And the best bit? Because the eclectic look is so popular right now, you’ll be ticking a key style box with this approach.

Combine storage and decoration

There are some great storage units that allow you to combine the practical aspect of hiding your kids’ clutter with the more fun element of styling a room according to their age, stage and tastes. For example, Ikea’s Kallax shelving unit gives you the option of adding a variety of inserts, which can be changed easily and relatively reasonably to give the unit a fresh look. For example, you might choose a selection of colourful fabric box inserts for a toddler, but upgrade to more sophisticated rattan basket ones for an older child or young teen. Likewise, cardboard storage boxes give open shelving a tidy but stylish look that can be updated time and again as tastes change, without having to break the bank.

Opt for durable flooring

Cream carpets might look pretty, but they’re not going to stand up for five minutes against a toddler armed with juice and crayons. A wooden, laminate, or even lino or vinyl floor is far better – hard wearing (but much safer for ­tripping toddlers than hard stone or tiles), easy to keep clean, and suitable for any age (especially if you choose a natural colour and pattern). Add interest and an additional softening element with a rug, which can be changed as your child gets older and wants a different look for his or her bedroom.

Don’t overdo themes

OK, so your child’s going through a dinosaur phase, but before you’re tempted to rush out and buy several rolls of ­expensive tyrannosaurus wallpaper and a full set of triceratops bedding, stop and think. How long is it going to be before dinosaurs are passé, and monster trucks are in? That’s not to say you can’t include elements of whatever gets your little one excited at the moment; just try to use accessories to add these elements in, and stick to classic options for the more expensive items.

Make use of wall stickers

This fabulous trend has been around for a while now, and it’s no wonder. Wall stickers are an ­absolute gift for all you reluctant ­decorators. Instead of having to dig out the wallpaper brush and paste to add interest to your vertical surfaces, you can ­create gorgeous and appealing walls in ­minutes – and without having to spend a ­fortune – simply by ­positioning a choice decal or two. And when the little one wants to move on from woodland creatures to an under-the-sea look? ­Simple: you just peel them off and start again. You could even hold on to ­discarded favourites for a ­younger sibling (or in case the fashion comes around again).

Create inexpensive artwork

Another way to decorate neutral walls is with artwork, which can also be changed to create a whole new look quickly, easily and cheaply. The key is to look for more affordable options that you won’t mind getting rid of in a couple of years. Better yet, why not get the kids to make their own? A cheap canvas and a few pots of poster paint can do wonders for brightening a wall, and artistic children will thoroughly enjoy getting involved in this creative aspect of decorating their new room.

Buy a display board

A variation on the art theme is a pinboard or magnetic whiteboard where your kids can display everything from their own drawings to favourite images clipped out of magazines, discarding and adding new choices as often as they want. A toddler’s finger-painting might give way to an older child’s homework schedule or a teen’s latest movie crush poster. Using a board has the added bonus of not needing you to drill endless holes for hanging new picture frames or having to paint over greasy marks where pictures have been stuck up with Blu-Tack or adhesive tape.