Child’s room makeover- style and storage

Children’s spaces are often a challenge to decorate because there are so many competing priorities and children’s interests can change rapidly. That’s why I tend to avoid strongly themed rooms for my children’s spaces and opt for colour palettes or gentle themes that will grow as they grow. My children all love nature so we tend to start with ideas from nature- the seaside for my oldest son, the forest and animals for my middle son, and most recently, I updated my youngest son’s room with a natural world/adventure theme. This child’s room makeover post takes you through the transformation of my son’s room and covers the design of the space as well as several storage solutions for this small space.

Consider your child’s interests

I think that one of our jobs as parents is to nurture our children’s interests, and this is something that we can make a small contribution to when we decorate their rooms. My 7-year old son loves nature, plants and flowers, and geology. However, like most young people, he has many other interests. For instance, he’s an avid reader, he loves drawing and writing stories, and he loves Lego. And currently, he is obsessed with everything Harry Potter. There is no one theme that covers all these interests (at least not one I’m aware of!), so we decided to go with a neutral black, grey and white colour scheme with pops of green from nature’s palette. We chose wallpaper with a theme from nature and the accessories include plants, rocks, and art and accessories focused on adventure and travel.

I also created a library in his closet and a cozy reading nook (every child’s room makeover could use this) to curl up with a good book or two. And we created lots of storage and display space for Lego.

Involve children in the design process

The best part about a child’s room makeover is the excitement and pride your child will have if they’re allowed to help out. However, young children often need us to provide them with decorating choices. All parents are different, but for me, I couldn’t imagine letting my son go free in the wallpaper store and letting him choose anything. That’s why I gave him several choices for the wallpaper- all were nature themed and in a graphic black and white or grey and white palette. He absolutely loves the wallpaper he chose because he loves gardening and welcomes the spring flowers with enthusiasm every year. I’ve posted photos on Instagram and have received a couple of critical comments saying that the wallpaper is too feminine for a boy’s room. However, my son and I both love it and that’s all that really matters. Try not to let what other people think hamper the creative process.

You may be comfortable allowing your child to choose the theme, paint colour, wallpaper, or accessories. It makes the whole process easier, and the look more cohesive, if you can provide 3-8 options for your child to choose from. I think it’s also a good idea to be open to what they have to say- perhaps you’ve chosen all cool colours and your child doesn’t like any of the choices because they’re drawn to warm colours. So, listen to that little voice and let their ideas blossom.

Plan ahead

Most of our choices were quite neutral in colour and not overly themed, so hopefully, my son will enjoy his room for years to come. It’s possible that he may change his mind about the wallpaper in a few years and that’s OK. We only applied wallpaper to one wall and could easily change it when he’s older.

Once your child is out of their crib and toddler bed, it makes sense to choose furniture that will carry them through their childhood. If possible, choose quality pieces that will last and ones that have room to grow. My son’s room could only fit a single bed, but if the room allows for a double bed, that might be one way to plan ahead. I recommend choosing a dresser and a desk that are larger than currently needed, to allow for future needs. If you’re on a small budget, check out local buy and sell websites and thrift shops for furniture. I also LOVE Ikea for affordable furniture- check out my post on My top 10 Ikea finds.

Determine storage needs

Storage needs are absolutely key in a child’s room makeover because these spaces do triple or quadruple duty depending on whether or not you have a separate playroom. Children’s rooms are a place to sleep, get dressed, do homework, and play! Clothing, school supplies, books, and toys all require significant and well-planned storage space.

Create a list of what you want to store in the space and whether you want the storage to be in drawers, baskets or bins, or on open shelves. Storage options include beds with drawers underneath, dressers, open shelves, cubby shelves, blanket boxes, desks (with or without a hutch), and closet storage solutions. For my son’s room, we selected a trundle bed with an extra single bed and blanket storage underneath. We chose a large dresser from Ikea to store current season as well as off-season clothing. We selected a large desk (in the same finish as the bed) with a hutch for Lego storage. Instead of a side table, we repurposed an Ikea cubby unit- the baskets hold additional books and stuffed animals. However, the best storage solution in my son’s room is his closet.

Before photos

We enjoyed my son’s baby and toddler room with its shades of white and soft blue, but it definitely needed a refresh and a more mature look. As my son’s collection of toys and books grew, we lacked the proper storage to keep his room looking tidy.

After photos- Design details

Walls

For the walls, we chose a soft cream colour, “Sheer” by C2 paints. This is the trim colour we have used throughout our home. It’s a good backdrop for the grey, black and green accents in the space. The beautiful graphic wallpaper my son chose is the Beacon House Block Print Tulip Wallpaper in Black (see Shop the Post below for link).

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Furniture

The bed and desk, which we purchased from a local furniture store three years ago, are a stained wood in a grey colour. I chose a desk chair from Wayfair that contrasts with the desk colour. I love that the chair is sturdy, stylish and unique, and is not upholstered (to avoid marker disasters). The dresser is an Ikea Hemnes model in a stained white finish. However, I gave the dresser a more upscale look by adding the gold Chaillot Knobs from Restoration Hardware. My son loves these because he is very interested in geology and mining, and gold in particular! The side table storage unit is a white Ikea Kallax cubby shelf. This does double duty as a side table and storage with the addition of these durable green storage bins.

Reading corner decor

The reading chair and round side table are from Wayfair and the lighter colour provides a nice contrast with the grey tones of the bed and desk. These pieces have a laid back farmhouse feel and the chair is super comfy. My husband enjoys relaxing in this chair with a coffee while he helps my son with homework. The drapes behind the reading corner are a medium neutral grey and are from Bouclair (Aura – lined). The finials on the curtain rod (Umbra Marlow- from Lowes) are made of real marble which my son loves.

Lighting and accessories

The beaded chandelier was a fun way to add extra character and tie in the green accessories throughout the space. There is also a glass lamp on top of the dresser and we may add task lighting to the desk if needed.

I love my son’s bedding- it’s the Game on Grey set from Beddys. This bedding is amazing because it zips up and is so easy for my son to make his bed. The pillows and blankets on the bed and chair are in neutral beige and green colours. We’ve also added some baskets, plants, and artwork to the space to make it inviting. My favourite piece of wall art in the space is beside the bed. I started with the cute adventure sign from Creative Products Inc., traced a square behind it which I painted in chalkboard paint, then I DIYed a wood frame. My son is going to write all the places he’s visited on the chalkboard wall.

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Closet decor

The closet was the most time-consuming element of the space. First, I removed the old closet shelf and doors and painted the space in Benjamin Moore Grenadier Pond. I installed an Ikea Pax unit in the middle of the closet and added open shelves on either side. And on the right side, I installed two rods for clothing. Baskets from Canadian Tire conceal my son’s Lego, and the drawers house most of my son’s other toys. The open shelves in the middle are perfect for displaying my son’s books. Best of all, there’s even space for my son to store his own laundry basket which I picked up from Homesense. I organized his books by colour to add a fun, graphic touch to the closet. The drawer hardware, which I can add labels to, is from an Etsy shop called Little Hardware.

For more tips on closet organization, please see my post, A quick and easy linen closet refresh.

Conclusion

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my son’s room makeover. I’d love to hear about your own child’s room makeover, so please leave a comment and tell me how you’ve added something special to your child’s room.