As your baby transitions from a nursery to a big kid’s room, you may be inundated with toddler-friendly furniture and design themes. However, as every parent knows, each stage is short-lived, and toddlerhood is no different. As you plan the elements you need for your child’s post-nursery bedroom, selecting pieces they can use as they grow will enable the room to grow with them. Read on for ways to age-proof your child’s bedroom.
Full-size bed
When your child is transitioning from a crib to a bed, skip the toddler bed and even the twin bed and consider a full-size bed and add removable bed rails to keep them secure. While your little one may look miniature curled up in such a big bed, it’s a large enough bed where you can comfortably curl up at night to read bedtime stories with them when they’re little, and that they can grow into as the years go by. Selecting a bed in a classic silhouette can mean the bed could last through their teenage years.
Investment furniture
Skipping the children’s furniture section in favor of full-size bedroom furniture will also create a space your child can grow into. Accenting these furniture pieces with whimsical accessories that reflect your child’s current interests can balance out these more sophisticated pieces. If your child still needs a changing table, you can consider using a dresser instead of a changing table and add a removable changing cushion and pad on top. Once your child no longer needs to be changed, there will be a beautiful full-size dresser they can use for the long term.
Neutral foundation
Creating a neutral foundation will enable you to layer in different colors and themes as your child grows and their tastes evolve. For example, if the walls and carpet are neutral, you can easily update the bedding or window treatments every several years to align with your child’s interests at that time.
Ceiling application
If you’re drawn to wallpaper and want to wallpaper your child’s bedroom, consider wallpapering the ceiling instead of the walls. Avoid an accent wall, which can be dated, in favor of the ceiling. By wallpapering the ceiling, you can bring a whimsical pattern or color scheme to the room without the investment level of wallpapering all four walls.
Elevated art
Invest in pieces of art that your child can grow into, and even be a piece that they take with them to their first home of their own. This may be an abstract piece of art, a photographer you love, or something meaningful to your family. Then, layer in inexpensive, printable art pieces that reflect their current interests to keep the room youthful and playful.
Decorating your child’s room to celebrate their current age and interests and is also a space they can grow into is a balance. Selecting the investment pieces they can grow into means you won’t need to replace the furniture continually, and can even mean you’re investing in pieces they can use once they move out into a home of their own.
