When you’re welcoming a new child into your family, you’ll soon find that there are a lot of expenses involved.
After healthcare, baby essentials, day to day products and various other expenses related to having a child, the cost soon adds up.
One of the most costly, perhaps, is the task of outfitting the new baby’s bedroom with everything it needs to function as a safe yet practical environment for a growing child.
So, you go out and purchase a whole lot of new baby furniture and decorate the room a cutesy baby blue or pink – and the first couple of years are great! But then what happens when they start to outgrow it? Not only will your child grow in physical size, but they’ll also start to develop their own ideas, tastes and interests – which can often change very quickly at young ages!
Most people cannot afford (or even just don’t want to spend the money on) a whole new furniture suite and redecorating job every few years – and that’s totally understandable! So instead, try to consider the ways you can create a bedroom that grows with your child and their ever-changing needs and preferences.
Choose simple, timeless furniture that could be suited to a variety of different themes.
When you decide to go for something like classic wood or a crisp, clean white for your furniture, you can be certain it will blend well with any future theme the room takes on. No matter what colour your paint the walls or how many times you switch out your rug or bedding, the furniture can still be a great looking staple. Of course, the child-specific furniture in fun, bright or pastel colours may be tempting; it’s simply not good value for money when you know you’ll be replacing it a few years down the line.
Choose multi-purpose pieces that can save on space – giving you more room to play with in the future.
The first benefit to using multi-purpose furniture is that it saves you money from the initial outlay. A piece that can do two (or more) things is almost certainly going to be cheaper than buying two pieces separately for individual functions. But that’s not the only benefit! The other is that it saves you space in the room to add things later on. So when your child is old enough to start asking for a homework desk, reading nook, gaming corner or whatever else they’re into, you’ll have the space ready and waiting to integrate it into their room.
Don’t spend too much – really. Your baby doesn’t care if an item cost Rs. 5 or Rs. 500 – all they want is to be happy and comfortable in their home.
The key to being able to switch up a space is partly to not spend too much to begin with. If you spend a lot of money on your baby’s first bedroom theme, you’ll resent having to replace things so soon and it’ll be harder on your bank balance too. By choosing cheaper options, you’ll be able to chop and change as you please, replacing things as your child tastes and interests develop. Remember – kids don’t care whether something is from a budget retailer or a high-end designer. All they need is happy, loving home and enough to get by.
Use accessories to add your personal flair to the room, rather than large pieces or statement furniture.
Similarly to our last point, it’s easier to switch things out if they’re smaller and make less of an impact.So rather than getting rid of all your child’s furniture, you’ll only need to switch out various accessories to update the style and theme of the room. These could include lamps, night lights, mobiles and wall hangings, framed artwork, rugs, cushions, bedding, ornaments, keepsake boxes, clocks… whatever you choose!
Choose good, practical storage solutions – kids have a lot of stuff!
As your child starts to get old, they’ll no doubt accumulate more and more things to keep in their room. That’s not to say kids are materialistic – but it just so happens they acquire a lot more than we expect them to! From toys to books to school supplies, your kids are going to need somewhere to stash all their stuff. Otherwise, the room will quickly become overwhelmed with clutter. To be prepared for this in advance, be sure to set up the room with a good amount of practical storage. While you may not fill it all up right away, you can relax knowing there’s plenty of space for the future.
Avoid ‘permanent’ decor such as wallpaper or painted murals.
If you’re going for a specific theme with prints or artwork, avoid making it permanent or difficult to remove. Framed prints are more versatile than painting the actual wall, as well as choosing options such as wall stickers that can be easily peeled off with no residue – leaving the wall underneath as fresh as the day it was painted.
Once they’re old enough, keep your child involved with the decorating process.
Once your child has started to express an interest in the way their room looks and feels, it’s time to start getting them involved. By asking them how they’d like their room to look, they’ll be more likely to think of ideas that will suit their personality for longer – meaning you can relax for a couple of years before the next update!
By making sure you create a bedroom that grows with your child, you’ll be saving yourself a lot of money (and time) in the long run. And your child will thank you for it!
Have you got kids of your own? We’d love to hear all about how you chose to decorate their rooms. Did you find they were easily adaptable as each child got older? Tell us about it in the comments section below!
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