There is no denying that designing a kid's room is fun, however, it can be a daunting and challenging task at times too. Whether it’s a newborn’s nursery, a toddler play room or a teen-ager’s bedroom, various things have to be kept in mind while setting it up. Every child is a precious and unique individual and has his or her own likes and dislikes, which must reflect in their room. Children are constantly evolving and so are their taste and preferences. With age, their requirements, interests and hobbies change, and so should the décor of their room. Needless to say a children’s room must be comfortable, practical and of course lots of fun! To make this possible, depending on the child’s preference and liking, a theme may be selected. For example, a jungle theme or a fairy tale theme. Themes can be showcased through almost everything in the room from walls, ceilings, curtains, beds to bed sheets, bed covers, cushions, pillows, blankets, quilts, rugs, carpets etc. Such things are easily available in various designs in the market. Some kids might not like any particular theme. In such cases, it is best to keep the look and feel of the room warm and comfortable.

Once the look has been decided, it's time to bring in the furniture. It must be selected with a lot of care. It should neither be too high, as a child can fall off it, nor should it have any sharp edges or corners, as these can hurt the child. Safety must be the number one criterion when it comes to doing up a kid’s room. Like every other bedroom the most essential piece of furniture in a child’s room is also a bed. Depending on the space available, the utility and the kid’s choice, a bed can be selected from a vast range like single, double, bunk or even designer beds in special shapes like cars, boats etc. After the bed has been placed, other furniture needs to come in. However, this would totally depend on the age and requirements of a child. For instance, a school going kid would definitely need a good-size desk, a comfortable chair, a few shelves or racks and a spacious cupboard, as this would help him or her do their homework and keep their clothes, book and toys well organized. Care must be taken to ensure sufficient walking space between the furniture.

Colors play a crucial role in a kid’s room as they define not only the theme but also the feel of the place. If an overall theme has been selected then obviously the walls and ceiling must be painted accordingly. However, in case of no theme, it is more appropriate to keep things simple. The best is to develop a color scheme of two or three hues and stick to it while furnishing the room as well. Dull and dark shades should be totally avoided as these can make the place feel dingy and gloomy. Instead, neutral and pastel shades are a good option as they make a place appear well-lit and spacious. Bright colors can be used to accentuate a single wall rather than the whole room. In fact, they are best left for the bed spreads and pillow covers as these can be changed every day unlike the paint on the walls.

When it comes to lighting, we must be sure to include multiple kinds of it in a kid's room. Wall lights and ceiling lights are necessary but so are reading lights and foot lamps or night bulbs. A child’s room should never be completely dark at night as most children are scared of the dark and may find it difficult to go off to sleep. It’s best to have a soft and gentle light in one corner of the room, switched on throughout the night, to allow them to sleep comfortably and peacefully. It may even help them find the bathroom in the middle of the night!

To add yet another special touch, beautifully designed curtains in colorful shades can be put up in a children’s room. These days’ curtains in a variety of patterns and prints, such as cartoon characters, fairy tale and comic book characters, cars, bikes, airplanes, boats, ships, dolls, toys, games, sports and so many others like these, are available in the market. Such curtains are a fun way to express a child’s likings and interests. They are a great option for toddlers and young school going kids. Some early teens may also like them. However, as kids grow, especially by the time they come in senior classes and then collage, these may seem too childlike. Therefore, it is essential to do up a room keeping in mind the kid’s age and preferences.

It is also a good option to have some space to display a kid’s talent in the room. For example, if a kid is fond of drawing or painting, it’s a good idea to have a board displaying his or her latest work. On the other hand, if a kid is fond of playing an instrument, space should be made to adjust it within

the room so that the child can play it in his or her free time. If a kid is a scholar or an athlete or an all-rounder who has won many trophies, a floating shelf or rack should be put up in the room to display such awards and achievements.

Most of the children have a tendency to mess up their room. This may result in the place looking shabby and smelling stale and un-fresh. While tiding the place is not a very difficult task, keeping it smelling fresh and fragrant all the time is. At such times, using a natural homemade room spray comes in very handy. Such a spray can easily be made by mixing one cup of water with a few drops of fragrant essential oils, preferably of lemon or orange, to keep the children energetic and active all day. A pleasant smell keeps them in good spirits too.

When it comes to decorating a kid’s room, an infant or a toddler will have no suggestions but a school goer or above is definitely old enough to have significant inputs. It’s important to keep the children’s inputs, tastes and needs in mind before setting up their room, as this will make them like the place more and maybe encourage them to take good care of it as well. After all a children’s room is a space where they spend maximum time and grow both, physically and mentally. This is where their imagination develops and makes them the person they grow up to be. It is, therefore, a very special room and décor items for room should be equally special as well.