Decorate With Intention: Give Kids' Rooms a Boost

1. A child's-eye view.

A great thing to do when designing children's rooms is to literally get down on their level. In fact, babyproofing experts often recommend crawling through your home to spot any potential dangers. Safety issues aside, you can also use this trick to help decide which toys to place on low shelves, where to position that cozy reading corner and where to hang art so your little one will actually be able to see it.

2. The healthy home.

When kids are in the home, it is so important to be thoughtful about the materials and finishes used around the house, especially if you are remodeling or adding a great deal of new furniture. Natural fibers, reclaimed and untreated woods, paints with low or zero VOC (volatile organic compounds) and air-cleaning plants are all excellent choices.

3. Embrace the power of less.

Don't be afraid to ruthlessly winnow the number of toys and materials in your child's room. If a younger child is having trouble letting go of old toys, try decluttering the room on your own. You will be amazed at how much more engaged your child becomes when there is less to focus on.

First to go should be any toys that are broken or have missing pieces, and those that are no longer age appropriate. If that still leaves you with a heap of toys that are obnoxiously loud or bright, or drive you nuts, either give them away or save them in a special rainy-day box.

A word of warning if you do remove toys in your child's absence: You may want to hold off on actually giving the items away in case you've mistakenly tried to get rid of a real favorite. The point is not to cause meltdowns but to simplify and help your child focus on beloved toys and games.

4. Rotate toys.

Once you have removed old, unloved and broken toys from the stash, you still may have more left than comfortably fits on the existing shelf space. Instead of rushing out to buy more storage, I urge you to give this age-old trick a try. Put about a third of your child's toys out on display, then pack the rest away in bins and boxes. That may sound like a lot to put away, but if you give it a go I think you'll find cleanup time much easier. Plus, when it's time to rotate toys, the old ones will feel brand new.

What if you have no closet space to spare? No problem. Here are some creative ways to hide toys in plain sight.

• Fill vintage suitcases with extra toys and stack them in a corner. Voilà! Instant décor.
• Use flat bins or baskets to store puzzles and books under the bed or crib.
• Stuff a beanbag chair or Moroccan leather pouf with dress-up clothes.
• Utilize a storage ottoman or steamer trunk as toy storage and table in one.

5. Make room for creativity and art.

Children are naturally creative and expressive. Of course, sometimes this can come out in less-than-ideal ways, such as drawing on the walls, breaking things and generally causing havoc. Take advantage of the positive impulse and make space for healthy expression instead.

Some ideas to get you started:

• • Paint an entire wall or door with chalkboard paint.
• • Install gymnastics mats in a corner for rough-and-tumble play.
• • Keep simple art supplies at the ready (with a drop cloth nearby for spills).

6. Make room for active play.

Especially if you live in an urban area or are lacking outdoor play space, it's important to incorporate some playground elements into your home — space permitting, of course.

If you have the room, by all means go ahead and devote an entire room to active play. But if not, here are a few tips to make the most of the space you do have. When your kids really need to use up some energy, they can be lifesavers.

• • Consider investing in a foldable gymnastics mat and tunnel. They can be stored flat in a closet or under a bed, and brought out on rainy days.
• If your child's room is too small for extra equipment, why not hang a swing in the living room? It would be a conversation starter when visitors drop by, and the kids are sure to love it. Just be sure to take precautions to install it safely.
• If you have a long hallway, let your child use it as a "road" for a ride-on-top vehicle or scooter.

7. Carve out a quiet spot.

A serene spot to study is essential for school-age kids, especially in a busy household. Find a space to dedicate to homework and quiet reading, and make sure no one interrupts when it is being used. It could be a desk in the child's room, a small table and chair placed in your own home office, or even a built-in desk tucked into a small closet or alcove.

Aside from good lighting, a clear workspace and a comfortable chair, consider including a calendar or bulletin board, an object to fiddle with while thinking and a potted plant or flowers.

Two kids sharing space? It doesn't have to be a recipe for disaster. Start by taking an honest look at the two kids' personalities: Will they work well side by side, or would it be better to have separate desks?

If you go for the double workspace, avoid potential conflict by providing each child with a desk lamp, a cup for pens and pencils, and individual shelf space. Encourage kids to personalize the space by hanging artwork, displaying favorite toys or using vintage letters to spell out their names.

Vintage gym lockers with brightly colored doors add a playful note that's perfect for a boy's room. Plus, the cubbies make it easy to keep the room looking relatively neat. Look for storage that kids can use to toss and go: Baskets, bins, wall hooks, and cubbies are all good choices. Have all of your child's clothes on hangers? Don't be too surprised when they end up on the floor rather than neatly hung in the closet.

9. Think ahead.

It's easy to put too much emphasis on the stage your child is in right now, even though we all know they grow so fast. Save yourself time and money by thinking ahead and making a few design decisions that will pay off in the long run. Choose classic and basic over cutesy and cartoony for pieces that will stay in the room for some time, like lamps, curtains and rugs.

And consider versatility. I have been seeing more and more daybeds in kids' rooms lately, and I love it. You can put one in an infant's room and use it to rest on during nighttime feedings, then transition it to a toddler bed when it's time to move out of the crib. In fact, if it's a twin-size daybed, it could work for your child all the way into the teen years, and it usually comes with a trundle made for sleepovers.

10. It's your house too.

It is totally possible to create a child-friendly home that is also stylish and hip. This was much harder years ago, but with all the new children's products on the market, plus the wealth of ideas on home design websites like Houzz and in other media, we now have some incredible resources at our fingertips. Don't be afraid to extend your style into your child's room. We spend a lot of time in our children's rooms, especially when they are young, so it's important to take the time to make them appealing to us as well.

Now it's your turn to chime in.

Tell us: What are your thoughts on decorating children's spaces? Challenges? Tips? What works for you?

More Decorate With Intention: Create a Vision for Your Home

More:
Kids' Bedrooms: Amp Up the Playfulness
Kids at Work: A Kids' Office Space in Your Home