When we moved into our current home last year, we had to set some priorities about which spaces we need to set up when. After everyone has a comfy place to sleep, then comes the hard part. Of course open common areas are easy to prioritize, especially since we like to entertain.
Beyond that, what’s more important, the media room or my office? The kids room or the formal dining room? The patio or the master suite? We got the media room & office pretty close to “done”. The formal dining room was easy to get set up, we just decided to hold off on additional decorating in there since the “bones” are pretty darn good… for now. The patio is a work in progress and we chose to leave the master for last because no one has to see it but us.
So it looks like I’ll be decorating a media room for the kids next and it really needs the update.
Coming up with kids room design ideas can be tricky because if it’s for younger children, the tendency is to buy small versions of adult furnishings, lots of kiddie looking things, and items that are very age & gender specific. That means that in a few years, as the children grow and their interests change, so does the room.
Examples of kids spaces that are VERY age specific.
Or the opposite happens and it ends up being a typical living room that’s full of toys, books, and crayons.
While some people are okay with either of the options I mentioned, I prefer to design rooms that will not need a full overhaul in a few years. Spaces that are classic and can be updated later with smaller changes in accessories, color, or lighting. Plus I have children (& step children) ranging in age from 6 to 22 – 3 boys & a girl – so my kids room can’t be age OR gender specific. In my case, I have loads of ideas, but ultimately ended up with this general idea of what I am going for:
Design Idea for Kids Room
What happens in this room now and long term? Well just like in our last home, it’s a place where my kids and their friends can hang out, play, watch movies & tv, play games (both video & board) – pretty much do their own thing. Unlike our last home, it’s a dedicated space just for them.
And it turns out that adults have ended up in here playing video games too! Even my 22 year old (who doesn’t like to be lumped in the “the kids” anymore) spent more time in here than in his own room over the summer.
It’s perfect because:
- it’s at the front of the house & the kids don’t have to go roaming though the whole house to get to different things – everything they need is in 1 place
- it’s close to the kitchen so drinks and snacks are always nearby
- it’s fairly open to the rest of the common areas o parents can either see or hear what’s going on as needed
About this Kids Room Design & Furnishings:
It’s at the front of the house across from my office and it’s
completely open because it was originally meant to be the formal dining room. We swapped the dining room with what was meant to be the formal living room so that we could use this for the kids’ space – a media room for all the kids (and adults) to hang out in. It has to be low maintenance & completely functional.
The specs:
- 13’ 11 ½”w x 12’10 ½” l
- 9′ ceiling
- 1 – 6′ x 6′ double picture window
- 1 – 39″ x 8′ open entryway leading to the kitchen
- 1 – 55″ x 8′ open entryway
- carpeted wall to wall
Some of the items in the room will be reused/re-purposed:
- The sideboard is 1 of 2 of that used to flank the fireplace in our old family room. I used 1 in my home office and am using the other in this kid’s media room for the TV and for toy storage.
- We had the 2 “Happy Tree” canvases from our girl’s room in our previous home & I really want to reuse them in here.
- This refinished desk that my youngest uses to do homework and create masterpieces:
Some things will be new:
- We definitely need curtains to make movie nights extra dark. Even if we don’t use or need them to block light, we still need them to soften the wood blinds.
- Bean Bag Loungers!!! Maybe.
I know you must be wondering “why bean bag loungers?”. I do like the chunky chairs that are there now, but they aren’t the most comfortable. They are great for playing video games but not so much for just kicking back or falling asleep watching movies. Plus they need to be re-upholstered and I DO plan to do that, but who knows when I’ll get to it.
Besides EVERYbody likes bean bags and there’s some pretty good ones available now. This ain’t the 70’s or 80’s, bean bags & loungers have come a long way.
Also, these loungers are modular. They are easy for anyone to move around and can make a nice comfy little couch when placed side by side like these or the 2 shown below. Throw the ottoman in the mix & movie night is super comfy cozy.
So here I go on the hunt for stylishly comfy furnishings that kids AND adults will love. That might be the easy part.
A few other things I need to work in are:
- Some precious photos of all our children
- Storage mainly for books
- Interesting wall treatment
The walls are grey which is great in general because it flows well with the rest of our home. But since this is a dedicated kids room, I’d like to add a little something to energize the room. But not TOO much energy or they might literally start jumping off the walls.
I like murals but am not interested in that in here – I don’t want to have to change it later. I am thinking of a racing stripe or maybe some abstract art directly on the walls. Maybe I can get our oldest (the artist) to come up with something.
- Doors – actually an alternative to doors
There are 2 entrances to this room, a large 1 as soon as you enter the home and another the size of a standard doorway on the adjacent wall that leads into the kitchen.
I’d like to find a creative way to close those off when needed without installing actual doors with standard trim. Barn doors are an option but they would have to be a modern version to fit with our style and the style of our home. Pocket doors would be wonderful, but so would the price.
To “work” I go figuring out the best way to solve these little dilemmas. It’s always so easier in other people’s spaces, but not so much in my own. My own family can be my most difficult “clients”, myself included!
