Kids Bedroom Ideas

How to design the perfect kids room

Children grow up so fast! House Rules judges Wendy, Laurence and Jamie share their tips on planning a space that will inspire and grow with them
Loading the player...

Looking to decorate a child’s room? Here are some tips from House Rules judges Wendy Moore, Jamie Durie and Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen about what works and why.

Wendy Moore’s tips: create a good base

Wendy is herself a parent of twin girls and has an interest in making fun and relaxing spaces for kids. “The first thing is that you have to create really good bones because kids grow up fast, and their interests change, so you have to make sure that the basics of the room are covered,” she says. “You don’t just leave room for them to upgrade their bed – whether it is from a cot, to a little bed, or whatever stage they are at – you’ve got to allow that room to grow. 

How to design the perfect kids room

And, while I love the idea of creating a theme, I like it best when the theme is not so clearly identified. Kids will use their imaginations to turn one thing into another and then into a completely different thing. You have to give them the freedom of imagination.”

How to design the perfect kids room

Jamie Durie’s tips: don’t underestimate kids

Father of an adult daughter, Jamie says that he believes that kids actually have a much stronger eye for design than what we think. “Softly shaped items and items with a bit of character sometimes resonate far more with the child than the more obvious minimal styles that get mass produced,” he says.

How to design the perfect kids room

In Pete and Courtney’s home in Ferntree Gully, Jamie was full of praise for the furniture choices. “That brass bed was just delicious, as was the shag rug, and the hanging cane chair. Those are things that will stick in children’s minds. I think that creating an eclectic style design for children’s rooms casts a wider net over their imagination.”

How to design the perfect kids room

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen’s tips: let kids be imaginative

Laurence says this year’s season of House Rules has some of the strongest children’s room designs he’s ever seen. Father of two and a grandfather, he feels it’s about making areas where children can actually impose their personality, or their imagination on. “So rather than making a princess palace, or a Barbie zone, or whatever, it’s good to keep it quite abstract, and quite general,” he says.

“And decorate it well. In Ferntree Gully, the colour palette was amazing. The wonderful, slightly minty grey, against the dark blue was absolutely stunning. And then with the rose gold in there… it was really, really, simply lovely.”

 

TUNE IN TO OUR PODCAST!

For all the behind the scenes action and styling tips from Wendy Moore, Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen, Jamie Durie and the Home Beautiful team, tune in to our brand new podcast, “Style Rules” now!

Listen now to our brand new podcast!

You might also like:

House Rules Reveal: Inside Pete & Courtney’s bold and fabulous fully renovated home

A kid’s room design that will last well into teen years

5 amazing kids bedroom decorating ideas

Related stories