Choosing Kid's Window Treatments

When deciding on curtains for children's bedrooms, take account both the purpose they will serve and the décor of the room. If your child's room is very bright in the mornings, you might want panel drapes with blackout lining to keep the room dark for longer. If you already have effective shades or blinds, you might just want a decorative top-treatment.

If you have a small room, you might want a more minimalist window treatment, such as a Roman shade, so that the room is not overwhelmed by fabric. Look through some magazines and catalogs to get a sense of what will work for your child's room, and adapt it to suit the décor.

Furniture and Storage

Dolls, dress-up clothes, tea sets: it's unbelievable how much “stuff” can accumulate in girls' bedrooms. Especially if your girl's room multi-tasks for sleep, study and play, it will be important for you to provide your child with plenty of places to put things away.

Some neat storage furniture for girls' rooms includes platform beds with drawers in the platform – excellent for storing clothes and toys, and eliminating the need for a box spring or a bedskirt – and storage benches, which act as toy boxes and can be fun places for a child to sit and read, or a platform on which she can play with his figurines.

Storage cubes, wooden or upholstered, are good options for books, blankets, and toys, and double as seats for your child, her guests, or you at story time. You can also find storage pieces that will liven up the theme for your girl's room, such as dollhouse-shaped bookcases.

Personalized Wall Art

Many companies online and offline offer personalized prints that are great for kids' rooms. One fun place where you can find very unique options are fairs, where vendors often have caricatures, silhouettes, and other “fast art” that highlights your child's name and/or interests on offer.

There are also places online that will add your child's name to a pre-existing print and frame it for you. No matter what you choose, personalized wall art is fun and special and unique to your child.

Murals!

A decorative scene on your kid's room wall is an exciting focal point. From beaches to castles to jungles to ballparks, the options for kids' room murals are only as limited as your imagination. If you are confident in your own talent, paint it yourself. Another option is to hire a professional artist.

For people seeking an in-between solution, there are many mural kits available that make it easier to paint the mural yourself. For people wanting something less permanent, there are decorative wall stickers that create the same effect as a mural without the mess of painting and repainting.

Remember Who the Room is For

When planning how you want to decorate and equip your boy's or boys' bedroom, the first thing you need to consider is who will be using the room.

• Will the room be shared?
• How close in age are the children who will share it?
• If the children are not close in age, how will you divide the space so each of the boy's needs are met?
• Do they have similar tastes, or will you have to find a way to strike a balance between the different things the children want?

Start by discussing these things with your son or sons. If they want a theme and can agree on it, you're off to a great start. If they want different themes, consider choosing some basic bedding and décor elements, and using each child's favorite accessories to build a theme in his part of the room.

Fairy Tale Princess Themes

Many elements of décor for little girls' rooms lend themselves to dreaming of once upon a time and far, far away. From canopy beds to eyelet and lace and pale pink, you may already have many of the elements in place to make your daughter's room a real Princess's room. To bring the fantasy one or two step closer to reality, rely on some paint techniques and a few choice accessories.

Paint the ceiling a sky blue and sponge paint on some clouds; turn the walls of your girl's room into castle walls with faux painting techniques, and embellish them with stenciled runners of ivy – you can even add some silk ivy from the craft store for additional dimension. Swath tulle or silk flowers where you'd otherwise put a valance and curtains, and be sure to add a stuffed frog prince someplace in the room … just for a bit of whimsy!

Comfort, Durability and Safety in Rugs

Children spend a lot of time on the floor, and kids' rugs get a lot of wear.

• Look for children's rugs made of durable materials, such as wool or strong synthetic fibers, and that have piles that will withstand the abuse that children's feet and toys will occasion.
• Make sure the rug meets the standards for use with children, and look for rugs that are stain-resistant, and that can be washed either with normal carpet cleaner – or, in the case of area rugs - that can be put in the laundry.
• For practical purposes, you might want to stick with multi- or darker-colored rugs, which will hide spills and stains better than light rugs.
• For both comfort and safety, and to extend the life of the rug, use a rug pad. This will make the rug even cushier and will prevent it from slipping, which makes it safer for your child.
• Finally, if the edges of the rug are loose or flip up, consider anchoring them with double-sided tape to minimize the chances of your child tripping.