Some decorators prefer to plan a room with long-term needs in
mind, and wish to create a space for their child that will
"grow" with them easily and inexpensively.
Your practical nature doesn't need to stifle your creativity. By
learning how to identify alternative functionality in furniture
and accessories you can create a room that can be adapted to
accommodate the needs of your child from toddler to teen.
Remember, it won't be long before your newborn is wanting a
friend to stay for a sleep-over.
In your child's nursery, all furniture choices apart from the
crib can be made with growth in mind. Accessorising the room for
different ages becomes the key to maintaining your childs
delight and enjoyment of their room. Accessories can be changed
easily, with a minimum of fuss and expense.
You need to visualise your child as a toddler, a preschooler, at
Elementary age - right up to Junior High. Think about furniture
your child may enjoy and use at those ages.
Toddlers and preschoolers often use furniture as props for
imaginative play, so a chair might "become" a train; a toybox
may transform into a "boat". Any detailing that adds interest
has the potential to spark imaginative play. The furniture of
baby and children rooms needs to be both practical and
functional.
A change table for example, can be any waist-high cabinet or
chest of drawers fitted with a padded foam diaper mat. Look at
cabinets you may see in a living room. Check for height
suitability and other features that may make it appropriate,
such as storage facilities. Think about how it will be used by
your child as a toddler, an Elementary student, pre-teen etc. If
you can see the piece adapting to your childs needs through
different ages then it's suitable.
Likewise with a nursery feeding chair. It needs to be
comfortable for you, who will be using it for night-time
feeding, but will it service the needs of your toddler, right
through to his/her pre-teen years? Would a small sofa be better?
Or a sofa-bed to accommodate having a friend stay over?
When deciding on a bed for your toddler, consider the
suitability of it for an 8 year old, a pre-teen, a teenager.
Your choice of bedding accessories will customise the bed to
your childs age.
Furniture used as bookcases, storage cabinets and cupboards can
also be found in living room and office furniture. Low T. V.
units offer great storage for toys and sporting equipment and a
padded cushion placed on top transforms the space into a reading
area.
Tall T. V. cabinets also provide great storage and the space for
the T. V. can be used to hold a doll's house, a fish tank, or
even a curtained area for puppet shows - let your imagination
run wild.
Many ¾ cabinets found in the dining room section of furniture
stores could be utilized in your childs room to accommodate
growing needs. Dining room cabinets often have a range of
smaller compartments, shelves and drawers. This storage space
can be utilized to accommodate toys, books, puzzles, blocks,
shoes, clothes and sporting equipment, especially in a boy's
room.
Wall cabinets used in bathrooms, either mirrored or plain, can
be used in children's room with great success. In a nursery they
are great for storing diaper wipes, creams, pacifiers and baby's
hair brush. Toddlers can use them to store their "precious"
things, teens can use them for personal hygiene items. Think
about who will have access to the cabinet when considering it's
placement.
You should keep window treatments functional and in neutral
tones, by using a blind, shutters or elegant curtains. These
will age well. Accessorize with a pelmet, swag or sheer
curtains, customised to suit your child's age.
www.baby-room-projects.com
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