Decorating a kids’ bedroom is a creative challenge that requires balancing your child’s personality and interests with the design sensibility of your home. Create a fun and functional space with custom colors, cozy textiles, and inspiring wall art and decor.
From paint to wallpaper, furniture, lighting, window treatments, play areas, reading nooks, and toy storage, create a beautiful, functional, and tranquil space for your child that can be easily adapted as they change and grow.
Check out these kids’ bedroom ideas and expert advice for inspiration.
Matching Beds
Matching bed frames look adorable and polished in kids’ rooms. They pull a shared space together well, especially with matching sheets. You can then express individualism through bedside decor, specific teddy bears, and wall art.
An Ode to Hobbies
Don’t feel like you have to stuff a room with toys. Sometimes, a minimal approach looks the best and still feels like they have plenty to do.
A rope swing, basketball hoop, and musical instruments with a rug to ground the space make for a comfortable spot to have fun.
Neutral with Vintage Details
A neutral color palette is never a bad idea, especially for kids’ rooms, as their favorite colors and interests may often change. Add warm vintage touches if a fully minimalist room feels too cold.
This could be an antique desk and chair, a bronze pendant light with a bare bulb, and old lanterns and dollhouses for decor.
Framed Personal Artwork
To make a gallery wall all the sweeter in a child’s bedroom, select artwork that they’ve made themselves. The best part is that with a set of simple frames, you can swap out different paintings and drawings as they age and create new pieces.
Cozy Bunk Beds
Make a shared bedroom feel supremely cozy with wood paneling, gold hardware, and ultra-plush bedding. This will make a child’s room feel safe and comforting year-round.
A Muted Color Palette
Peaceful and serene kids’ rooms look best with muted color palettes, but they don’t have to be boring.
Opt for faded indigo, pale pink, moss green, and light blue and sprinkle them around the space through pillows, art, and cushions.
Fun Statement Furniture
Outside of paint and patterned wallpaper or textiles, think about the furniture in your kid’s room. Basic wooden or white furniture is always good, but something with more of a statement is equally as stylish and adds visual interest in an unexpected way.
Wallpapered Ceiling
Wallpaper the ceiling to customize a kids’ room. Finish with a stylish pendant light for a polished look.
Purpose and Style Mixed
Olma Fuentes, the principal and founder at Deni + Dove Interiors, says to really consider the purpose of the room, as you want the room to be enjoyable and to serve you and your child’s needs.
Whether it’s used for just sleep or a mix of play, homework, and hobbies will ultimately determine the design direction to take for your child’s room, whether it’s whimsical and colorful, serene and minimalistic, or even a mixture of different design styles, she adds.
Glam Pop of Pink
With ultra bright colors like pink, it can be best to experiment with small pops of it first to see if your child really does love it before you redesign the whole room around it. Try it out with a statement lamp, mirror, or bedspread.
Kid-Sized Gallery Wall
Art is often forgotten in kids’ rooms.
“Artwork shouldn’t just be relegated to the “adult” spaces of the home,” Fuentes says. “Be sure to add some art pieces around the room for some added color and to help spark your child’s creative interests and cognitive development.”
Beach-Inspired Bedroom
Keep a beach theme sophisticated by mixing deep navy and teal hues with lighter whites, creams, and wood finishes. Stuffed animals and toys will make the room feel playful, but the theme itself will look great on its own.
Scalloped and Chevron Details
Sometimes little touches can designate a space as a kid’s room without going all out. Cute chevrons and rounded scallop edges make a bedroom feel softer.
A Pop of Palm Trees
Certain motifs can’t really be deemed kid or adult-like, such as palm trees. This makes them a great detail to scatter around a room as it stays timeless and will work for a kid as well as a pre-teen and teenager.
Sweet and Serene Bedroom
You want to balance a clean and serene space with fun.
“Baskets are a practical and charming way to contain mess and help keep your kids’ rooms clutter-free,” Fuentes says.
Many baskets now come in unique shapes and fun designs to add their decorative flair. She also recommends floating shelves, toy storage benches, and vertical shelves.
Traditional with a Splash of Blue
There are some colors that really are classics, and blue is one of them. Many kids deem this their favorite shade growing up, so having pops of this in their room, whether through pillows, ottomans, or lamps, will bring a smile.
Playful but Focused Workspace
If your child dreads homework time, create a fun sanctuary for them where they’ll actually enjoy sitting. Find a spot with ample light and offer colorful supplies that’ll encourage them to keep going.
Personalized Sleep Space
There are many creative ways to personalize a bedroom that are also temporary if their favorite color or themes change. Hang their name from a branch that’s been upcycled with paint or string, and match that to the pillows for a cute (but eventually changeable) finish.
Funky Wallpaper
A great way to design a child’s room that’s sophisticated but fitting for them is with the help of a cool wallpaper print. A funky pattern is just as fun to look at for kids, but will grow up with them, too.
Escape to the Forest
Take the forest theme a step further by adding 3D objects. A detailed wallpaper makes for a great backdrop, but bugs and animals popping off from the walls and sitting on dressers and chairs make it even more realistic for little ones.
Bright and Breezy
An all-white room can still feel comforting and cozy with the right details. A few carefully selected toys on top of a dresser, a wavy mirror, and wallpaper with a subtle pattern can all warm up the space.
A Chic Study Section
As your kids get older, a designated space where they can study, work, and create becomes more important. Use an empty wall to set up desks and cabinets full of essentials that’ll help them do their best.
A Touch of Whimsy
A mix of pale pink and light blue makes for a whimsical bedroom. Add a cloud print wallpaper for an accent wall and some puffy bedding for a very breezy and relaxing spin on a child’s bedroom.
Truck Wall Art
An easy way to express interests that doesn’t take up a lot of space is through artwork. The best part is, drawings and paintings can be replaced with new likes and hobbies as time goes on.
Comfy Reading Nook
While it’s fun to splay out on the floor with a stack of reads, giving your child a dedicated reading space is special. It gives them a spot away from play areas and their bed to read and cultivate a love for books.
An Ever-Changing Nursery
As your baby and toddler grow, having a workable foundation like this is ideal. Without bold paint colors or wallpapers, you can easily swap out decor and furniture as your child gets older. White walls and simple lamps, and dressers make a huge difference.
Straight from a Storybook
High-quality stuffed animals and framed artwork can give a storybook feel to a bedroom without making it appear too childish or cheesy.
Slightly elevated takes on characters and stories mean your kids won’t feel bored with it after a month, and you’ll appreciate how stylish it looks, too.
Subtly Themed Room
Stick with subtler ideas and concepts when planning a kid’s room, which Jessica Shaw, interior design director at The Turett Collaborative says will still allow them to express their personality.
“These temporal design elements may not be fit for a teen as they grow older, and that is okay,” she says, as redecoration is possible and should be expected as your kid grows up.
Vibrant Color-Blocking
Color-blocking is a fantastic way to infuse extra saturation into your little one’s room without leaning on specific characters or themes.
Shaw notes that an accent wall or ceiling is enough, but if you’re after something bolder, “consider a larger-scale application, perhaps in furniture or design aspects of a kid’s room.”
Soft Cloud Theme
Daydreamers and kids who love to think about jumping on clouds will appreciate a bedroom that realizes their otherworldly ideas.
Cover the walls in wispy-textured wallpaper and add plenty of puffy pillows. A bubble chair truly gives them the chance to float, too.
Statement Ceiling Art
For the coolest room on the block, consider adding a piece of artwork on the ceiling. It’s out of the way of playdates and daily messes, but still has an impressive impact on the bedroom’s look and feel.
Pretty and Pastel
If you’re hoping to encourage a sense of peace and calm within your child’s room, stick with quiet neutrals and pretty pastels that’ll emphasize a tranquil atmosphere. A flock of bird decals make it even more magical.
Maximalist Accent Wall
Consider adding an accent wall to a kid’s room. It provides a lovely pop of color that you can then use to design the rest of the room around. It’s also a great backdrop for a bed, bookshelf, or study space.
Neutral Walls
Susie Novak of Susie Novak Interiors notes that kids (and you) will spend hours playing on the floor, so it’s smart to have toys and books low down and nearby. She also recommends a palette of subtle hues.
“I love the white walls in my girls’ rooms because it’s a perfect backdrop for hanging their artwork and adding framed images from our travels,” she says. “Kids add so much color to a space, so it’s great to stick to neutral walls.”
Star-Sprinkled Ceiling
Nothing is more magical than falling asleep beneath a blanket of stars, which is possible with a painted statement ceiling. Plus this will look cooler and last longer than the plastic stick-on stars out there.
A Touch of Glamour
You can create a great space for kids who have a passion for style and fashion without going overboard. Something as simple as vintage magazine posters and a mix of whimsical materials work wonders.
Fire Truck Theme, Grown Up
Rather than fire truck-themed wallpaper, bedding, or toys, there are other unique ways to bring it into a room. A lamp base with a fire truck or even cabinet handles in this shape are subtle but still playful. This can translate into so many other themes, too.
Ultra Cozy
Don’t forget to add soft and cozy touches that will keep both you and your little one comfortable. Choose plush chairs, soft stuffed animals, and buttery-smooth throw pillows.
Neon Brights
An accent wall and ceiling full of invigorating colors is a great way to keep kids happy without dousing an entire room in a neon color. It’s the perfect base to match their favorite toys with, too.
Favorite Faces
If your little one is obsessed with a particular game, character, animal, or show, you can most certainly work them into the room. The key is keeping these touches minimal if your child’s tastes evolve. For example, stuffed animals are much easier to swap than a wallpaper.
A Room for Cool Kids
Older kids who have specific interests and who feel more adult than child will appreciate a room that fits how they feel. This can be done through cool materials like leather and plaid, as well as accents and touches that nod to their likes, such as skis, musical instruments, and art supplies.
Perfect Napping Spot
You want your child’s bedroom to be fun, but also usable for important functions like sleeping and doing homework.
“Adding an ochre yellow daybed in front of the window adds both function and a mature, playful element to the space,” says Michelle Poitras of Lucien Marie Design.
She also notes that the addition of wool area rugs adds a touch of warmth and a soft space for the children to play.
Subtle Horse Theme
Leigh Spicher, an interior designer and National Director of Design Studios for Ashton Woods Homes, says to steer clear of specific characters as, “these interests will change faster than their stage of development, and you don’t want their room to feel like a living advertisement.” Instead, choose more classic motifs and themes.
Mini Zoologist Haven
Kids who have a penchant for animal or other scientific endeavors will enjoy having those things surrounding them in their bedroom.
The theme doesn’t have to be dripping off every wall, but an animal-themed clock and chairs, as well as a few stuffed animals, make a big impact.
Scandinavian-Inspired Play Area
Kids’ bedrooms should be a play place and resting space—one that’s serene but stimulating, and equally easy to change as they grow.
“By layering materials, textures, and a more mature color palette, it’s easy to switch out accessories, while allowing the space the flexibility to grow and change as the children mature,” Poitras says.
Vibrant Gallery Wall
One way to add immense color to a kid’s room or a nursery that doesn’t involve paint or wallpaper is through a gallery wall. Choose bright, eye-catching colors that they’ll enjoy looking at, too.
Fairy Woodland Touches
Children who are always on the hunt for fairies or caught up in a storybook should have a bedroom to match with oversized toadstools, glowy lights, and space to play make-believe. With white walls and minimal furniture, it won’t feel too childish as they grow older. Plus, peel-and-stick decals can easily be removed.
Patterns and Prints
An array of patterns and vivid shades can strike the perfect balance between sophisticated and playful.
If your child loves color, don’t be afraid to mix prints and hang up funky artwork. With a more abstract finish, the room will grow with your kid over time.
A Mix of Grown-Up and Kidlike Details
Fuentes says that you want to aim for a room that your child can “grow into” to avoid redesigning every couple of years.
A good way to tell if this is the case with the bedroom is by removing some of the childlike elements—such as toys, mobiles, cribs, and changing tables and then seeing if your youngster will still find the room appealing as an older child, and maybe even as a teenager.
Worldly Touches
Instill a sense of adventure from their earliest years with a range of different decorative objects that are equally cozy. Try realistic stuffed animals, a kid-friendly world map, and fun modes of transportation hung from the ceiling, like hot air balloons.
An Elevated Tropical Theme
Themed kids’ rooms, whether it’s a jungle or beach you’re trying to embody in a space, can err on the side of cheesy.
To prevent that from happening, choose more artistic wallpapers and keep wild prints as accents rather than primary parts of the palette. This will leave you with a room that they can grow into.
A Corner for Fun
You can quickly turn narrow corners and leftover space into a play area for little ones. Add shelves for all their favorite picture books, baskets for toys, and a chair where they can sit and make the most of what’s in their room.
Color-Drenched Kids’ Room
One big trend this year is color drenching, and a kid’s room is a wonderful place to try it out because it’s colorful, bold, and playful. Stick with one or two tones of the same color and coat the room for a truly stand-out bedroom.
Woodland-Inspired Space
Many people find a lot of peace in natural spaces, and kids are no different. To translate the sense of calm that comes from walking in the woods, use forest-themed wallpaper as an accent wall and bring in special photos of their favorite outdoor places and wildlife.
Full-Blown Maximalism
Partner and lead designer Lindsey Jamison of Rumor Designs makes a point that maximalism isn’t reserved only for adults’ rooms.
A bold burst of colors, patterns, and textures can make a child’s room feel whimsical and fresh without the use of any kid-specific decor or characters.