New Construction Upgrades That Add Value: A Guide to Personalizing Your New Home
Posted by Dan O'Malley in Home Design
From feeling imaginative and creative to having a cozy, comforting space all their own, kids deserve a room that makes them feel right at home, too.
Here are some kids’ room decorations from our model homes to inspire you to design the perfect kid-friendly spaces in your new home.
Use Your Kids’ Favorite Colors and Themes
To really feel like a room is truly for them, let kids be involved in picking out a few colors, wall décor, and themes in their room, advises Lotte Brouwer of Livingetc.
Even though it might feel risky letting your children participate in the decorating process, you can establish some ground rules to keep their choices within certain parameters.
For example, choose the main paint color and furniture (bed, desk, chest of drawers, shelf), and let them choose the bedspread, wall décor, and main theme.
If they’re having a hard time getting started, get the ball rolling with 2 bedding colors and 2 throw pillow options. This way you limit the number of choices and make it less overwhelming of a process.
Although kids’ favorite things might seem to change daily sometimes, this is a great way to make the whole process exciting and all about them.
If you start with a fairly universal wall color, it’s even easier to change items out as your kids grow up.
Stick to Neutrals to Let Kids Create Their Own Décor
Neutrals are a great way to eliminate total re-dos in your kids’ room as they get older.
You can decorate your child’s room in a neutral theme as early as infancy. Opt for simple wall color, a fun animal picture as the main wall décor, and soothing, simple pieces and themes in a nursery.
If you have twins, your number of preferences and favorite things doubles! Keep it simple with a neutral bedroom that allows them to personalize their own half of the room.
Especially for high school- or college-aged family members, a simple, gender-neutral color palette gives them an elevated room to still feel comfortable in as you upgrade bed size, storage, and other pieces over time.
Gender-neutral colors don’t have to just mean grays or earth tones, by the way. Yellow is a great room color option that is energetic, fun, and easy to make work in a lot of different ways.
Decorate Multi-Purpose Kids’ Areas for Work and Play
Don’t limit bedrooms as the only kids’ space room décor to consider! Give your children more areas to complete homework, have a movie or game night with friends, and play.
A game room is another space you’ll want to consider being able to easily update over time, while still making it a fun room to hang out in.
If you’re okay with relinquishing the game room as a kids-only space, opt for bright colors, kid-friendly furniture that can stand the test of time, and places for all their favorite games and toys.
If your game room is a shared space for both adults and kids, learn how to decorate a game room without sacrificing your interior decorating style.
A few pops of color are still fun additions in any game or craft space, and these colorful pieces can really get creativity flowing. Position colorful wall art near art or craft supplies, and place a table and chairs nearby for drawing, painting, and creating.
For school projects and homework, give kids an accommodating space to lay out books, computers, and notepads. A school area doesn’t have to be sequestered away from the rest of the home, but make sure kids can focus and be productive here.
Flex rooms are great locations for a work-play hybrid. Think of a TV and gaming console with comfy chairs as a reward for getting homework done, and make it easy for kids to transition into relaxation mode after a job well done.
Consider Ways to Upgrade and Organize Your Kids’ Space
Keeping kids’ spaces clean and organized is one of the biggest challenges, so think practically when thinking through how to decorate a kids’ room.
Start with your mud room or drop-off area as soon as you enter the home. Give kids their own space to put their shoes, gear, and outerwear.
In addition to storage solutions, empower your kids to create their own décor and switch items out as they please. A corkboard is a great place for photos, souvenirs, and other special memorable pieces for kids to add to.
Throughout the years as toys are replaced with a phone and computer, give kids a comfy, relaxing space to use what they enjoy most in this older stage. A little seating area is a great place to browse social media or catch up with a friend.
Don’t forget the closet! This is one of the areas that can get the most chaotic without a good system in place.
From favorite colors to boxes, shelves, and cubbies, make the closet a fun place kids will want to keep nice and organized.
The play room is perfect for letting kids pick out their own colors and themes, since this is a room dedicated solely to them. If you’d rather not let them contribute to a game room or bedroom décor, make this a space they feel involved in decorating.
Giving kids an easy-to-remember method for cleanup and storage will keep the play room organized.
Get even more kids’ room ideas for decorating in your new home!
Author
Dan O'Malley
Author
Dan O’Malley is the Vice President of Product Development for M/I Homes.With over 30 years of expertise in residential architecture and design, Dan has been overseeing the product needs of the company's 16 divisions located throughout the Midwest, Southeast, Nashville and Texas for the past 12 years. Before joining M/I Homes, he was a partner in the Chicago office of BSB Design, a national residential architectural firm, for 14 years. Dan is an expert in all aspects of single-family and multifamily design and has received several awards for his successful projects. He is also a popular speaker at various industry events, including the International Builder’s Show, Midwest Builder’s Show, and Multi-Housing World.
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Author
Dan O'Malley
Author
Dan O’Malley is the Vice President of Product Development for M/I Homes.With over 30 years of expertise in residential architecture and design, Dan has been overseeing the product needs of the company's 16 divisions located throughout the Midwest, Southeast, Nashville and Texas for the past 12 years. Before joining M/I Homes, he was a partner in the Chicago office of BSB Design, a national residential architectural firm, for 14 years. Dan is an expert in all aspects of single-family and multifamily design and has received several awards for his successful projects. He is also a popular speaker at various industry events, including the International Builder’s Show, Midwest Builder’s Show, and Multi-Housing World.