The arrangement of a children’s room is both an enjoyable and important process. It is rarely possible to arrange separate rooms for rest and studies, art and games in any apartment or house. Sometimes two or more children relax, learn and play in one room.
During repair of the children’s room parents usually already have an idea how they will furnish the room for the small occupant. But it is important not to ignore any nuance of choosing practical, comfortable and beautiful furniture for the kids’ room. So, this is what should be considered when choosing furnishings for a children’s room:
- age – this is probably one of the main criteria on which not only the size of the purchased furniture will depend, but also its composition. For a preschooler it is important to organize a place for sleep and play, the workplace will be used mostly for creativity, storage systems will be mainly filled with toys. With age, the games area is reduced, there will be a need to organize a full space for studying, and a storage system for textbooks, books and stationeries;
- furniture should match the age and height of the child, not only in terms of hobbies and favorite activities, but also anatomically. Not every parent can afford acquisition of new furniture every 2-3 years. An effective output is furniture that “grows” with the child. Chairs and tables for classes can be adjusted in height and backrest angle, the bed can be increased in length in at least three positions (up to adult height), open shelves can be mounted on a rack with several height options for attachment (thus, the child will always be able to get toys and books from their storage locations);
- sex of the child – it does not mean that furniture in a blue range should be bought for boys, and pink furniture for girls – one should not fixate on these stereotypes (unless the child prefers these colors). Girls tend to prefer more quiet games, and boys more active ones, but, of course, all children are unique and only parents know what type of furniture their kid needs;
- if several children rest, study, play and engage in creative work in one room, it is important to consider not only the number but also sex, age and preferences of each child. It is not an easy task, but it can be done;
- you must ensure that the purchased furniture is made from environmentally friendly materials (all stores should have the required quality certificates);
- future owner should like the furniture, consult with your child;
- furniture should be functional, not too heavy, but also not very light, furniture safety level will also depend on this;
- of course, children’s furniture must not have sharp corners, dangerous fixtures, furniture for children’s rooms usually does not contain glass or mirror inserts. The less swing cabinets are in the child’s room, the higher the safety level is, such structures should be replaced with modular storage cells, open shelves or drawers with stops;
- at the same time the furniture must be sufficiently durable and long lasting, and it can be used for a few years, but the child will test the strength of each piece of furniture during this period;
- manufacturers of furniture for children usually ensure that all surfaces could be easily cleaned with water, but it is better to see for yourself that care for selected models of furniture is simple.
Choosing the bed for a kids room
The vast majority of kids rooms perform functions of a bedroom for small occupants. A priority issue in the selection of furniture becomes a choice of practical, durable, comfortable and beautiful bed.
One child in the room
At present, the range of children’s beds, presented in the stores, is so wide that it pleases and puzzles the parents at the same time. Metal or wood, “growing” or stationary for the next 2-3 years, with or without a canopy, light or dark, or maybe a loft bed with working area on the lower level, and a bed on the upper one? In pursuit of the original models and unusual beds in the form of ships, cars or princess carriages do not forget the elementary rules of ergonomics. The older the person is, the higher their bed should be, the level of the mattress should be kneehigh.
If the child is still small enough you need to make sure that the bed is equipped with bumpers. Some models provide a possibility of dismantling the bumpers when the child gets older. The aesthetic appearance of the bed is not affected.
Children love small bits of space, where they can hide like in a house. From a psychological point of view, they can provide a privacy with a four-poster bed. If the bed is situated against the wall, you need only to provide the so-called canopy of the makeshift house roof. The canopy should be easily removed from the frame structure so that you could wash the fabric with linen.
If constructing a structure with a canopy seems too simple for you, it is possible to improve the bed to make it a full house for one. If room space permits and the parents are not against changing the bedroom furnishing in 3-4 years, the child will probably be happy to have their own small, cozy space in a house.
Bed frame with a soft upholstery is not only a safe and comfortable design solution but also an opportunity to diversify the color and texture palette of the room. But there is a minus in such bed models – care for the textile upholstery is harder than for the painted bed surfaces made of wood or metal.
A bed with a metal frame is usually purchased, as the saying goes, “to grow into” or for an already grown child, whose height will not change significantly. Most often, such models can be found on sale with a snow-white color, which is incredibly and organically fit into the romantic style of the bedroom for a girl.
Beds with the placement of storage systems in the lower part are very practical because you use the space that is already occupied by the bed. But it is important to remember that these structures have very poor mattress ventilation, and you will often need to pull the boxes, clean the surfaces of the storage systems and flip the mattress.
When choosing a bed with storage systems in the lower part it is better to give preference to those the drawers facade of which does not take up all the available space, leaving room for ventilation and the possibility not to use the drawers handles.
If a child’s room area is small, you might consider installing a so-called loft bed. The sleeping area is located above and there is a workplace, storage or play area on the lower level. These beds can be found in a typical embodiment in furniture stores or can be ordered specifically for the specific room size, taking into account the child’s height.
If space is very modest, you can choose to integrate the bed on a platform, in the lower part of which capacious storage systems will be placed. Drawers can be placed even on the steps of the platform. But remember about the ventilation of the internal flooring space.
You are free to decorate the bed and accompanying furniture yourself or ask specialists for help, who will realize the conceived concept design of the child’s room, depending on the tastes and interests of the child.
Beds for two children living in one children’s room
If the room space for two children permits, the location of beds next to each other (but at a distance to arrange bedside tables) becomes a logical option for arranging beds. In order to provide more space for games, you can position the beds perpendicular to each other, but it all depends on the number of window and door openings in the room.
For substantial saving of usable space for two children, a bunk bed is most commonly used. This can be a design with equal size beds (if the difference in age of children is small) and different size beds. These constructive solutions save square meters of the children’s room, leaving more space for games, installation of storage systems and workplaces.
Another variant for placing two beds with different sizes provides an opportunity to use space of the room as much efficiently as possible. In this case, the largest size bed is located on the lower level and a loft bed is set up on the upper level. Depending on the configuration of stairs leading to the upper tier, the space under the steps can be used as storage systems.
Country style in a children’s room is a rarity. But with unpainted wood for a bunk bed, anyone who sees room for two children would inevitably think of the rustic style. It is obvious that wood as a material for the manufacture of furniture for a children’s room is a preferred option, as we can be sure in its environmental and safety, especially if children are not against such a furniture ensemble.
Three or more children in the room
When more than two kids sleep in the same room, there is no another option except for the use of bunk beds. In this case, it is important to find a balance between compactness of the two-level constructions and the height of children who sleep on them. After all, in addition to beds, the room needs to have organized work spaces and storage systems for all its occupants.
Storage systems – an important component of furniture
Depending on the age of the child, for which the furniture is selected, toys, books, sports equipment and collectibles will be placed in storage systems. But in any case, regardless of the preferences of the child, wardrobes or drawers will be necessary for clothes, shoes and accessories. Storage for clothes is not much different from furniture in adult bedrooms. If the dimensions of the furniture will be smaller, the level of safety, environmental friendliness and hypoallergenic materials will be higher.
In a room with one-bed storage systems can be arranged behind the headboard, on both sides of it. Small cabinets and open shelves can accommodate clothes, toys and books of the child.
It is logical to have storage systems for books and accessories for creativity in the immediate vicinity of the workplace. Open shelves and bookcases are the most simple, economically feasible and convenient way of storage. If your shelves are attached to the frame, which has several options for placement by height, your rack will “grow” with the child and changes to their needs and interests.
For teens, you can consider an option of having all the necessary storage systems behind sliding doors of a large built-in wardrobe. Thus, all wardrobe items, books and sporting attributes will be concentrated in one place, and the usable space of the room will be saved due to built-in facilities.
A teen’s room is special in that the free space for games is no longer needed and can be used to accommodate the storage systems. For example, a variant of arranging storage systems different in design and appearance on the perimeter of the entire room, provides the student with the opportunity to place everything necessary within their space. These ensembles are made on order and design options are limited only by your child’s imagination and your budget.
In terms of space-saving, a highly rational move is an arrangement of storage systems under the window level. If there are no radiators, a few meters of the room can become not only a spacious shelving system but also a comfortable seating area, which can be equipped with soft cushions.
Organization of a workplace and areas for creativity
Even a very small preschooler needs a table and chair for activities requiring perseverance – drawing, examining pictures in books, board games, modeling and other variants of creativity. Later on, you should need to move from a low table and a miniature chair to the arrangement of a full workplace for studying and training, and it must be done well before the start of school.
A height adjustable desk is not an uncommon item in furniture stores and on related resources. Chairs and small armchairs that can change both the height and slope of the backrest are also widely available. You will have to spend money only once and then adjust the position of the furniture, depending on the rate of growth of the child.
There are plenty of variants of workplace arrangements. In fact, you do not need much space of the children’s room to ensure that the child has a comfortable place to study. A narrow console, which is attached only to the wall, will be the most compact version of a desk. Open shelves above the workplace are quite roomy but take little space.
A semi-oval console on a single leg is not only a safe place to study and work, but also an opportunity to sit down at a makeshift desk from both sides.
Usually, the workplace for a child is arranged by a window to provide the necessary level of illumination during daylight hours. In this case, all the space around the window opening can be used for storage systems or it can be limited to the lower part located below the sill level.
In a room where two children live, it is important not only to provide a comfortable sleeping space but also to organize work areas for each of the children. The desks are selected depending on the height and age, you can not arrange just one work area.
Retro style design is rarely used by designers for a child’s room. But if the views of the child and the parents in choosing furniture for workplace and creativity area organization coincide, the interior will be original, interesting and at the same time practical.
Play furniture – not a luxury but a means of development
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to equip a children’s room not only with a necessary set of furniture but also to include play furniture, which helps the child to develop in all spheres of life. Often, there is no place within a child’s room for slides, swings, houses, tents and sports equipment. However, even soft ottomans can be used as a game element for building towers and forts, zoning space, if two or more children live in the room, not to mention the original function of seats.
For example, a small copy of a kitchen unit can be not only a place for games, a wonderful simulator of a future housekeeper, but also a storage system for toy dishes and kitchen utensils. If the room space permits, a compact furniture ensemble will be a highlight of the interior, and a favorite place for the child, a pride in front of friends.
Rocking chairs, suspended swing or bungee, miniature hammocks or sports equipment are not mandatory attributes of a children’s room, but they bring an incredible diversity to the life of a child, new ideas for games and, therefore, affect their development.