Must Haves for Kid’s Room – Part 2

MUST HAVES FOR KID’S ROOM

Part 2 – (5 to 10 years)

[Link to Must Haves for Kid's Room – Part 1]

This is my second article in the series for- MUST HAVES FOR KIDS ROOM. It briefly looks at the design elements for a kid’s room aged between 5-10 years. Children in this age are full of energy. They cheerful, energetic and enthusiastic. They are at a joyful age, where they do express their cute preferences over what they want and don’t want in their rooms. A common rule for room decor that plays in this age group too is that – they all love colourful spaces.

The basic design elements remain the same (as mentioned in my last article- MHFKR- toddler to 5 years), however the creative concept around them changes.

1. BED

Safety, size and style are key factors in deciding where your sweethearts relax after a day’s hard work. Durable construction should be priority while selecting the bed. Even if you don't think your child is rowdy, chances are they'll be jumping on the bed at some point, so it's best to play it safe rather than sorry. Round edges are always a plus too — any sharp edges could cause considerable injury if your child slips while playing on the bed.

The size of the bed should primarily be determined based on the age and size of your child as well as how long you are hoping to use the bed.

 While a five or six year old might  need a low height bed that they can easily get in and out of; a seven year plus can enjoy study + bed bunk solution ( Ref. picture 1 )or even a bed with storage drawers below( Ref. picture 2).

Picture 1 / Image coutesy-homeart.com	Picture 2 / Image coutesy-homenewconcept.com

Race car, Princess, disney characters beds and other themed beds really allow your child to be a kid, but surely lacks element of longevity in it, as kids tend to get bored of these themes very fast. But when your child starts getting older and a bed is needed for many years, it's worth considering a style that they wont' grow out of anytime soon. As a designer, I personally feel- less ornamentation usually means there are less elements to get tired of. 

Bunk beds and loft beds are great alternatives to standard twin beds in a child's room. Making  sure that all safety standards are adhered to, I think they are great space savers and add a lot of fun element too.Bunk beds that can later be used as individual bunk beds are good choices as well. 

Modular bunk bed solution that can also be used as individual beds Image coutesy-hit-decor.net

2. LIGHTING

As mentioned in my previous article, ambient (general) and task lighting options are both required for children’s room. Effective general lighting options ensure that the space is well lit making every corner visible.

Focused or task lights can be used at bed sides and study tables in form of lamps or concealed light inserts. A child will most likely need a desk lamp, or some form of task lighting if he or she will be working on homework or playing with something like puzzles. You may also want to consider placing a lamp beside your child’s bed if he or she enjoys reading at night. One must remember to use a low-wattage bulb to reduce the amount of heat the light may generate. 

Image courtesy- decorationforlife.com

As far as styling is concerned, the lighting fixtures can be in bright playful colours and can be themed around favourite cartoon characters. Decorative themes can be centred on lighting too. Glow-in-the-dark wall and ceiling stickers and back-lit colourful wall panels are one of the many options in which lighting can be used as a design highlight.

Image courtesy- themaisonette.net

3. CLOTHING STORAGE

As mothers of growing children, storage of clothes is a never ending battle. Kids grow very fast and so does their stock of clothes, accessories, footwear etc. Because of their bubbling curiosities, they want to access every corner of their wardrobe. Designing wardrobes/ clothes storage for little kids is like fitting in a peek-a-boo puzzle. Most day to day things should be kept in drawers / shelves, which are easy to access for kids themselves. Few keepsakes/party dresses or stuff mommies don’t want their jumping jacks to have an easy access to, should be kept out of reach.

Image courtesy- houzz.com

Few handy kids closet organizer tips –

• Two to three pull out drawers with internal partitions are a practical storage for clips, headbands, watches etc. ideal to place below the height of 4 feet as kids can access them easily.
• Ample hanging space is a clear bonus
• If shoes are  to be kept inside the wardrobe- then their provision should be made in the pullout racks / shelves, right at the bottom of the wardrobe

Kid’s clothes storage can be made interesting by using creative material / finish solutions to the shutters. Pictures below depict some useful ideas-

	Images courtesy- asyoulike.ca

4. TOY STORAGE

Toys are the bane of every mom’s existence. They are everywhere! They’re always getting stepped on, and one never knows where any of them are supposed to go. In other words, the toys need to be organized 

Image courtesy- natuzzi.com Storage design in kid’s room should be roomy– one that can accommodate all shapes and sizes of stuff the children wants to keep.Infact, the storage can be modular, one that can be used as toy as well as book storage

Image courtesy- quakerrose.com A complete wall storage unit is a space efficient option. Not only does it provide excellent vertical storage but also saves floor space.

If the room is small, one can provide storage drawers beneath the bed too. To balance the entire look, color coordinated wall shelves can be arranged too Image Courtesy: aspace.com

Image courtsey-houzz.com Seaters and benches in the kid’s room are a smart way to sneak in stuff toys etc.

5. STUDY CORNER

The best study spaces encourage kids to focus and learn – and they also invite them to imagine and create. With smart organization, furniture sized just for them, and a few playful elements to make it fun, a child's study space can be a place they love to call their own.

Few important considerations for kids study table –

·      Choose a kid sized desk- the one that assures and comfortable seating for the child

·      The storage should be provided keeping in mind that your kids' volume of homework and projects will probably grow as they do.

·      Some display area works best- with various combinations of cubbies, corkboards and open shelves for display and extra storage.

·      A drawer (with internal partitions) is a basic desk feature. Accessorize the desk with a few cups or other containers for pencils, pens and markers, and clear glass or acrylic jars for colourful paper clips, rubber bands or an eraser collection.

Image courtsey-themaisonette.net & Tabledecorationideas.org