Posted on: February 25, 2008

Room to Grow

Kids outgrow their bedrooms almost as quickly as they outgrow their shoes. Here's how to select furniture and décor with the future – and budget – in mind

By Chuck Ross
CTW Features

All the talk about future college costs is bad enough. The full force of parental sticker shock does not set in, however, until it’s time to shop for children’s furniture. That’s when this parenthood thing really starts to look expensive. Cribs, beds, changing tables, dressers – kids can outgrow furniture almost as fast as they go through shoes. And all that redecorating can carry some very grown-up price tags.

Have hope. With some realistic planning, you can easily design a space that grows with your child, without forcing a raid on the piggy bank. Thinking ahead will help ensure the room meets a newborn’s needs, but still forms the basis for both a toddler’s playroom and a teenager’s retreat. By understanding how your child’s requirements will change through the years, you can make sure today’s purchases will meet tomorrow’s needs.

Multipurpose Planning

Taking the time to plan out a room’s progression is important for more than just monetary reasons, design gurus suggest. For kids, bedrooms are more than just places to sleep, they also can be both office and refuge. Parents get to spread these functions throughout the house, but kids’ rooms are often all-in-one spaces. Recognizing – and making room for – these varying functions can make a real difference in how your child does homework or entertains.

“I think one of the most important things is that kids’ rooms need to have zones,” says Wendy Jordan, a Washington, D.C.-based design writer. “It’s confusing for kids to have no definition in a room. Adults know what we’re going to do when we walk into a room, but kids may be overwhelmed.”

The need to define particular spaces can be especially important in newer homes, where super-sized bedrooms can lead to a lack of focus, Jordan says. She advises carving out spaces that are obviously intended for sleep, homework, hobbies and other activities, to help your child concentrate on the particular task at hand.

Entering a Baby Zone

Infants’ rooms require only a few basic zones, and need to address parents’ needs as much as the child’s, Jordan says. A crib for sleeping, a place for rocking and, maybe, a changing table are the basics. In addition, of course, a place to put the accumulating piles of “stuff” is also essential. This is where planning ahead begins.

Multifunction storage is key, says Kathie Robitz, an editor who has experience in kids’ rooms. She’s a fan of armoires, which provide quick access to diapers and clothes, but can be transformed easily to camouflage a television or stereo equipment for older kids. And, from a design standpoint, a good-looking armoire can make a great focal point, she says.

For toys and books, simpler is better at this age, Jordan says. Big bins and open shelves make picking up a breeze for parents. Such approaches are also easier for toddlers to manage than drawers or cabinets, once they’re old enough to help. For older kids, shelving units might be re-purposed for books or trophies, and maybe a toy chest could be painted and used for sweaters or linens.

Changing tables may provide more options for adaptability, as some are designed with drawers or shelves to make them useful even after diapers are a mere memory. Some cribs, too, may convert to juvenile-sized furniture, with removable slats and neutral styling.

Elementary Design

Once kids hit grade school, it’s probably time to take another look at their room. Now you need to consider a space for homework, and maybe room for entertaining friends and hosting sleepovers. Again, experts urge, think beyond current needs when making investments.

“Kids grow so fast and their taste changes so much,” says Eugenia Santiesteban, home interiors author and editor. “I think it’s important to invest in solid pieces. You should always buy furniture you like, so it can always be used in other parts of the house.”

A new bed is often considered at this point. With this purchase, you might want to think ahead to teen years. For example, Santiesteban suggests, think about a double bed or twin set instead of a single twin. This could provide options for sleepovers now, and accommodate teen-age growth spurts later.

In addition, storage needs only increase as kids get older and their interests develop. “Almost every kid has a collection at some point,” Jordan says. “They’re going to want some display space for the stuff they amass.”

Teen Expression

The next big room re-evaluation point will probably be as your child enters the teen years. At this point, he or she will likely want more say in the room’s design. Experts suggest giving your teens some freedom to express themselves, within reason. “You have to let them take some control over the space,” Jordan says. “But put some boundaries in place. If they want to paint the entire room black, tell them they can paint one wall black.”

And the need for separate zones remains, design pros say.

“They should have a space to relax and enjoy their music, but there also needs to be a space where they can work,” Robitz says. “Teens are into grooming, too. If they don’t have their own separate bathroom, they may want their own little corner for that kind of thing, too.”

Giving kids a budget and allowing them to do some of their own shopping is one way to allow self-expression while maintaining control, Jordan says. She adds that yard sales can provide plenty of creative, money-saving options for these young shoppers.

Accessories are Everything

Focusing on age-neutral furnishings leaves parents and children with a range of opportunities for personalizing a bedroom with paint and accessories. Spending the serious money on furniture you don’t have to replace can free up later budgets for the linens, window coverings, pillows and picture frames that can make a real decorating impact at a reasonable price.

“New paint, new window coverings, new linens, those are very easy things to do,” Robitz says. “If you really want to be practical, don’t buy the cheapest thing, and don’t buy things that have a juvenile look. You can make a room look like it’s made for a 2-year-old with a nice wallpaper border.”

Now, if only planning for college tuition was this easy.

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