INTERIOR DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR A CHILD’s ROOM by ANNETTE FROMMER

Planning and designing your child’s room is always so exciting. Much thought and planning is required if you want the room not only to satisfy your needs as a parent, but also to provide your child with a small haven just for him.

According to interior designer Annette Frommer, “A child bestows us with such joy and fulfillment, that we always want only the best for him or her. As a parent, we want our child's room to provide physical safety but also a sense of delight and belonging.”

The following are guidelines put together by Annette Frommer to help you plan your child’s room, so that they can safely grow and happily develop, as they play and learn in their bedroom.

Safety is of utmost importance!

1. As we all know, children at the outset are not aware of dangers, so it is the parents’ duty to protect them, and ensure that their room, their safe haven, is sheltered and secure. It is therefore crucial to avoid furniture made of glass and to stay away from furniture with extreme sharp corners. I always opt for furniture with rounded corners.
2. The placement of furniture must be carefully considered and the child’s age must be taken into account. No parent wants a young toddler to be able to easily reach an open window, or climb onto a desk or chest of drawers. Window bars on all windows in a home with young children are highly recommended.
3. In order to avoid getting fingers pinched and hands stuck, always opt for slow closing hinges in drawers. Needless to say, all electrical outlets in the room should be protected with special wall plates.

Photo: Gilad Radat

When it comes down to it, you need to properly configure and arrange the furnishings in the room for each activity. There are 3 main activities that take place in a young child’s room: sleeping, playing and learning (or drawing).

If the room is orderly, it will teach a child that there is a place for each activity. You sleep in a bed, you study or draw on a table, you play on the floor/carpet. By properly defining each space, your child will learn to be organized and to use their room appropriately. There will be no doing homework on the bed, or jumping on the table...

Shelves and storage space

Storage space is every mother’s nightmare, therefore it is crucial to include furniture that is equipped with enough storage space for your child’s needs. This means: a library or shelves for books, toys, or decorative elements, a closet or wardrobe for clothes, a table with drawers for papers, notebooks, pens and pencils, and so on. In this manner your child will learn and understand the concept of order, and that everything has its designated place.

Photo: Gilad Radat

Also remember that, just like in an adult’s rooms, in children’s rooms the rule is "less is more". If you want to encourage a sense of serenity and calmness, with lots of playing space, then there is no room for unnecessary clutter.

Colors

Think about using 2 or 3 colors at the most. You want to use a color that is joyful and fun for a child, yet you need to complement it with a color that promotes quiet and calm.

Materials

Natural materials are always welcome in children’s room: a wooden floor, an area rug made of natural fibers, and water-based varnish on furniture. Natural is usually non-allergic and therefore ensures safety for both playing and resting.