6 Tips to Design a Themed Kids’ Bedroom

One of the thrills of buying a new home in Florida is decorating it! From selecting the perfect sofa for your spacious new gathering room to creating a photo wall showcasing your favorite memories and setting up a sumptuous suite where you can relax at the end of each day, every room in your new home is a new opportunity to make it the space you’ve always dreamed of.

And, if you have children or are expecting and setting up a new nursery, kids' bedrooms are rooms where you can really have fun with colorful, creative, and whimsical décor!

We talked to Stacey Antonakos-Perez, Highland Homes’ design studio manager, lead model designer, and mother of three, and put together six top tips for how to design a kid's room with themed décor to match your, and their, dreams. 

1. If your child is old enough, get them involved.

If your child is old enough to be involved in the design of their bedroom, let them be part of picking out the theme, colors, and décor!

One of the ways to make moving easier for your children is to get them excited about their new home and space! Letting them help builds their excitement and helps them feel a sense of pride. This will also make them feel more comfortable in their new space and shows you trust and respect their opinion while valuing their personal style.

“For toddlers and pre-school-aged children, let them be involved with painting, putting stickers on the wall, or picking out bedding,” suggests Stacey Antonakos-Perez. “Older children may be involved in bigger decisions such as furniture and wall art.”

Of course, you can exercise your power of veto or persuade them to go in another direction – if your child is older, you may even give them a budget to spend or outline any rules such as certain paint colors or themes that are off the table.

2. Decide on a theme or scheme.

Does your child love animals, ballerinas, or butterflies? Or, perhaps they love Disney, video games, or football? These are all great starting points for selecting a decor theme!

One thing to keep in mind is longevity. For example, your 4-year-old may love Frozen now – but do you want to redo the whole room next year when they have a new favorite movie?

“My very favorite kids’ room to design was a ballerina-themed room in one of our model homes,” says Stacey. “We planned the bedroom for a tween-aged girl and wanted decor she would love now, and that could mature and age with her into the future.”

“So, the paint and foundation pieces in the room are versatile and non-themed - simple white furniture, neutral paint, and an accent wall behind the bed with wide, soft-toned pink and grey stripes,” Stacey continues. “Then, we added elements to create the ballerina theme which can easily be removed or changed in the future. On one wall, we placed a large mirror, surrounded it with flat trim, and used a piece of round trim to create a ballet bar. We added themed wall art, including a picture hanging over the bed which incorporates ballet slippers, and accents on the nightstands and dresser.”

If you don’t want to go all-in on a themed motif, you may also decide to base your décor on a color scheme. If you are designing a nursery, that could be traditional pink or blue, or gender-neutral yellow, green, or gray. If your child is old enough to have a favorite color (and it works with your vision), that is a great starting point for your décor.

One final method for planning a themed room is to plan it around one dominant design element, such as a beautiful piece of art or a fun patterned wallpaper. Let the colors from that element dictate what you’ll use throughout the rest of the room on linens, curtains, rugs, décor, furniture, and paint, including any accent colors and trim work.

3. Plan where to place the furniture.

The function of the room is equally important to the design, so before you begin painting or making purchases to fill the space, decide where you’ll place furniture in the room.

• First, make sure it fits. If you already have furniture pieces or wall art already that you want to incorporate, it’s important to make sure those sentimental pieces have a home in the room first, then plan the space that’s left.
• Decide which wall to put the bed on – if you are doing a bold-painted accent wall, this typically is the wall behind the bed.
• Next, figure out where you will place a bureau or dresser – storage is very important in a kid's room (more on that below).
• Now that you have an idea of how the room will be laid out, you can see where you have space for wall art and accessories.

Remember that furniture can make a big statement in a room, and it doesn’t have to fit the traditional furniture mold.

“My favorite piece of furniture I’ve used in a themed kids’ room is the cottage bed in the model home at Treymont in Lakeland,” says Stacey. “The bed was custom made by Core Construction and I love the shake shingles and coach lights they used to make it look like a real cottage! Since the bed is a larger piece of furniture and such a statement piece on its own, I decided to do minimal wall décor and accessories.”

4. Keep storage needs in mind.

As you’re shopping for furniture, there is one other important thing to keep in mind – storage!

First, determine if the room is large enough to have a chest of drawers, a dresser, both, or neither. If the room doesn’t have enough storage space through traditional furniture and closets, getting a daybed with storage is a great option!

Also, consider how much storage you need before deciding on nightstands. Nightstands can vary dramatically in terms of size and storage possibilities. Some nightstands are more decorative than functional, while others have drawers for storage.

Keep in mind how the furniture will grow with your child. If you want to get long-term use out of the furniture you select for their bedroom, opt for more timeless or convertible pieces that will grow with them.

Another storage aspect to consider is open versus closed storage. Open storage in the form of shelves or cubbies is ideal for showcasing special items or pieces that match the theme, while closed storage tucks away less appealing items.

5. Add accents, accessories, wall art, and linens.

In a themed room, most of the themed elements will come from accents and accessories. It’s easy to get carried away when you see cute items as you’re shopping, so be careful that you don’t overdo it – do not focus on having every single item in the room themed!

For example, if you are doing a jungle theme, add some solid colors via window treatments or bedding so the room isn’t too overwhelming with too many animal prints and colors. Similarly, if you have bold-patterned bedding or a rug, use solid colors for the other linens. And, if you have an eye-catching accent wall, wallpaper, or mural, make sure your furniture and linens on that wall are understated so the wall itself stays the main visual focus.

6. Keep it FUNctional.

Remember, this is a kid’s bedroom and they need space to play! Unless you have a separate playroom, their bedroom will be the place they spend most of their time doing activities, so it needs to be multifunctional. 

When determining the layout for the furniture, be sure to leave plenty of open floor space. You can also incorporate furniture that does double duty. For example, if your child loves Legos but is also school-aged, consider a Lego table with a top that can double as a homework station.

For more home design tips and themed bedroom ideas, check out our Pinterest boards including one specifically for Creative Kid’s Rooms! You can also browse our online Inspiration Gallery of nurseries and kids’ rooms for more design inspiration from our new homes in Florida.