Decorating your Childs bedroom is one of the few rooms in the house areas where you can let your imagination run wild and if your child is old enough you can involve them in deciding the best design Although their ideas may far outweigh the budget!

The main thing to remember is to plan ahead. Children will soon grow up and in no time at all will move from been a toddler to a moody teenager So remember what seemed like a good idea to paint 8 foot high pictures of ‘characters from Toy Story may not be appropriate when your teenager brings home his girlfriend for the first time!

Getting the basics correct at the very start will save you having to do major changes every time you re-decorate. So try to think in years to come what the room will be needed for. Initially the room is used as a nursery then as the child moves into the toddler phase it is very much a safe area for them to play in. Then as they move into their school years a dual purpose room is needed, so somewhere where they can do their homework, but still have a play area. In their teenage years it becomes a games room for computer games, music but also still a study. So if you can get enough electric sockets and lights fitted at this stage decorating the room through the different phases becomes quite a simple matter of re-painting the walls. If you have the opportunity get dimmer switches fitted and use a combination of main lighting and downlighters so the mood in the bedroom can be varied depending on what the room is being used for. A reading light which can be switched off or on without leaving their bed is useful.

So how do you decide on a theme well starting with your childs favourite TV or cartoon character is a good start. Other ideas include:

• Their favourite colours.

• Their favourite hobbies/interests.

• Their favourite objects.

• Their Favourite cartoon or story characters or football teams

• Which one item they would like in their room more than anything else.

Decorating one wall with the chosen theme and paint the other three walls with a plain colour, rather than keeping all four walls with the same design not only does this give a feeling of more space but it is also makes it easier to re-decorate or to as child’s tastes change. Design for fun and keep it practical. Keep decoration simple and easy look after are the key messages.

Painting a mural can be easier than it looks if you own a projector or can borrow one then find a suitable picture and project it on to the wall. Trace the picture with a pencil on to the wall then paint in the details.

Paint needs to be hard wearing and washable, you never know when young children decide to try some painting of their own or see if their tea will look good stuck to the wall. A blackboard is a good idea to discourage from drawing on those preciously decorated walls. On the plain walls use posters and pictures to expand on the required theme. Storage is probably the major requirement for the bedroom. As children get older they seem to accumulate more and more toys so space under beds or cabin beds should be considered. Take a look around at what your child’s has and you will probably find that you need to fit in:

• A bed.

• A wardrobe.

• A desk and chair.

• A bookshelf

• Storage for toys.

• Storage for out of season clothes i.e. winter or summer.

• An area to display models and prizes from school.

In the next article we will discuss how to provide those finishing touches that will make the room look special