ROOM TOUR: A Colourful Kids Bedroom On a Budget

This is a guest post contributed by Nayab from Noonmemes.

About the Author:
Hello and welcome to this very special room tour! My name is Nayab and I’m the writer and Blogger at Noonmeme’s. An architect by profession, I’m passionate about everything design. Most days you’ll find me decorating (and re decorating!) my house, freelancing as an interior design consultant, fiddling with Graphic design and sitting in my pyjamas binge watching interior design shows! When I’m not obsessing with design, I’m found sharing fun puns, writing humorous stories and anything else that’s tickling my fancy at the time.

Connect with Nayab:
You can find me on Facebook at NoonMemes as well as on Instagram at @noon_memes

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Today, it gives me great pleasure to open my home and share with you our colorful, highly personalized and budget friendly KIDS ROOM in a rental!! C’mon let me walk you through it but hey, watch your feet for the LEGOS!!!!

In the world of exquisitely designed kids’ rooms, this one is pretty simple. But, when I watch my kids inhabit it, using it exactly as I envisioned, it puts a big smile on my face. And if you think about it, interior design is just that – Creating spaces that spark joy and bring ease in YOUR everyday life.

Now, let me break down my décor process in THREE SIMPLE STEPS!

STEP 1- CREATE A DESIGN BRIEF

Simply put, a design brief is a list of requirements for the space which highlights the challenges of the space.

STEP 2- PROBLEM SOLVE

Once the brief is in place, it’s simply about taking each problem and solving it. Here is what I did:

1. Budget Friendly vs Kid specific furniture out-grows quickly

Growing up I always wanted bunk beds, so my heart was set on it. But because I knew it will outgrow them eventually, I sourced a second-hand one. We made
sure the bed frame was sturdy and in excellent condition and to ensure hygiene replaced the old mattresses with new ones. The rest of the furniture includes neutral pieces such as a chest of drawers and a box shelf from IKEA. The drawers house everything from Art supplies to everyday clothes, while the box shelf has colorful baskets for a quick pack up, that can even be done by a Two-year old. (True story!)

2. Inject Color vs Rental restrictions against changing wall color

With rental restrictions on wall color, I decided to add it through Accessories.

Colorful bedspreads, assorted pillows, vibrant rugs, toys and my children’s hand-made artwork (stuck on wall using Blue-tack) brought life, color and a personalized touch to the space.

3. Design Theme vs Cannot be gender specific

My 6-year old son is fascinated by space and my two-year old daughter wants everything he wants …. so, for once it was a Win-Win in my favor. I had plenty of space related items already collected overtime such as Glow-in-dark stickers for ceiling, rocket toy, space shuttle 3D kite (hung using stick-on hooks and transparent fish-wire) and IKEA’s famous Moon and star night lights so it was easy to decorate in theme. However, to really bring the concept to life, I decided to DIY some space themed wall stickers. I googled space graphics, got them printed and laminated and then cut them to shape, sticking them with my trusty Blue-Tack!

4. Create a stimulating environment vs Lack of space

The ultimate kids’ room MUST have a bookshelf and a writing desk but in our limited space that wasn’t meant to be. So, I did the next best thing and got us a
wall hung book-shelf from IKEA along with 3M command strips for hanging it. With rental restrictions against drilling holes in the walls, these stick-on strips are a lifesaver. I take special care to not overload the shelf with heavy books keeping some light (literally!) reading material for bedtime.

5. Practical and User-friendly vs Kid appropriate

One thing that I absolutely wanted from my kids’ room was to give them independence and hold them accountable to keep it clean. As parents I want my
children to grow up as conscientious adults with basic life skills such as maintaining their own space. So, we installed hanging options for school bags and hoodies, boxes and baskets for quick toy tidying up, Drawers with clothes accessible to them, a laundry basket to put their dirty clothes in, hanging pockets (behind door) for bits and bobs and even a daily schedule I created for my elder one. I must admit he doesn’t always follow it, but every time he complains he’s bored, I gladly point him towards it. (victory dance!)

STEP 3- ENJOY:

Yes, there is no Step 3 except enjoying your space and keeping realistic expectations from it. Will it always be neat and tidy and styled to Pinterest perfection? No. It will be messy and used by dirty feet and sticky hands. It will have crumbs of unknown things in hard to reach places and lost toys stuck under bedframes and behind bookshelves. But it will be full of memories, love and laughter and THAT is what makes a Kid’s room truly beautiful!!