Decorating kids bedrooms is a fun project that should be given the same attention as decorating any other room in your home. To begin with, you must consider the occupants of the space. Children have specific tastes just like adults and they deserve a bedroom that addresses their interests and personality. A child as young as four or five can provide feedback on the design of their room, so be sure to include them in your decorating plans.

There will be many design decisions to address when decorating kids bedrooms. Consider the following.

Furniture

Furniture placement affects traffic patterns, play space and the balance of the room. Don’t line all the furniture up on one wall or have a bed jutting out in the middle of the room, destroying all the play space. There also needs to be easy access to all the furniture pieces. Experiment with different furniture arrangements until you find one that works best for your child in the space.

When choosing furniture, many families start out with kid-size pieces that they replace as their child grows. However, it might be cheaper to choose durable, quality items from the start that will last well into their child’s teen and young adult years. You can enhance the fun factor by choosing bedding, curtains and other accents in a kid-friendly theme.

Other cheap alternatives are to check the classifieds for moving sales or go to yard sales and buy used bedroom furniture at deeply discounted prices. Refinish or paint these pieces in whimsical colors and patterns that your child would enjoy.

If you are handy with a jigsaw, consider designing a custom headboard or shelving unit for your child out of MDF. Plan it with your child and let your imaginations soar for a one-of-a-kind decorating element.

Color

Color should depend on the occupants of the room. It doesn’t matter if the rest of your home is a particular style – a child needs the freedom to voice decisions about his room. Allow him to choose the color and perhaps a theme. If you can't handle the idea of painting all the walls bright red, compromise with painting one wall and providing plenty of accents in that color. The goal is to make a space that is special and personable to your child.

When two or more children share a space, it’s important that they each have a say in the color of the room. Even something as simple as giving them each a solid bedspread in their own favorite hue can meet these needs.

Storage

Children seem to accumulate things very fast. Therefore storage becomes an ultimate consideration in designing a child’s room. Closet storage is an obvious start, but think about other options, too.

Bookshelves, cabinets and colorful containers are useful for storage. Also consider loft beds that hold a built-in dresser and desk below. This is a prime way to contain everything in one area of the room and leave the rest of the room open for play. Captain-style beds with drawers underneath are also wonderful storage options.

Having well defined storage areas also helps kids learn how to pick up their thing easier. This will encourage good habits from the time they are very young.

Task Zones

Bedrooms aren’t just for sleeping anymore, and especially not children’s rooms. Kids like to play, read, imagine and study in their rooms. Set up different zones for these tasks to make your child’s room more functional.

A small table that can be used for studying and for drawing or playing a game is a good idea. Also having an open area on the floor to spread out and play with trains or dolls or an area to set up a play tent is something to consider.

When you decorate the rooms in your home always give the kids bedrooms just as much attention as the other areas of your home. Make these spaces special for them. It will give them a sense of pride and joy to have an area they can call their own. Creating a bedroom that reflects their personality is really not much different in how we create the rooms we love as adults.