A little girl’s room is her sanctuary. It’s the place she goes to when she wants to play, sleep, hide, create fantasy worlds and share stories with her friends. The role a bedroom plays in the life of a girl cannot be underestimated and the décor should reflect her personality.
Budgeting
Of course while most parents would love to model their little girl’s rooms after fantasy castles or kit it out with slides and life-size toy ponies, the reality is that most parents have to stick to a budget. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as little girls have a nasty habit of growing up and within a few short years, the custom pink four poster bed you took out a loan to afford might no longer be “cool.” That said, if you can afford it, there’s nothing wrong with kitting out a room with all the bells and whistles befitting your little princess.
Colour choices
A good place to start when planning a little girl’s room is the wall colour. While shades of pinks, purple or yellow may seem like the way to go, you obviously have to consider what your child would like best and offset that against your other intended décor elements.
When painting the walls, it’s also wise to consider just how long you plan on staying at your home. If you know you and your family are going to move within a year or two, it’s better to paint the walls a more neutral shade as it will make the room – and the house - more sellable. If you have no intention of moving in the foreseeable future, by all means paint whatever colour you wish. You could even incorporate polka dots, flowers, ponies, a poem, rainbows and clouds or go full out and paint popular themes from movies such as ‘Frozen.’ Crayon resistant paint is also a good investment.
The bed and furniture
Arguably the next element to consider when outfitting a little girl’s room is the bed. Beds often act as the focal point in a room so it’s important to consider this element carefully. If you have more than one little girl and they are sharing a fairly small room a bunk bed is usually the way to go. If you only have one little girl and really can afford it, a fairy-tale four-poster complete with soft hangings should delight any youngster. Little girls tend to use such beds as their own personal ‘nests’ and usually spend a lot of time playing house in them.
After the bed, associated bedroom furniture should be next on your list. Again, your budget will largely dictate the nature and quality of the furniture you choose. Generally speaking, while better quality furniture typically costs more, it should last longer. If long-term practically is a consideration, go with more neutral furniture such as white or a simple varnished wood. That way, the furniture your daughter uses to hold her dolls now can easily double to hold makeup in later years.
Accessories
Linen, curtains and other soft furnishings such as throw pillows play an important role in a girl’s room and can really bring together a theme. With this in mind, try to incorporate fabrics and soft furnishings that will complement the overall theme. That said, be careful not to go totally overboard and buy items that will make the room look like an over-enthusiastic clown was let loose. For example, if sunflowers are your primary décor element, select a few key items such as pillows which feature sunflowers and offset them against a few plain, complementary pieces.
Homework area
A place to work is another element to consider and will become increasingly important as your daughter starts growing up. A good desk and comfortable chair, some storage space for books and a small lamp are all you should need to encourage your daughter to hit the books.
Storage
Lastly, make sure your daughter’s room is well lit and that there is plenty of storage space for all her games and toys as well as enough room to play. Think toy chests, hanging organisers, shelves, baskets and under-bed storage boxes. A clearly designated play area complete with crayon resistant mat should be all you need to encourage your daughter to play to her heart’s content and make the most of her beautiful room.