Bring out your inner child with our top tips on creating a dream bedroom for your children

As children grow and their interests change, the design and functionality of the bedroom continually evolves; from a fun and cosy play area to a personal space for homework, gaming and escaping the parents!

Our expert interior designer, Richard Ornelas from Interiors by Abode shares his creative hints and tips for redecorating your child’s bedroom, with bold animal designs for small children to cosy reading nooks for teenagers.

A popular theme for a young child’s bedroom is animals – the wilder the better! At Cavanna Homes’ Lyme View development in Holcombe, close to Teignmouth and Dawlish, we created a fun and playful monkey-themed bedroom with quirky printed wallpaper matched with cuddly toys and jungle-inspired cushions.

Wallpaper is a great way to easily transform a room. You can go as bright and bold as you like, or keep it neutral and toned down. We’re starting to see more creative and inspired wallpaper designs that are really appealing to children and a great place to start your search is Cole & Son, World of Wallpaper, Murals Wallpaper or John Lewis.

Designing a fun and cheeky bedroom doesn’t need to be an onerous task. There are simple tricks you can do which will magically transform the space without breaking the bank! Using patterned bedding which fits with the theme of the room, and adding a few quirky cushions, is an easy way to add a pop of colour. For inspiration, take a look at Next, Dunelm or Wayfair.

Adding cuddly toys and accessories is another simple way to enhance the theme of the room, whether it’s a monkey hanging from a shelf, artistic pictures on the wall, quirky drawer handles, or detailed lamps, there are plenty of accessories you can get your hands on, at affordable prices, to add those detailed finishing touches.

Have fun with adding accessories and toys! Here’s Buzz and Woody getting up to mischief at the Kings Orchard show home in Stoke Gabriel.

As your child gets older, the bedroom can be transformed into a warm and cosy space by adding soft lighting such as fairy lights or lamps, bean bags, pale coloured throws and cuddly cushions. This creates a peaceful reading nook for your children to have a quiet time-out to relax.

Adding a desk with a comfortable chair provides an area to draw, colour and get homework done. TIP: make sure the desk has suitable draws for school books to keep the area looking clean and uncluttered.

Simple wall shelves are great for storing books and small toys – adding colourful bookends also adds a sense of fun to the room!

A popular trend we’re starting to see in children’s bedrooms is soft and cuddly wool animal heads on the wall. These can take the form of elephants, unicorns, rabbits, crocodiles or even a sloth! Explore the brilliant ranges on Ella James, Bobo Kids, and Not on the High Street.

Themed beds are making an appearance again in the shape of cars and houses. (Go on, admit it, didn’t we all dream of a bed like this when we were younger!) These are a great addition to a child’s bedroom and will certainly make bedtime a lot more appealing. An easy way to enhance a framed bed is to add fairy lights or light material drapes, creating a cosy space for your child.

Storage is essential. We’re seeing a rise in the 2-in-1 drawer and shelving units as statement pieces of furniture with room for books, toys and clothing. Children’s books, for all ages, are usually very decorative with stunning pictures on the cover, so often make great pieces to display in the bedroom. If you don’t fancy the idea of an all in one unit, there are a range of stylish open storage boxes which can either be decoratively placed around the room for young children to pull items out of, or safely stacked on top of one another for older children. IKEA is an ideal starting point for storage inspiration or Maisons Du Monde for bedroom furniture.