Creating a room for a child is typically on the bottom of the list for homeowner's. Why is that? Our children are our number one priority in life, but not when it comes to design. What if we could put as much effort into our child's bedroom, but save money at the same time?
Typically, when clients hire me as their designer, we prioritize the main rooms. Kitchen, Dining & Living Room are typically at the top of the list. This is because, these are the rooms you use the most. They are also the rooms that others see first when they enter your home. Followed by the Master Bedroom.
For years, I have personally put off designing my son's room. Why? Well, because there is so much more we need to do first.
I have great news! You can design your child's room in a budget friendly way, that can grow WITH your child. When I was pregnant with my son, I made all the mistakes first time parents typically make when it comes to designing your baby's nursery. I chose a theme. Nautical. Well, my son was not ever really into the nautical theme. I mean sure, it was cute, the restoration hardware whale mobile hanging from the ceiling, anchor knobs on the closet doors with a wide stripe navy and white drapery panels, but he outgrew it quickly and in that first year, he didn't end up sleeping in his room at all!
This time around, I really want to create a room that is timeless, classic, fun but a design that will transition with him as he goes from little boy, to big boy, to teenager. By creating a wall texture in a neutral, this gives his room a vibe that he can grown with it. As he gets older we can add a desk where the hot wheels garage is now, and change up the artwork, but overall it will grow with him. Below I am sharing the design board inspiration items I created for his room. Everything shown is linked.
First, I found this bed from Wayfair. $900
My son's room is on the small side at 11 x 11. In order to maximize his play area and space, I had to break my number one design rule. And that is to center your bed on the longest wall, preferably opposite where you enter the room. Instead, we have his full size bed almost touching the wall on the right when you look into his room. It is not ideal in design terms, but it works best for us and ensures my son has room to play which is most important in a kid's bedroom!
Next, we need to find a nightstand. We read every night before bed, so there is always a stack of books on the top of the table. I really wanted to find a nightstand he that can hold the books and keep them in reach but keep his table top clean for water and a lamp. Always consider storage & function when selecting a bedside table.
I found this nightstand from Target and at $200 you cant beat the price for the size and style!
Once I found the right nightstand, I began to search for a fun lamp. My son's favorite color is gold. In his words, "its not gold, mama, it's GOLDEN". Therefore, I wanted to bring in a bit of gold or brass into his room to give him a hint of golden tones and finishes. Naturally, the bedside lamp needed a bit of brass. The Frankie Lamp from Oak & Linen was the unexpected splurge I couldn't compromise on. I found a lot of lamps at a fraction of the price but the height was perfect for symmetry with the bed, I love the mix of materials and colors. The cheaper options did not have that. And I really wanted to invest in items that he will have for a really long time. I will link some less expensive and alternate options at the bottom of this post.
The last furniture piece we needed, was a new dresser. I am typically not a fan of inexpensive dressers. My background is high quality furniture. With furniture, you get what you pay for. I mean this in the nicest way possible. In order to make furniture that can be cheap, they make them smaller, lighter in weight, and use cheaper materials in order to be able to ship them to retail customers in mass quantities. This is NOT a bad thing, just something to keep in mind. Now, there are inexpensive styles that look really similar to high end furniture items and when you are on a budget, these are great options. For my son's room, he has a dresser currently, I plan to paint it and change out the knobs for now. I honestly have not found one I like any better than the one he already has, and I can use that savings elsewhere.
I always recommend clients that when coming up with a budget, invest more money in items you use everyday, ie. sofa, dining chairs, dresser (you need the drawers to function well).
SHOPPING TIP - When shopping on a budget, shopping online is your best tool! Not only do you have access to thousands, but you can read reviews! It can be tough to find the style, size and color you want but when you do, DO NOT FORGET to look at those reviews before hitting add to cart. Typically with inexpensive furniture, you will need to put it together. For my design clients, if we are installing a $400 dresser, the time it would take an installer to put it together (example 2 hours at $75/hr would be $150) you can spend a little more and get a higher quality dresser that comes assembled. Just be prepared to assemble and if this is not something you are willing to do, save yourself some headache and hire a professional.
I found these adorable ottomans at Target! AT $90 each, the texture and mix of materials is exactly what this room needed at the foot of the bed.
Now let's style the room. A few years ago I stumbled on this site that sells flags, and I knew I wanted to get one for my son's room.
My favorite place to buy pillows online is from a small business called HOMIES.
I have been purchasing pillows from them for over 3 years and the quality is excellent. They include the insert and are always affordable. They are custom made!
Wall Decor
Rug
Comment Below if you would like more home decor online finds and designs! Have a design question? Leave a comment or send me an email and I would love to help you!