Pretty in [not] pink!
Knowing the girls we know, their bedrooms will become hiding places of doll body parts, books on fairies, hair clips, pictures of the cast of High School Musical and the occasional pair of your shoes. But that doesn't mean you can't inspire in them an early interest in interior design by decorating their bedrooms beautifully. And remember, it needn't be pink...
Make it glam not girly
The above bedroom is a prime example of how to do gorgeous without doing gooey. How's it been achieved? The green of the focal wall and pink of the bedding are strong enough to create a little bit of contraversy, while the size of the butterfly wall stickers is far from apologetic.
Make it open plan
If they never shut their wardrobe doors - or use their wardrobes as the hiding place for ancient, moist socks, open storage is the key.
Make it a place to sit
As they get older, they'll want to watch their own tv, read their own books and be on their own in their own bedroom. So why not make it a chill out space? You needn't worry if there's no room (or budget) for a sofa - simply setting a bed up with scatter cushions will do the trick.
Go right over the top
Who can blame any girl for loving this look? The four-poster is hugely indulgent and can be used as a prop for curtains in different colours and with different patterns as time passes, and you can hang fairy lights from it, too. But should you ever tire of it, the posts can be removed. This look, though, really works best when the bed is centrally placed. If you have to put it against a wall (long side on), put curtains at the back and at the head and foot end of the bed to create a canopied, sofa style bed.
Look for bargains
There's no getting away from the fact that kitting out a child's bedroom can be expensive - especially if you want the furniture to last, not wobble, creak or fall apart. If you can't find exactly what you need, think about making it yourself. Don't know how... www.DIY-Divas.co.za
Get bunkbeds
We've said this before - even if you've only got one child, it's often really worthwhile getting bunkbeds. Brilliant for sleepovers with mates, for when granny comes to stay, or if you have regular guest at weekends. If you're going to do it, though, ensure you get a really sturdy set.
Go for a traditional country style
You can't do this so successfully in a boy's room, but if you love the idea of rustic charm, a girl's room is the place to do it. And the best news is that it's very easy to create. Simply invest in an iron bedstead, add a patchwork quilt and some pretty curtains, and hang a pretty wallpaper - or quicker (and cheaper) still, paint the walls and put stickers on the walls.
Frame the bed
If you've only got a small budget to spend, you can't do better than to buy a length of bunting and suspend it above the bed, across a window in front of curtains or above a fireplace or bookcase.
Make it a sleepover dream
Older girls love a good sleepover, and this room design is incredibly practical. The warm, deep wall colour is enhanced with a fab wall sticker; the lighting is diverse and initimate, and the furniture - a bed with storage and a truckle beneath, plus a foldaway guest bed with storage is brilliant.
Adapt it to their interests
Keeping a bedroom neat is all about catering to the storage needs of your child. When they're young, they'll need lots of space for toys, as they grow, they'll need book shelves and room for bulkier boxes of puzzles and games. As they get into their teens, they might need room for boundless accessories, make up and jewellery, shoes and clothes. So, adapt your storage to meet these needs - lots of drawers, buckets hanging off rails that you'd normally see in a kitchen, clothes trees you might usually have in a hall to cope with handbags... and so it goes on. They key is not to be limited to bedroom furniture - if it's meant for a home office but looks good and solves a storage problem in a bedroom - go for it.
Keep it versatile
As they get older, their room will need to be more versatile. We hate to be brutal, but once they're off to university, or renting their first flat, their room will become a guest room, too. So, when redecorating a room belonging to someone in their late teens, bear this in mind. Of course, they'll still need all their creature comforts - somewhere to surf the net or study, a place for their clothes and clutter - but you also need to start seeing the room as one with lots of purposes.
It needn't be pink!
Girls seem to love pink intensely until they reach about five or six, at which point, they turn against it just as intensely. However, they'll always have some pink in their rooms - if only because you've spent the past five years pandering to their desire for a pink palace. So, why not choose a colour scheme that sets off the remaining pink to great effect? Blue and green are great contrasts to both pale and strong pink tones - and we love thow this bedroom is brought together with a pink love heart painted onto the wall above the headboard, echoing the theme of the heart-shaped cushion below.