Children's Rooms

Designer: Reed & Delphine Krakoff
Photo: Reed Krakoff

Designer: Mari Ann & Michael Maher
Photo: William Abranowicz

Designer: Steven Gambrel
Photo: Eric Piasecki

Designer: Anne-Marie Middy & Jorge Almada
Photo: Simon Upton

All images are via Elle Decor

Designing children's rooms can be tricky business.  A common mistake made, often when new parents discover they are expecting, is to design and decorate a child's room only for their immediate requirements.  The result is a charming baby's room that is quickly outgrown.  You can still infuse age appropriate decoration in your child's or baby's room, but it's important to keep the basics age neutral so that the room can grow with the child.

The above images of boys rooms demonstrate this successful application of design.  Whilst they are all undoubtedly children's rooms, the window furnishings, flooring and major furniture pieces will last throughout the years.  Use framed pictures, bed linen and decorative items that your children love to bring personality to their room. 

Those Thomas the Tank Engine curtains may look cute in the store and pull at your heart strings, but your three year old will quickly out grow Thomas and both of you will rue your choice in the future!

I am currently working on a design for my friend Dannielle's little girl who is three.  We are keeping the all the basics neutral but injecting personality with simple things like paint (we have done some fun horizontal stripes), fairy wings hung on the wall and Tinkerbell toys framed in shadow boxes.  I have recommended some gorgeous mirrored bedside tables that will last her well into her teenage years, but also work with her current juvenile scheme.