How to Decorate a Kid’s Room on a Budget


How to Decorate a Kid’s Room on a Budget

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10 tips for inexpensive rooms your children will love

Back when I was married and lived a life of luxury, I spent a lot of time and money decorating various houses. My husband, two children, and I spent nearly a decade overseas, and for a time, we moved about every two years. With each move, I’d get a hefty budget to furnish our new home, and boy could I spend it. Every time we arrived in a new country, the first rooms that were unpacked and set up were the kitchen and my children’s bedrooms. Because I’ve always enjoyed decorating, and because I had the money, the kids’ rooms were usually redecorated in each new home. Those days are long gone, but I’ve figured out how to apply many of the tricks I learned during the fat years to my new modest lifestyle.

Of all the moves and all the rooms, by far, my favorite was my son’s room in Bangkok. We lived in a huge three-story house, and he and his sister had their own rooms (with en-suite bathrooms) on the second floor. Though he was only five, and would have been happy sleeping in a cardboard box, I designed for him my childhood dream room. He had two twin beds, and one was pushed up horizontally against the wall as a sofa. I had custom blue-and-white bed skirts made with huge matching pillows. Each bed had a custom blue bedspread with box pleats, and the large cushions plopped against the horizontal bed to make a comfy seating area. The room had a red rug and large artwork in colorful frames on all the walls.

As a Solo Mom, I no longer have the money for custom linens, but that doesn’t mean my kids (now 13 and 16, respectively) shouldn’t have fun, cozy bedrooms. When we moved from the sprawling family home in the country to a small split-level in town, both of my children wanted entirely new rooms. The old furnishings had painful memories, and they wanted to wipe the slate clean and start fresh.

This time around I was paying for everything myself, so I learned how to achieve the looks my kids and I wanted without having to forgo food or, worse, cable television.

Here are some tips on how you can create your child’s dream room (or your own) and still pay for HBO.

1. Get organized. The biggest mistake people make is buying things on impulse, only to get home and find that the fantastic headboard you bought on sale doesn’t fit in the room or the blue throw pillow you thought would look awesome on the bed is the wrong shade. Whenever I’m working on a decorating project, I create a binder with plastic pockets. The first item you want to put in there is the dimensions of the room, including the place where the bed will go. If you are trying to match existing soft furnishings, carry a sample of the fabric, even if it’s a pillowcase. If you’re painting, include the paint swatches. If you see something you like in a magazine, put the page in there for future reference. (Tip: don’t waste money on decorating magazines; use your local library.) Essentially, you want as much information as possible in the binder. Then, never leave home without it. You never know when you’re going to hit upon a sale.

2. Design the space. You may not be a designer, but you know what you and your child want. Draw it on a piece of paper. Where will the bed go? What type of headboard or frame do you want? What colors will go on the walls? What about furniture and rugs? Draw it out, and measure the room to make sure it all fits. It’s far easier and cheaper to change a drawing than an actual room. Take lots of pictures of the space with your phone and create a digital file.

3. Stick with your plan and your budget. Once you have an idea of what the room will look like, be patient. It may take time to find the perfect desk, but it’s worth the wait. When we moved into our current home, I was looking for a wrought-iron bed for my teenage daughter. I knew exactly what we wanted and knew what I could pay. I saw one I liked at Pottery Barn, but it was miles outside my price range. Then I found an even nicer bed online from Macy’s, and it was on sale for a song. Even with shipping it was within my budget, and when it arrived it was precisely what I envisioned.

4. Use neutral colors for expensive items. Children are fickle. One year they’re all about purple and the next, they want orange. When buying big-ticket items such as bed linens, go for a solid cream or white, and add touches of color with cheaper items such as throw pillows.

5. Paint. Don’t be afraid to use bold colors on walls. I even paint my ceilings. Paint is relatively cheap, especially if you are handy with a roller, and can easily be changed. Kids like bright colors. Let your child pick a color scheme and use it on the walls, or paint one wall as an accent.

6. Don’t buy furniture sets! The 1970s are over, God bless them, and eclectic is the way to go. Forget the bedroom set from The Price Is Right, and look for unique pieces that won’t look out of date in five years. Start the search in your own home. That side table that isn’t quite right in the living room might be just the piece you need for your son’s room. Think outside the box. Walk through your house, and look at every piece of furniture and imagine it elsewhere. If it’s the wrong color, paint it.

7. Don’t buy kids’ furniture. It’s easy to be seduced by all the adorable children’s furniture on the market, but one day they’ll outgrow it, and then what will you do? Using standard furniture offers a lot more flexibility (see above), and your kids can use it for years. A good solid bed can take them from the terrible twos to the torturous teens—and beyond.

8. Hit the garage sales. Newer isn’t necessarily better when it comes to furniture. Scour flea markets, yard sales, consignment shops, and the classifieds in search of your child’s dream lamp. Just about anything can be refinished, painted, or repurposed. If you find a great lamp base but the shade is in tatters, buy a new shade.

9. Go to discount stores for basics. For my daughter’s current room, we wanted billowy sheer curtains. I found the perfect ones at Target. Yes, Target. I’ve had a lot of custom-made drapes in my life, and once the sheers were up in the room, no one would know they cost $20.00. (Tip: before you buy, lay each panel on top of the other to be sure they are hemmed at the same length.)

10. Lighting is your best friend. One of the reasons rooms look so dreamy in catalogs and magazines is the lighting. Use lamps to create a cozy atmosphere. If you can afford it, put dimmers on overhead lights, and if you can splurge, consider a chandelier. I put a small crystal chandelier (that cost less than $100) over my daughter’s bed, and it makes the room.

Before you start your project, don’t forget to ask your child what he or she wants. Your vision of the perfect room may not match your child’s. Your child’s room should be a reflection of his or her personality and interests. Work together on the big decisions, such as color, but let them add the details. For a time, my son had Minion decals all over his walls. They didn’t cost too much, and when he outgrew them, we peeled them right off.

No matter what your budget, remember that nothing is permanent. As long as you put time and a little investment into some good solid basics, the room can evolve with your child’s tastes.

Unfortunately, I have no tips on how to get your child to clean his or her room once it’s decorated.


Jaimie Seaton, ESME’s Pregnancy Resource Guide, has been a freelance journalist for more than 20 years. She is the divorced mother of two awesome teenagers and often writes about parenting, dating, and relationships. Her work has appeared in numerous publications worldwide, including the Guardian, the Establishment, Glamour, and the Washington Post. Follow her on Twitter at @JaimieSeaton.

Please feel free to contact us with any comments or questions.


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