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Child room decorating

As every parent recognizes, the ultimate challenge in child room decorating is the balance between allowing a child to have his or her own space and keeping chaos under control. As the child grows, this space will serve as a bedroom, play room and study room.

When making child room decorating plans, it's helpful to think five, 10 and even 15 years ahead. By keeping a room's fundamental décor and furnishings simple, not only is the room able to grow and change with the child, but it fits in better with the scheme of the entire home.

Organization of a child's room is crucial for the parents during the first year, but benefits the entire family as the child grows. Find simple, sturdy furnishings that can serve multiple functions over the years, such as a crib that will convert to a youth bed, a chest of drawers that can also serve as a changing table, or an armoire that can store blankets and pillows in the early years and a television or computer later on. To keep expenses down, consider buying unfinished furniture and painting it yourself, or even accepting unwanted pieces of furniture from family or friends. With a little sanding, a few coats of paint and new knobs and drawer pulls, you can create a unified look for your child's room.

One multi-functional piece that's coming back into style is the storage footstool. Buy or make an upholstered wooden cube and place it in front of the rocking chair for mom and dad during the early years. A small child will sit on the floor and use an ottoman as a table for games or coloring, and an older child can use it as he lounges in the rocking chair while listening to his favorite CDs (hopefully with headphones).

If the furniture and wall coverings are kept basic, a child's room can easily be re-accessorized every few years. Walls papered in an easy stripe or small print generally do not need total redecorating as often. Yellow is a cheerful color for a newborn, and when used in soft tones, can transition to a neutral that works well as the child grows.

Wallpaper borders are a good way to update the look and theme of a room as a child grows. For example, an infant's room border might feature a theme such as toys or alphabet blocks that can be updated to animals, sports or dolls as the child grows. Any theme you choose can be carried through with rugs, curtains and sheets.

The trick to personalizing a room is its decorative accessories. As the child grows, storage boxes or baskets, painted in different colors or papered with wallpaper borders, can be added to the room to control clutter and add personal style. Each box or basket should have a specific duty, such as holding magazines and books, and be scattered around the room. Shelves can be hung over windows to display cherished items, or near a mirror to hold small baskets of primping essentials or hobby accessories. Lampshades and throw pillows can be changed to reflect the latest trends and colors.

By the time your child reaches the "tween" years of 8 to 12, he may want a voice in decorating his room. While this is important, it is also the parents' job to balance the need for individuality and private space with budget constraints and household taste. Provide three choices for fabrics, furniture or wall coverings. If you receive a borderline response, present that option and two new ones. Repeat this process until a choice is made. Remember not to overwhelm your child -- present the options over the course of a few days, and above all, don't surrender all the choices to your child.

By the time your child is a teenager, the wall décor will probably consist of rock idols and sports stars, and you may have to cede most decorating to your child. To keep the wall intact, suggest that posters be framed and hung rather than taped or tacked, and use a fabric-covered corkboard for photos, letters and other trinkets. A textured wall covering with a sponge or leather look makes an interesting backdrop.

With some planning and coordination, your child's room can age gracefully from the newborn stage all the way through the teen years.

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