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45 charming kids' bedroom ideas for children's rooms of any size
Kids' bedrooms are where you can have a lot of fun with decorating – after all, the little people who inhabit them have a lot of imagination and can bring some fun (if questionable) ideas to the table. There are considerations that need to be made and a child's bedroom is more multi-functional than an adult's, in that it will also be a playroom for them, somewhere for quiet reading and somewhere to do homework, dependant on age. These are all factors to involve in the design but they offer opportunities to create lovely little reading nooks and playful zones alongside a restful place to sleep.
It goes without saying that colour is extremely welcome in these spaces, whether on the walls, woodwork or through the furnishings. One particular smart idea is to have panelling on the lower half of the wall in a rich block colour with a sweet wallpaper above. When decorating, do be mindful that children grow and develop extremely fast and cute animals one year will feel dated and in need of replacement the next – so steer clear of ‘childish’ designs and instead choose colours and patterns that work through childhood and into teenage years. This is another win with panelling, as it's a sweet look for young children and an elevated design for teenagers.
Storage is absolutely essential for any child's room, regardless of age, as there are always stray toys, piles of books and general paraphernalia to tidy away. Built-in storage is an adaptable solution if designing from scratch and we're fans of a reading nook with a built-in seat that has storage underneath or cubby holes for toy baskets and the like. Freestanding storage and bookshelves are lovely ways to add colour or antiques to a room – just don't opt for precious or delicate pieces and be wary of anything that troublesome toddlers might try and scale and topple in the process.
As for underfoot, if wooden floors are your preferred aesthetic, you'll want to layer rugs or a playmat (see our list of preferred sources below), but a child's bedroom is a brilliant place to experiment with the return of wall-to-wall carpet as something soft and warm underfoot is precisely what's needed – and can deaden the noise of wooden toys being dropped on a wooden floor (speaking from painful experience). As with anything in these spaces, choose a durable, easy-to-clean option unless you plan on banning food, drink and arts and crafts supplies from their bedrooms.
Our preferred sources for decorating kids' bedrooms
- Stokke: for cots that grow with your child from newborn to around 10-years-old and iconic Tripp Trapp high chairs
- Karl & Fric: for colourful, modern cots
- IKEA: for affordable, stylish solutions
- Scandiborn: for a curated selection of lovely brands
- MiniKnots: for the sweetest, hand-knotted rugs in unique designs
- Totter & Tumble: for playmats in actually nice prints
- La Redoute: for affordable, colourful rugs
- Ottoline: there are plenty of colourful, graphic wallpapers that look as good in kids' rooms as they do in adult spaces
- Howe at 36 Bourne Street: the ‘Mr Men’ is too good not to use somewhere
- Josef Frank: for vibrant pattern and colour (any child with a Josef Frank-adorned bedroom can count themselves extremely lucky)
- Studio Atkinson: try a wallpaper border or their pretty ‘Dipley’ design
- Stoff Studios: for cheerful suns, shells and splodges (in border or full paper form)
- Paula Atelier: for handmade ceramic bubble letters spelling out your child's name
- Moppet: for antiques for children's rooms and beautiful woven alphabet wallhanging
- La Redoute: for bedding
- Lulu & Nat: for bedding
- Scandiborn: for toys, linens and storage
- The Little White Company: for bedding as nice as your own
- Smallable: for sweet storage solutions and lovely little bits
- Ferm Living: for all sorts of fun bits and bobs
- Mustard Made: for baskets and hangers in fun colours and lockers for older children
- Edit58: for papier-mâché animal heads, letters and storage baskets
Charming kids' bedroom ideas
Simon Brown1/44Back in Taline Findlater's Cotswold house, she has used ‘Madame Ziggle’ wallpaper in blue and orange by Ottoline for a lively backdrop to her daughter's room. “It is quite a small room and out of all the rooms in the house it is the darkest,” says Taline. “I wanted to give it some light and cheer. The ceilings are low, hence why we painted the ceilings the same colour of the skirting, door and architrave – it gives it a tiny bit more height.”
Simon Brown2/44This spare room in a London house by Studio Vero was designed to work as a children's room later on. The ‘Poppy Sprig’ paper by GP&J Baker and blue bespoke paint colour ‘25-18D’ from Papers &Paints are sophisticated but playful enough to work for a kids’ scheme.
Christopher Horwood3/44For visiting children, this dormitory-style attic in a Wiltshire house first decorated by Robert Kime himself and recently refreshed by his studio, is a dream. The sloping walls and ceilings are papered in blue ‘Trefoil Trellis’ wallpaper from Colefax and Fowler. Brass beds are brightened by Huddle Collection cushions and bedcovers made up from Painswick Fabrics.
Milo Brown4/44The walls in the children's bedroom of this Stoke Newington house by Lonika Chande are painted in ‘School House White’ by Farrow & Ball with gloss woodwork in Breakfast Room Green. The red wrought iron bedsteads are by Bobby Rabbit and Lonika paired them with green double-sided bedspreads by Society of Wanderers and custom name cushions by Big Little Store.
Milo Brown5/44In the playroom of the same house, Lonika uses the fireplace as the toy cupboard, painted in ‘Green Smoke’ by Farrow & Ball.
6/44‘For the children’s room we took creative direction from the kids’ based around the central circus top lighting fixture we’d made a few years ago,’ Jules Haines explains. 'Taking the stripes from this as inspiration, we used screw-in hooks and batons to create a fabric drop that runs from above the bed all the way behind the bed frames up to the ceiling. This creates a really cosy but chic effect and the Blithfield fabric remnant we used from Haines was perfect for the circus stripe. What I love about this most is that we can simply change up the fabrics as and when we want for different looks.
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James McDonald7/44‘They wanted the rooms to also transition into teenage bedrooms,' Bryan O'Sullivan of the kid's rooms in this Notting Hill townhouse. ‘All of the joinery and the curtains will be able to stay and with a few updates to handles and so on, they could easily be updated to teenagers’ rooms without spending a fortune.”’
Paul Massey8/44A sense of fun pervades this bedroom from a grand country house by Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay, from the combination of colours on the trim to the lively patterned blind and the flamboyant form of the four-poster bed. The walls are in ‘Setting Plaster’ by Farrow & Ball, which is a great backdrop for brighter colours. The four-poster bed is painted in Little Greene’s ‘Canton’ blue and has a pelmet in fabric from Eva Sonaike, also used for the upholstered stool.
Paul Massey9/44Building out a decorative box for the bed is a brilliant way to make children feel like they have a cosy world of their own. Designer Annabel Bevan thought up the design for the bed in her daughter's room in their Chelsea townhouse, and their architect Russell Taylor carried it out. It is painted in ‘Pale Egyptian Blue’ by Papers & Paints and Farrow & Ball's ‘Calamine'. Annabel found the Italian coverlet while on holiday in Greece.
Alexander James10/44In this south London house by Studio Peake, a simple box has been built out from the pitched ceiling to make the most of the space. A patterned wallpaper gives it the feel of a separate, inviting space: in this case Ottoline de Vries' 'Chintamani Trellis' wallpaper lines the inside. The use of a braid around the edges gives the box a sharp, clean finish.
Jonathan Bond11/44Meanwhile in her son's room at in her Wiltshire cottage, Katharine Paravicini has used a Howe wallpaper, 'Mr Men', for her son's room, with curtains in Soane's 'Scrolling Fern'. The rug is from Mini Knots and the bedcover was bought while on holiday in India.
Jonathan Bond12/44In this bedroom in her Wiltshire cottage, interior designer Katharine Paravicini has warmed up a Feather & Black bed frame with a custom headboard in Ottoline's 'Tulips of Belgravia' fabric. She sourced the hand-painted tole lamp from a supplier in India some years ago.
Paul Massey13/44Ottoline’s ‘Improvisation 1’ wallpaper in red sets the tone for this playful scheme in this child's bedroom in Lisa Mehydene's Cotswold home.
Simon Brown14/44The twin bedroom in this Georgian home designed by Salvensen Graham is a playful space with headboards by Alfred Newall grounding it. The cushions and blinds are Flora Soames' ‘Cornucopia’, with valances by Fermoie.
Paul Massey15/44Interior designer Irene Gunter’s own flat, in an Arts and Crafts house in south London, is an example of how clever design can make the most of an awkward space. In the nursery, a dropped ceiling was removed to reveal the beams and an LED track was inserted between the top of the walls and the pitched ceiling to shine upwards. The gold spots on the walls are stickers, bought from Amazon. ‘I cut them where they meet the windows and skirting boards to make them look more like wallpaper.’
Alexander James16/44Colour and pattern both enliven and define this family home. The graphic red and white Vivienne Westwood wallpaper in the nursery is far more diverting than any mobile. "Small children seem absolutely riveted by it," says the home's owner, interior designer Bunny Turner of Turner Pocock.
Alexander James17/44A dream attic bedroom for a little girl in a London house designed by John McCall. John made a pair of curved four-posters and, after searching for a simple cotton pom-pom trim to edge the voile hangings, he found an Indian artisan who makes fringe by hand at her kitchen table. The headboards and curtains are in ‘Banyan’ green/pink linen from Bennison Fabrics.
Paul Massey18/44The Queen's Park house where Lonika Chande lives with her husband and son is filled with rich colour and pattern. Papier-mâché letters from Edit58 spell out Sasha’s name on ‘Alice in Wonderland’ wallpaper – a Thirties design by CFA Voysey from Trustworth Studios. A Berber rug and woodwork in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Picture Gallery Red’ full gloss add warm tones and texture.
Paul Massey19/44Nicola Harding created a sophisticated children's bedroom in a 19th century London home. The curtain fabric is by Tobias & the Angel, which also made the shade seen on the Pooky table lamp. Felix Lighting Specialists made the wall lights. ‘Sakura’ wallpaper in sky by Galbraith & Paul and a Vanderhurd rug provide a foil for a dark pink ‘St Bernard’ armchair from Howe and custom-made headboards covered in a matching fabric from Claremont.
20/44This striking mural, based on one in Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle hotel in New York, provides a playful backdrop in designer Beata Heuman's daughter's room. Clever use of space abounds in the room – twin beds, with half-tester canopies, slot neatly into the two alcoves, while the central, built-in chest of drawers extends into the wall to the back of the chimney breast.
Alicia Taylor21/44In the children's room of a Scandinavian-inspired Arts & Crafts villa in Surrey, the wallpaper is CFA Voysey’s ‘The Anselm’, scaled up by Surface View. The light is from Pinch.
Elsa Young22/44The Battersea cottage in which decorator Victoria von Westenholz lives with her husband and their two young children is strikingly pretty and immediately intriguing. A blind in Jean Monro’s ‘Bowness’ complements a valance in Claremont’s ‘Harvest’ in Victoria's daughter's room.
Romain Ricard23/44In this terraced Victorian home, designer Maria Speake installed bunkbeds to make use of the ample vertical space above.
Sharyn Cairns24/44In this London house designed by Suzy Hoodless, the children's rooms were kept graphic and simple; Suzy hates 'cute' decoration that they will quickly grow out of - she has used a Børge Mogensen cabinet as a changing table in her own home. So the only concession she made to the children's ages was bright primary colour. In one of the rooms a custom-designed mural has been painted on the wardrobe door.
Alicia Taylor25/44Floor-to-ceiling windows ensure this child's bedroom in Gytha Nuttall's south London home is flooded with natural light. The internal windows also emphasises a feeling of height, which is much-needed here - the structure of an office space in a former schoolhouse was adapted to create this 'flat within a flat'.
'This flat is really all about the windows,' designer and owner Gytha explains. 'It's our one architectural feature, so I wanted them to really sing for their supper.'
Despite her classical aesthetic, Gytha has incorporated more modern touches in the flat. She opted against cornicing in favour of a cleaner finish and enhanced the New York loft effect by painting all the window frames dark brown.
26/44Salvesen Graham painted bunk beds in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Hague Blue’ which make savvy use of space in this small room. Under the lower bunk is a deep storage drawer and there is a built-in shelf at the head of the bed. Painting the skirting and cornice the same shade as the beds ties the scheme together.
Emma Lewis27/44In a London house designed by Amanda Baring, curtains made from 'Les Chiens' cotton from Clarence House add a playful note to a child's bedroom which features antique furniture and soft colours.
Rachel Whiting28/44Curtains in Nina Campbell’s ‘Beau Rivage’ co-ordinate with similar shades of blue in Christian Lacroix’s striped ‘Beach Club’ wallpaper in Pandora Sykes's daughter's room of her London home.
Michael Sinclair29/44Prints on the wall in this bedroom at Guy Tobin's London house include a cat by the Spanish artist Sam3, a cross-section of a tree trunk made up of tiny illustrations of animals, and a polar bear by Swedish artist Einar Hansen. The small chair is a Twenties plywood piece by E Gomme. Farrow & Ball's ‘Parma Gray’ provides a bright backdrop to the prints (£43.50 for 2.5 litres of estate emulsion).
Elsa Young30/44In this small Mayfair flat, space has been maximised with three beds for children in one room. With its built-in bunks, the room feels like a sailing boat cabin. Upholstered headboards and a Georgian mahogany chest add homely touches.
Paul Massey31/44In the former incarnation of Rita Konig's London flat, her daughter's room was a lovely space, made especially pretty walls lined in Tyler Hall's 'First Bloom' wallpaper from Tissus d'Hélène. The curtains are in 'Broadcloth' felt from Hainsworth and a Guatemalan tapestry that her husband brought back from his travels enlivens the scheme. Rita is a firm advocate for using antiques in your child's room–as Rita says, “you are not wasting good things on children, but starting their collections and developing their taste. I think it really pays dividends.”
Lucas Allen32/44Designer Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay, the owner of this Victorian country house in Shropshire, has enhanced the interiors of this grand property with her signature mid-century aesthetic without compromising original features. The daughter's room features striking striped wallpaper by The Art of Wallpaper and contains lots of bright, clashing patterns. This fun scheme makes for a lively space.
Tim Beddow33/44After visiting her friend Kathryn Ireland in France's Tarn region, Anne Halsey bought a French farmhouse retreat there and enlisted the help of the decorator to create a relaxed space perfect for entertaining. This twin bedroom is decorated with a pastel pink colour palette and features white gauzy canopies, which are often adored by children (particularly those who like princesses). The subtle scheme is ideal for young and teenage girls alike as this style is both fun and 'grown-up'.
Ngoc Minh Ngo34/44The son's bedroom in a Chelsea flat designed by Sophie Ashby has a cloud mural by Surface View - a copy of Constable's Study of Cirrus Clouds. Velvet cushions and a spray-lacquered Danish desk from Ebay add to the blue theme, while the Zak + Fox fabric on the headboard provides a strong contrast. Animal motifs and a small workspace make this a perfect kid's bedroom.
Sharyn Cairns35/44In the daughter's bedroom of a west London house, the ceiling has been painted to look like a circus tent, using Farrow & Ball's 'Rectory Red' and Paint and Paper Library's 'Slate I'. The addition of a large basement extension to the house has freed up space on the upper floors for bright and capacious rooms, and a more fluid layout, ideal for family living.
Alexander James36/44Jamb director Henry Bickerton has revived a Victorian town house once strewn with pizza boxes with carefully chosen elements of English country-house style. In Henry's son Archie's bedroom, the striped wallpaper is from William Yeoward, adding a bright element of fun without compromising on the smart aesthetic of the house.
Paul Massey37/44Taking on the conversion of a disused chapel in Somerset, artist Jonathan Delafield Cook, illustrator Laura Stoddart and their two children (11 and 13 years old) have made the smooth transition from incomers to long-term residents. In this bedroom a simple storage wall has been filled with coloured boxes that match the rainbow pom poms at the window. A sweet mid-century desk for home work sits in front of the window.
Elsa Young38/44Resisting the idea of moving or expanding into the basement, the owners of this London house from the 1850s gave architect Maria Speake of Retrouvius the go-ahead to make structural changes to give their family and business the space needed. This children's bedrooms is flooded with light from both the window and skylight, with neat underbed storage to make the most of the awkward attic space.
Paul Massey39/44There are four beds tucked into the eaves of this large dormitory-style children's bedroom at Kate Earle's chalet in the French Alps. Each bed has a curtain and a built-in chest so that the children have their own space and can store personal things. A skylight floods the attic room with natural light and bright colours throughout add continuity.
Alexander James40/44Juggling the demands of a growing family and an interior-design business, Nicole Salvesen updated her south London house to increase the feeling of space with bright colours and more streamlined rooms. Bed quilts from Molly Mahon add colour in Nicole's daughters' bedroom.
Simon Brown41/44This bedroom belongs to Vanessa and James Macdonald's son, Rupert, at their family home in the rolling hills of Oxfordshire. The red gingham of the headboard and armchair compliments the patterned red and white curtains. Soft neutral colours in the carpet and on the walls allows the red to pleasantly pop rather than overwhelm the room.
42/44Lettering on the wall and a stellar light fixture give a more youthful feel to this stylish bedroom in designer Sarah Stewart-Smith's Herefordshire family home. The small space is made to feel bigger with a curtain separating the cosy bed area from a seating area with a desk, with the grey colour scheme continued throughout.
Simon Upton43/44The children's bedrooms in Keith McNally's Notting Hill home allow for storage and organisation - as well as charming touches - like this Toadstool lamp, £55 at White Rabbit England. The East Coast tongue-and-groove panelling and plaster walls aren't restricted to the kids' spaces, they're a theme throughout all of the property.
Michael Sinclair44/44With a characteristic respect for the fabric of this eighteenth-century house in Bath, designer Patrick Williams has carefully transformed it into a welcoming home and B&B. A neutrally decorated playroom is filled with traditional toys, keeping with the immaculate restoration of this property without compromising on fun.
