Playroom design and decorating tips
Play is integral to children’s learning and development. But toys can quickly take over the home and make it cluttered and messy. So, if there’s space, a playroom is ideal. But there’s more to creating one than simply making room. The décor and design play a huge part in making it safe and enticing to use. So, here’s some playroom design and decorating tips to get you started.
Use a soft design
First things first, the room needs to be safe and comfortable to play in. So, although you might like the look of wood floors or the cleanability of LVT, it’s never going to be as soft to play on as carpet is. You could throw down a rug, but you need to be sure the edges aren’t creating a trip hazard.
Although it does add to the carpet fitting cost, you really want a good underlay too. This boosts the softness of the floor, so it cushions against falls and crawling around. Plus, the room should stay warmer during the cold months.
Some carpets are naturally stain-resistant but you’ll find most carpets are suitable for professional cleaning, even wool. So, keeping it hygienic shouldn’t be an issue. Just be sure to go for a carpet that’s hard-wearing. That way it’ll stand up to your kids’ rough and tumble.
Furnishings also need to have a certain level of softness. Avoid furniture and storage with sharp corners. Look for drawers and chairs with rounded edges and plump for soft baskets and boxes over hard metal and plastic. Beanbags and floor cushions are good options for boosting the softness of playrooms, as are cushions to top chairs and storage chests.
Get playful and imaginative
Just because a playroom needs to be safe, that doesn’t mean you can’t go wild with the design. Be playful and use your imagination to encourage fun and creativity. Even if the playroom’s boxy, it doesn’t need to be boring.
You could add a mezzanine level to make more space, with steps and a slide for getting up and down. It makes a great den that doubles as a super sleepover space whenever it’s needed. With the right support, an indoor swing or chair swing is another fun element that could take your playroom design to another level.
For older, more adventurous kids, you could bolt some bright climbing holds onto the wall to create a mini climbing wall of their own. And for younger kids, what about a soft play set that encourages crawling and exploring?
Of course, it doesn’t need to be complex to be playful. Colourful kids’ lighting and quirky neon signs are ideal for making the room bright and playful to stimulate the senses. Covering a wall in peg board makes it easy to add and adapt storage in a fun way. While using magnetic chalkboard paint on the walls and cupboards gives you an instant easel and a playful way to learn.
Be brave with colour
Although nurseries benefit from calming and neutral hues to soothe and aid sleep, there’s no such need for a playroom. This means you can use a vibrant palette of colour to energise and engage your kids.
You could paint the walls and ceiling in circus-tent stripes to bring all the fun of the fair. Or you could paint a mural based on your children’s interests. But colour can be used just as much in the furnishings. And you don’t need to stick to traditional wall coverings either. Although paint and wallpaper can create a great effect, there’s more you can do.
Colourful monkey bars make a great alternative to a wooden ladder to access dens, sleeping areas and mezzanine levels. While painted wooden batons can be added in geometric patterns to make the walls more of a feature. For outdoor loving kids, how about using artificial foliage wall panels? Couple it with a safari tent and soft toy animals and you’ll soon have an adventurous playroom.