4 Expert Tips To Choose A Kids Bedroom Set

Redoing your child's bedroom can really be a lot of fun. In many ways, you can let your creativity run wild here. There is a wide variety of styles and colors to suit every kind of space imaginable.

For a younger child, it can be great to play around with bold, bright colors, snazzy designs, and themed furniture to make the place one that your child just loves to spend time in.

An older child is likely to be a little keener to be involved in any decisions made about their room. They will probably want to select their own furniture, or at least be consulted about it, after all, they will be the one spending the most time there.

Depending on your child's age and personal preferences, they may want to opt for something themed, such as a racing car bed or princess style furniture. However, a critical consideration here is versatility. While your child may be wildly into these things right now, you know better than anyone how swiftly their likes and dislikes can change.

If you are looking for something that is really going to last -- and given that we are talking about furniture here that is certainly likely to be the case -- try to gently steer your child away from stylized youth beds or furniture that is too obviously associated with just one kind of look.

Instead, it's much better to guide them towards more neutral types of furniture that can more easily be adapted to their ever-changing needs and tastes. Such furniture is likely to be much more enduring and could even be repurposed elsewhere in the house at some point. Either way, you won't find yourself buying new items every couple of years.

In terms of materials, classic solid wood or wrought iron probably works best. Keep in mind that dark wood tones or metallics often do well in boys' rooms, and light wood tones look good alongside more feminine colors.

Make it up to your kid for not letting them quite get their own way in terms of the furniture by allowing them to get creative with the bedding and soft furnishings. These are both a lot easier and cheaper to replace when your child ages out of the themes and designs.

The furniture you choose for your children's bedroom will largely depend on how old they are. This will dictate the style, size, material, and quantity of furniture that you need.

Typically most kids bedroom sets come with a bed, a nightstand, and a dresser. However, different configurations will cater better to either older or younger children's needs.

• Buying for a toddler?

Babies and very young children have very specific requirements that differ quite significantly from those of older children. One of the key things you'll need to take into account when choosing their furniture is the dimensions.

Toddler beds are smaller and more approachable. They are also often much lower to the ground allowing your child to more easily get in and out of bed and ensuring that they won't harm themselves if they fall out of bed while sleeping.

Aside from the bed, storage pieces are excellent for young children so that their toys can easily be stashed away during a quick clean up. Chests and under the bed storage are particularly useful as they free up space in the room for your child to play.

These other types of furniture should also be designed with your child's age and size in mind, being both easy to reach and useful to lean on if they are still a little unsteady on their feet.

• Buying for an older child?

The older they get, the more your kid will be looking to put their own stamp on their personal space. This is when you will need to steer them towards more simple, neutral designs (see above).

While they will still likely require a fair amount of storage space for toys, some of these will be fine to set out on a bookcase alongside their school and reading books. This may be preferable to tidying them away out of sight in a chest or under the bed storage.

It may be better though to place smaller, more fiddly toys, games, and other items in baskets to keep things looking tidy and to stop them from constantly falling on the floor.

Another potentially useful item that can be included in a set for this age is a trundle bed. These are great for allowing you to always be prepared for sleepovers and can often double up as extra storage space.

• Buying for a teen?

It absolutely goes without saying that teenagers will require very different furniture to younger children. They are also likely to want to have far more say in the style selected.

While you can feel less concerned that they are likely to grow out of the ones they choose, it is still good to be a little cautious -- especially with younger teens.

In terms of types of furniture, shelves, and bookcases where they can keep store all their study materials and belongings are essential. They'll also need a large desk where they can do their homework and plenty of space for clothes.

While the size of the bed is often a relatively simple decision to make being, of course, based on the size of the person using it as well as the available space, there are now additionally a variety of types of beds to select from.

• Looking to save space?

With more than one child in the room, bunk beds are a great space-saving option, allowing you to pack more storage into the room while still leaving an area for your children to play. They can also be a great way for one child to always have a spare bed available for sleepovers.

A slight variation on the bunk bed is the loft bed. These are designed with a ladder leading up to the top bunk and space beneath for placing furniture or other items. These are great for children who get a kick out of climbing a ladder to get to bed.

Multi-functional furniture is also extremely useful to have around. Daybeds, for example, are one's that double up as a sofa, these are great for providing both a place to sleep and an area to relax and read in a smaller room. 

• Looking to optimize storage?

Mate's and captain's beds come with specific under bed storage space. The main difference between the two is that a mate's bed has just a single row of drawers beneath the bed, and a captain's bed, sitting a little higher, has two.

This additional storage can prove absolutely invaluable for toys, clothes, and hobby items alike. Keeping things tidily tucked up out of the way while still being easy to access when needed.

Again, many of the considered safety features of the furniture will vary depending on your child's age.

• If you are checking out age-appropriate sets from a reputable company, then they will likely be designed in compliance with the Children's Furniture standards as set out by ASTM. These rules ensure that they meet appropriate safety standards. You can learn more about this.

• In terms of age variations, soft-surfaces, child-friendly material, and round edges are all necessary considerations when buying for young children. These all help to avoid the possibility of injuries occurring.

• Silicone corner protectors can additionally be used to ensure there are no sharp edges on the furniture. These may also be a good idea for older children who like to rush around or to play rough.

• When deciding to opt for either bunk beds or a loft bed, aim not to go for ones that are not too high. This can mean it is harder for your child to access the top bunk, and it also makes it more dangerous if your child was to accidentally fall out.

• It is also good to ensure you select a bunk or loft bed with appropriate safety bars. They should be placed close enough to ensure that your child will remain safely in their bed all through the night.