Advice on Long-Lasting Décor

Yes with AlphabetPIX, whether your child creates it themselves or receives it as a gift, they will have abeautiful, unique, very personal piece of art to display for a lifetime. Artwork they’ll never outgrow. Butwhat about for the rest of your kid’s room? Q. What tips do you have on themes, fabric and color choices, window treatments, furniture,etc. when decorating a long lasting room for a young child?

Mary Baltz: “I think all too often people decorate children’s rooms in all primary colors. The truth is,my little girl started in an all white nursery. She is now 8 years old, and over the years we’ve madechanges. Some of her own drawings are now framed as artwork on the walls. We have mixed patternsand textures, rose prints and checks — all in pale pinks and blues. “In the textile market there are somany beautiful wallpapers and fabrics, so you don’t always need a ‘child’s pattern’ to identify thespace. Children grow so fast and a few good color and style choices in the beginning can make all thedifference. Later, painting furniture can make nice changes.”

Ann Fox: “I’m not a big proponent of ‘theme’ kids rooms, and definitely not of juvenile themes. (You’llregret it later as they age!) I really like to decorate around a child’s interests and collections. “For boysI prefer the ‘theme’ to be in accessories. For example, my son Jackson’s room has evolved from blueand white strips and checks with vintage boats and shells — to the same fabrics, new throw pillows,and faded flag art and accessories. Most of the girl’s rooms we decorate are some version of pinksand greens, from pastel to bright.

“Think about the ‘toy factor’ — if their dolls, toys, etc. are going to be prominently displayed in theroom, consider fabrics that blend with those colors. Also, it’s a fact that curtains and bedskirts are thelast to wear out, so put your money, and favorite fabrics, into these pieces. I suggest basic stripes orchecks for these, since they’ll be with you for a while.”

Lyn Peterson: “I avoid theme rooms. Too often a parent may install their own personal fantasy — theoverly swaged canopy bed they wanted growing up in the 60′s (whereas today’s little miss wantsBrittney Spears posters), or the cowboy themed room that you fantasized for your son. Just install thebasics and let the kids theme their rooms themselves. Sure enough the super heroes will be replacedby the sports posters and then by the super model posters. And it will all look great if you have giventhem an appropriate background. “I love stripes, checks, and plaids, as they are not only great companions for the panoply of interestsyour children will evolve through, but they also give guidelines for adhering posters to the walls,keeping things straight. **TIP** Use Fun Tac — it is removable and does not damage walls.

“Finally, get sturdy, get colors they like, give them appropriate storage, and let them do the rest.”

On trends in kids furniture: “Maple furniture and furniture with mixed finishes such as maple topsand painted drawer fronts. Playful mix and match atop the bed — not just one pattern but rather ahappy young jumble such as blue and white truck sheets with red white and blue submarine pillows.

“Don’t worry about a second bed for friends to sleepover. I have always had second beds, but kidscome today stuttered to sleeping bags and usually end up side by side on the floor.

“Give kids an ample display area. Closed storage is great if you can get them to put anything away.But they also need ledges on which they can build and display their “worlds” whether Barbie dancesthere or Lego lands burgeon. Kids need this display space. A 20″ ledge with storage bins below workswell.

“Make window treatments safe and functionally sturdy since many kids will try grab and swing on anycords.”

Tricia Foley: “Again, I would consider the existing style of the home…if one is working with atraditional home, I would tend to use a softer color palette that works with the rest of the house orapartment. If the family has a more modern sensibility, a clean bright color palette would be more inkeeping with their aesthetic. There are so many wonderful choices available from mail order catalogsthese days of furnishings that are affordable and have classic styling that can be used in children’srooms or family rooms.”

“I see children’s rooms as part of the home, not so much a separate world. I would design the spaceso that it visually belongs to the rest of the family spaces. It should also be a comfort zone for childrenand a place for them to express themselves with their own things…there are lots of great storageunits, armoires, bins, etc. that are perfect for kids rooms in grownup styles but scaled down sizesavailable from Pottery Barn for kids. For example, Traditions and Mitchell Gold make smaller versionsof armchairs from leather club chairs to slipcovered pretty cotton wing chairs that suit many styles.”

Rachel Ashwell: “Don’t use miniature furniture as it is too short-lived. A crib should always be new incase child chews on railings, and obviously avoid lead paint. White denim is great when your childrenare young.”

Charlotte Moss: “I’m not big on themes because that is what is outgrown first. With children’s toysand what they play with, they’ll create their own ‘theme’. When it comes to upholstered items —slipcover everything. You might buy a great chair, but you don’t want to put an expensive fabric on ituntil the child gets older, so slipcover it for now. And curtains are going to last a long time, so invest ingood ones.

“There are some types of what I call ‘knockdown furniture’ that is very practical for a child. They canuse it for playing, drawing, and sitting on — things like a table and four little chairs. Those things willbe a part of them now, but not later. But a fabulous upholstered headboard might last longer, as docurtains. And paint is easy. Children draw on walls, so you can paint over it. I love doing bigchalkboards and big bulletin boards and things that children can draw on so that they’re not inclined todraw on the walls.

“Sometimes, with children who are old enough to know what their favorite color is, you can have a talkwith them and make them a part of the process. When they are part of the process the room will lastlonger because they were part of the decision. They won’t get as tired of it. We did a room for girl whowanted a lot of black, but the mother was not happy about it. So we added some black with leopardprints instead, and everyone was happy.

“You’ve got to be democratic. There’s a way to bring children into the process by being the parent, butletting them know where you draw your line. And one day when they to college they can do whateverthey want!”