Remember how you lovingly picked out each and every item that went into the nursery to accommodate your brand new baby? With that same care and attention to detail, you should design your child’s playroom in a way that will most easily accommodate them as they grow!
Next to the nursery, the playroom (or play corner) is the only area of the home that truly belongs to our kids. Take their personal preferences and personalities into account when decorating the room: choose items and pieces that will facilitate safe development and growth while also reflecting their individuality. At the same time, invest in quality pieces that you can utilize outside of the playroom once your child moves on to bigger and better things.
Keeping those points in mind, here are a few suggestions to help you get started:
Utilize Kid-Appropriate Flooring
Not every room has a soft, squishy carpet just waiting to soften the landing of a little tyke when he inevitably takes his daily tumble. Avoid these catastrophes before they begin by placing child-friendly pads over your hardwood, tile, or otherwise similarly solid flooring material.
Don’t install something permanent because you won’t be able to easily remove it when your toddler no longer falls down on an hourly basis. Rather, scatter area rugs and carpets that you can relocate when they are no longer needed in the playroom.
Incorporate Double-Duty Furniture
Trunks and footlockers are coming back in a big way. Not only are they wonderful for storing toys, books, and knickknacks when you need to clean up in a flash, but they can also serve as fashionable and functional pieces of furniture that coordinate with your overall décor scheme.
Plus, as baby Bella grows, she can use the trunk in her “big girl room” and beyond if you’ve invested in a long-lasting and quality piece from the beginning.
Don’t Forget the Baby Gates or Railing!
To keep your little ones from breaking out of the brand-new playroom you’ve built them, finish your room by adding a durable baby gate or railing to the entry/exit doorway. There are some great options on the market that allow you to adjust the gate as your child grows or as needed—for example, if you need to raise the height to keep Junior in the playroom but Sam the sheepdog out!
These are just a few basics to help you design your playroom with the bigger picture in mind. What are some of your favorite ways to fulfill function and form when designing a room with an eye toward the future?
Jay Harris is a Home Depot “on the floor” sales associate and a regular contributor to Home Depot’s blog. His interests include providing parents with help for toddler baby gates and the latest trends in backyard swing sets for children.