With Christmas fast approaching and new toys on the horizon, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed if your children have a compact bedroom. The key to creating a fun yet productive environment for children is to plan a flexible layout that is multifunctional. Incorporating room for storage, sleeping and playing, these five easy space-saving solutions for kids bedrooms will make the most of all the square metres you’ve got.
1.) Buy the right beds
If you have two or three children, opt for double or triple bunk beds. In fact, triple bunk beds for Christmas could be a great present for a family that could use more space! Bunk beds make creative use of vertical space and for room sharing siblings free up more floor area for them to play. Choose triple bunk beds with built-in stairs and storage for three children or opt for a triple style that incorporates a top single and bottom double if you also want it to act as a guest room come Christmas. If there’s only one child in the room, a loft bed works exceptionally well, giving them space beneath for a desk, play area or chill out nook. There are lots of stylish and thoughtfully designed double and triple bunk bed options out there that work really well in smaller rooms.
2.) Go vertical
Free up floor space by using vertical stackable toy storage boxes. Not only will this keep the bedroom clutter-free but you can get three or four times as many things packed away when you go up the wall. Also use the walls to put up a peg rail for hanging coats, backpacks or smaller children’s fancy dress costumes. Installing floating shelves or short picture ledges up the walls and behind the door will give you extra storage space that can be used for favourite books and cuddly toys.
3.) Paint a wall with blackboard paint
Painting a bedroom wall with blackboard paint provides hours of fun that can easily be wiped away. Save on stacks of drawing paper that tends to accumulate by letting them loose on the wall instead. Blackboard painted walls are also great for playing games such as noughts and crosses and practising the alphabet and numbers.
4.) Invest in a toy chest ottoman
An ottoman with storage space doubles up as both a toy chest and a reading nook. Choose a fabric that fits in with your children’s favourite colour scheme and they can use it as a cosy seating area when they want to curl up and read.
5.) Make use of all four corners
When designing a multifunctional space, look to the four corners of the room. Tall and narrow corner bookshelves and wardrobes make the most of every inch so you can pack away books and hang clothes neatly. Compact corner desks are great for older children as are floating wall desks with a pull-out tray that can be put up behind the bedroom door.
6.) Invest in a portable playhouse
If you don’t have space for a kid’s playhouse, create your own portable one. Invest in a pop-up cloth teepee that can be easily folded away after use. A teepee will provide a whole new magical room for children to play in and can be filled with cushions and fairy lights for storytelling time or with kitchen utensils and pots and pans for a great role-playing space.