In the average-sized home, two children sharing will often have to make do with a smallish room, while a third child may well have a room no bigger than an old-fashioned box room, And usually a child’s room has to double up as a playroom and childrens furniture storage.
This means available space must be utilized to its fullest extent. There will need childrens furniture for hanging clothes, keeping toys, games, books and other paraphernalia, as well as for a bed. Ideally, there should be a work surface or table and a chair.
Childrens furniture should be serviceable but attractive and of a size to fit a child’s needs for some years. It’s no use spending money on tiny childrens furniture for a five-year-old which will be quite inappropriate by the time the child is eight or nine.
A full-height fitted childrens furniture cupboard is a good choice as the interior can be adjusted to suit changing needs. In the early days a double tier of hanging rails on one side means that the bottom rail is within a young child’s reach. The other side can have childrens furniture storage boxes or baskets at floor level for toys, with shelves above for clothes, bedlinen and so on. Later on, remove the lower rail and the child can take over some of the shelves.
Small childrens furniture beds specifically designed for little children are rather a waste of money – a full-sized one is a far better investment. Childrens furniture bunk beds are very popular. They allow more play area in a shared room and are handy for an occasional guest in a single one.
Large expanses of glass and active children do not go together. Try not to put a child in a room with windows below waist height: if this is unavoidable then use safety glass or hardboard for the low-level panes and add a single bar across at, or above, waist level, Don’t position childrens furniture so that adventurous children can climb up and fall out of windows.
Install safety guards over radiators and never use a free-standing children’s furniture heater in a child’s room. Obviously, any fire should be well guarded. Trailing electric flexes are dangerous as they act like tripwires and wall sockets should be protected with safety covers or positioned where a small child can’t get at them.
PAINT AND PAPER
Decorating a child’s room and childrens furniture is an enjoyable exercise and one where you can be bolder than in other parts of the house.
It may sound obvious, but do consult your child on his or her own decorative ideas. It’s very easy to get carried away and to forget that it is not you who will be using the room and childrens furniture. If the child has a particular hobby or interest you can use this as a theme. Don’t overdo it – he or she might soon grow out of that particular craze.
Another pitfall is to make the scheme too finished and co-ordinated, leaving no scope for the child’s own personality.
Decorative ideas
Whatever sort of decoration you choose, go for wipeable surfaces for peace of mind all round. There are any number of well-designed childrens furniture wallcoverings and borders which are specifically for children, and many adult ones are also acceptable.
An area of black or white board with chalks or felt pens allows free expression which is easily wiped away, and a childrens furniture pinboard will hold drawings or posters.
