Designing for Kids

I’ll state the obvious: Designing for kids is never easy. They jump on the bed, they are hard on most things in your house, and they grow out of everything overnight. So how do we create beautiful and functional spaces for our precious little ones without emptying our wallets or constantly overhauling their rooms? Let me help:

Look for Longevity:  This sounds counterintuitive, but it will ultimately save you money if you buy quality furniture from the start. Lower-quality furniture, often made from particleboard or MDF, can warp, crack, and degrade over time, while linens made from synthetic materials like polyester can wear out, pill, and lose their softness more quickly. It isn’t cost-effective if you are constantly replacing broken items. The furniture pieces in a room are typically considered an investment. I select carefully and buy quality, so these pieces stand the test of time. Keep the quality of the material at the top of your priority list. Furniture crafted entirely from wood and linens made with natural fibers will always last longer than lower-quality alternatives. Also, consider that you want these pieces to grow with your child. It’s possible for your child to have their dresser from preschool all the way into their teenage years. Their childhood toy box can be turned into a hope chest as they grow. Purchasing quality pieces for longevity is how family heirlooms are created, and I love how this manifests tradition and creates core memories.

Buy Vintage:  I’m obsessed with vintage furniture. If I could visit a vintage store every day, I would. Many of my clients tell me that they are afraid to put vintage furniture in their kids’ rooms because it will get ruined. Fair point. However, I have found that most vintage furniture is sturdier than anything mass-manufactured in today’s market. It’s absolutely true that they just don’t make things like they used to. Vintage furniture made by a quality manufacturer in its time is still around for a reason, and it will continue its journey far longer. Personally, I love vintage pieces for kids’ rooms because much of it already has a beautiful patina. Those charming signs of wear and tear add incredible character and history to the space. The bonus here is that I don’t care if my son puts a new dent in his vintage pine toy box. It will match perfectly with all the other dents and dings it already has!

Go Neutral:  I’m not saying every kid’s room should be all neutral colors. Kids love color, and I’m all for color in a kid’s room, too. I recommend you go neutral with the large investment pieces in the room. For example, the bed, dresser, nightstands, and things of that nature should lean neutral. Maybe a vintage wood bed that coordinates with a soft color on the nightstands and dresser. Bring color into the room with things that can be easily changed out as you child grows and wants a different look. Drapes, bedding, pillows, and a rug are all things that can be swapped out in a few years, taking the room from fairy-tale pink to a mossy meadow green as your daughter ages. When the foundational pieces of the room are neutral, color and style can shift easily as kiddos’ interests change.

Involve Your Kids:  Your children want to have a say in what is going on in their sphere, and I believe this is a great opportunity to let that happen. Invite them to pick the color palette, choose the pillow fabric, or pick out the spot where all their stuffies will sleep every night. If they are involved, they are much more likely to love it longer. Now, I will always advise against things they will tire of quickly — like cartoon decor and vinyl wall decals. However, letting them into the process gives them a sense of ownership over their space. It also opens the door for a conversation around taking care of their things. The more ownership and investment they have in this process, the more they will care about their space.

With a bit of creativity and some smart choices, you can create enduring spaces that cater to your kids’ needs and evolve with them over time.

Laura Gransberry is a Santa Barbara–based interior designer, specializing in helping clients find renovation-ready properties and transform them into magazine-quality homes. She can be reached at laura@lauragransberry.com and on Instagram @lauragransberrydesign. Visit lauragransberry.com to learn more!