A child moving into their very own bedroom for the first time is magical, and an important first stage of growing up.
There are lots of ways to make this experience fun, and provide your child with a safe, comfortable space they can play, relax, and of course sleep in! (As well as a container for all those little bits of plastic littering the house…)
A really good starting point is to explore colours for the room; pastel shades will encourage a warm comfortable surrounding for your child, but as they grow you may want to introduce more vibrant colours to encourage play and add that fun element too.
A wall mural added to one wall in the room would give a more personal touch and this interesting colourful feature can inspire imagination. Take a look at Mr Perswall ABC You wall mural (available in pink or blue), or if your child likes bright colours then Mr Perswall Pen Pal Mural is a nice option. This range is made in the UK too. If you're looking for something more individual, a great option is the Digetex mural range (available in our shops), where you can use your own chosen image, and have it made specifically to accommodate your wall exactly, creating the perfect wall covering.
And of course, we have some lovely children's wallpapers from Harlequin.
So now the scene has now been set, think about storage, play and sleep. A child needs a good night's refreshing sleep of course, but they also need support and sometimes it may be tempting to skimp (especially if you're concerned they'll also be using the bed as a trampoline) - but we'd always advise you buy the best you can afford. Start with a John Lewis Boris Toddler bedstead in either a white or antique darkwood finish with a Spring cotbed mattress. As they grow, look at John Lewis Amelia bedstead from the little home range (there's matching furniture too), with a John Lewis Response 3 mattress, or the Lasko solid oak single bedstead - again, there's furniture to match.
For bed linen, take a look at the Railway or Flower Fairy bedding ranges for a toddler bedstead. For a single bedstead as your child grows, look at the lovely bright, best selling little home Abbey the Elephant range (just add bunting for even more fun). Under the stars makes a bold statement, together with matching bunting from the Ahoy there range.
A pretty look for a bedroom is to layer the curtains by using our double pole bracket system; it allows you to dress the window with two different treatments which gives a softer more textured effect. You could use the John Lewis Spectrum or Bunting voile panels on the 19mm stainless steel pole and then a set of John Lewis Cotton Rib Pencil Pleat curtains on the 25mm stainless steel pole; the beauty of a plain, textured curtain is of course that you can work any new colour scheme around it as your child grows and their interests change.
If your child's an early riser, or finds it difficult to get to sleep in the lighter months, try a blackout roller blind set into the recess of the window with a set of Polycotton Rib Pencil Pleat curtains on a pole outside the recess to finish the look. A number of our patterned children's curtains are also blackout.
A real must-have is furniture that provides plenty of storage too, for the ever-growing collection of books and toys, and the furniture pieces will need to be versatile for the future. Take a look at the John Lewis Fairford range (exclusively online) or John Lewis Aylesbury which comes in a natural or white finish; both offer bedsteads, wardrobes, bedsides and dressers with drawers.
For an a investment piece of furniture for your child's studies in the future, maybe add a John Lewis Loft oak desk. A cool lamp like the John Lewis Penelope Task lamp (available in several colours) will complete the look.
To finish, add a cosy rug like the bold stripes of Ahoy there, or the round Alice rug to add texture and a place to chill with a book. Some mood lighting will give a warm glow - try the Owl lamp or Jelly Petal line lights.
Hopefully this will inspire and help create the right mood for your little ones - is it bedtime yet?
