Could These Schemes Earn You a Lie-In?
Grab a few extra minutes of sleep in the morning with bedrooms your kids won’t want to leave
Becky Clarke
13 December 2016
As well as being a Houzz UK and Ireland contributor, I have been involved in creating beautiful homes and interiors for 15 years. A regular contributor to the UK's top interiors magazines with room makeovers, practical and inspirational guides and furniture upcycle projects I love to work out all the wonderful ways to make our homes even better than we dreamed. My website is www.beckyclarke.com and my blog is https://beckyclarkeinteriors.wordpress.com follow me on twitter: @diydivachick
As well as being a Houzz UK and Ireland contributor, I have been involved in creating... More
Children often like to get up bright and early, while we grown-ups would prefer a lie-in. The solution? Turn your child’s bed and room into a fun place where they’ll happily amuse themselves for a while on a Sunday morning. It’s worth a shot, surely?
1. Make a den
Cabin or mid-height beds are popular and can be affordable. Kids love the feeling of sleeping a bit higher up, and parents like the fact they’re at eye level. An added bonus is the space underneath, which you can put to great use as an inviting den or cubby house. Kids can shut themselves away comfortably and play, read or draw in their very own ‘cave’.
You can buy printed themed fabric sets that are made to fit these beds. Alternatively, children are just as happy if you tuck a sheet under the mattress and allow it to hang over the space below. If the sheet is old, you could even arm kids with some fabric pens and let them decorate it themselves. They could create a shop front, a fire station, a spy den, or even a jungle house – the possibilities are endless.
Cabin or mid-height beds are popular and can be affordable. Kids love the feeling of sleeping a bit higher up, and parents like the fact they’re at eye level. An added bonus is the space underneath, which you can put to great use as an inviting den or cubby house. Kids can shut themselves away comfortably and play, read or draw in their very own ‘cave’.
You can buy printed themed fabric sets that are made to fit these beds. Alternatively, children are just as happy if you tuck a sheet under the mattress and allow it to hang over the space below. If the sheet is old, you could even arm kids with some fabric pens and let them decorate it themselves. They could create a shop front, a fire station, a spy den, or even a jungle house – the possibilities are endless.
2. Have books temptingly on display
If children can’t see toys, they forget they’re there and don’t play with them. The same can be said of books, so if you want your child to climb back into bed with their favourite Andy Griffiths story, have a bookcase in clear sight and keep the shelves at a height that’s easily reached.
Installing recessed shelving at the end of the bed, as in this scheme, gives the space a cosy library feel and means a child can pick and choose the books they fancy. If you have high shelves, as here, don’t keep favourite books up there or your child might try balancing on furniture to reach them. Reserve this space for old favourites they’ve read and any books handed down that are still a bit too old for your child.
If children can’t see toys, they forget they’re there and don’t play with them. The same can be said of books, so if you want your child to climb back into bed with their favourite Andy Griffiths story, have a bookcase in clear sight and keep the shelves at a height that’s easily reached.
Installing recessed shelving at the end of the bed, as in this scheme, gives the space a cosy library feel and means a child can pick and choose the books they fancy. If you have high shelves, as here, don’t keep favourite books up there or your child might try balancing on furniture to reach them. Reserve this space for old favourites they’ve read and any books handed down that are still a bit too old for your child.
3. Turn the bedroom a playroom too
Children often play in the living room and kitchen, so we tend to keep toys in those areas. If you have the space, though, keeping a child’s toys in their room is a practical option. Firstly, it avoids the entire house being strewn with brightly coloured plastic. Secondly, children can play with whatever they like and leave things out mid-play until the next day without affecting anyone else.
Every night when your child sleeps, you could put a particular toy out on the floor or table. This way, games that have been forgotten about get played with again. You could also leave out some fresh paper for colouring.
How to use kids’ toys to your advantage
Children often play in the living room and kitchen, so we tend to keep toys in those areas. If you have the space, though, keeping a child’s toys in their room is a practical option. Firstly, it avoids the entire house being strewn with brightly coloured plastic. Secondly, children can play with whatever they like and leave things out mid-play until the next day without affecting anyone else.
Every night when your child sleeps, you could put a particular toy out on the floor or table. This way, games that have been forgotten about get played with again. You could also leave out some fresh paper for colouring.
How to use kids’ toys to your advantage
4. Fuel their imagination
When a child loves a particular thing, such as jungle animals, racing cars or marine life, try decorating their room in the theme. Huge murals around the bed will encourage a child to lie back and make up stories of all the adventures they’d have in their dream world.
Shop online for photographic mural wallpaper that can cover a wall, or even wrap around a whole room.
When a child loves a particular thing, such as jungle animals, racing cars or marine life, try decorating their room in the theme. Huge murals around the bed will encourage a child to lie back and make up stories of all the adventures they’d have in their dream world.
Shop online for photographic mural wallpaper that can cover a wall, or even wrap around a whole room.
5. Go Lego crazy
Those little building blocks have kept kids entertained for hours over many years. If you turn their bedroom into Lego heaven, they can disappear into a creative land for hours. Keep all the pieces they need at hand, and perhaps add a table to work on and some shelves to display handmade creations.
Make sure you install lots of storage to stop pieces getting lost. Small plastic drawer units are a good option and they can easily be handled by children. Keep an open floor space too, so they can sit in the middle of a sea of Lego and build to their heart’s content.
Those little building blocks have kept kids entertained for hours over many years. If you turn their bedroom into Lego heaven, they can disappear into a creative land for hours. Keep all the pieces they need at hand, and perhaps add a table to work on and some shelves to display handmade creations.
Make sure you install lots of storage to stop pieces getting lost. Small plastic drawer units are a good option and they can easily be handled by children. Keep an open floor space too, so they can sit in the middle of a sea of Lego and build to their heart’s content.
6. Hang curtains to create a magical hideaway
There’s something very special about being comfy in bed yet hidden away in your own space. Any child will love to draw curtains around them and snuggle up with a good book, so this is an easy way to help them relax and enjoy quiet time.
Suspend a pole from the ceiling and hang curtains – lightweight voile is ideal for creating privacy without blocking light.
If you have bunk beds, the lower one can be screened off. Attach stretchy net curtain wire to the underside of the top bunk and hang curtains from it. This works a treat to make a den for kids sharing a room, especially if the child on the bottom bunk thinks they drew the short straw.
See more colourful curtains in kids’ rooms
There’s something very special about being comfy in bed yet hidden away in your own space. Any child will love to draw curtains around them and snuggle up with a good book, so this is an easy way to help them relax and enjoy quiet time.
Suspend a pole from the ceiling and hang curtains – lightweight voile is ideal for creating privacy without blocking light.
If you have bunk beds, the lower one can be screened off. Attach stretchy net curtain wire to the underside of the top bunk and hang curtains from it. This works a treat to make a den for kids sharing a room, especially if the child on the bottom bunk thinks they drew the short straw.
See more colourful curtains in kids’ rooms
7. Camp indoors
For a child who loves camping, a bed that’s just like a tent will entice them back under the duvet. For dark winter mornings, have a child-friendly lamp or fairy lights strung up inside that they can switch on and off themselves.
This bed would be a great addition to a shared bedroom, too, as the outer flap can be lowered to give privacy and help a child sleep in longer.
For a child who loves camping, a bed that’s just like a tent will entice them back under the duvet. For dark winter mornings, have a child-friendly lamp or fairy lights strung up inside that they can switch on and off themselves.
This bed would be a great addition to a shared bedroom, too, as the outer flap can be lowered to give privacy and help a child sleep in longer.
8. Invest in a wonderful bed
If I had a bed like this, I’d never get out of it, so fingers crossed your child will like it just as much. It’d be a lovely place to sleep, and there’d be no end of games that could be played in there.
A child could shut the door and imagine the space inside was a school, a shop, a hospital, a vet surgery, or even a dinosaur-hunting wagon. Wooden versions could have hooks added inside so essential toys and clothing were at hand.
If you, or someone you know, has carpentry skills, there are tutorials and plans on the internet showing how to adapt or build around a bed to make all sorts of rooms.
If I had a bed like this, I’d never get out of it, so fingers crossed your child will like it just as much. It’d be a lovely place to sleep, and there’d be no end of games that could be played in there.
A child could shut the door and imagine the space inside was a school, a shop, a hospital, a vet surgery, or even a dinosaur-hunting wagon. Wooden versions could have hooks added inside so essential toys and clothing were at hand.
If you, or someone you know, has carpentry skills, there are tutorials and plans on the internet showing how to adapt or build around a bed to make all sorts of rooms.
9. Build a treehouse bed
If your child’s room has a high ceiling, a ‘treetop bed’ like this is a great use of space. It leaves the floor clear for play, and going to bed would be like entering a private magical kingdom. A treehouse is as good as having a separate room – a cosy and snuggly place to read and play.
You can buy these beds ready-made, or ask a specialist to build one for you. Make sure you have good, safe access for younger children, although older kids could have a ladder to climb up and down.
A place for kids to dream and play
If your child’s room has a high ceiling, a ‘treetop bed’ like this is a great use of space. It leaves the floor clear for play, and going to bed would be like entering a private magical kingdom. A treehouse is as good as having a separate room – a cosy and snuggly place to read and play.
You can buy these beds ready-made, or ask a specialist to build one for you. Make sure you have good, safe access for younger children, although older kids could have a ladder to climb up and down.
A place for kids to dream and play
10. Fit storage high up
Children who sleep in the top bunk will often get up early, as there’s nothing around them. To counteract this, have some storage solutions that are easily accessed from the higher bed.
A wall shelf can be useful, but make sure it’s positioned where the child won’t knock into it. This bed has recessed shelves beside it, so there are no corners for heads to knock against. You could also hang canvas pouches over the side barrier for extra storage.
TELL US
Do you have any design tricks to encourage your kids to give you a lie-in? Share your ideas in the Comments below.
MORE
Browse more kids’ rooms for inspiration
Children who sleep in the top bunk will often get up early, as there’s nothing around them. To counteract this, have some storage solutions that are easily accessed from the higher bed.
A wall shelf can be useful, but make sure it’s positioned where the child won’t knock into it. This bed has recessed shelves beside it, so there are no corners for heads to knock against. You could also hang canvas pouches over the side barrier for extra storage.
TELL US
Do you have any design tricks to encourage your kids to give you a lie-in? Share your ideas in the Comments below.
MORE
Browse more kids’ rooms for inspiration
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The only thing for beds like this are sleeping bags I think. . .
Sadly I have to agree, I learned the hard way these built in and bunk beds are not kind to mothers. As adults we are told to remove computers and other stimuli from our bedrooms for a restful night of sleep, wouldn't these beds have the same effect on kids?