Your Family's Guide to Sanity-Saving Bedrooms
Make your family bedrooms private spaces to get away from the demands of communal living
For every member of the family, the bedroom should be a peaceful sanctuary for rest and, ideally, a spot in which we can decorate to express of our personality. Here are a few tips for making the most of the room you have, adapted for each stage of family life. There’s the nursery, toddler’s room, space for the older child, for teenagers and for parents.
Have a comfy chair for late-night nursing and keep everything you need on hand. Once your child falls asleep on you, it can be an athletic manoeuvre to reach for things, let alone get up without waking them. For those kids that rouse easily, having a plush carpet underfoot to muffle your footsteps and doors that are squeak-free can both be saviours.
A list of nursery essentials
A list of nursery essentials
The toddler’s room
Investing in functional, sturdy furniture for the bedroom can save you coins in the long run. There are plenty of cots on the market now that convert into toddler beds, saving you from having to purchase both. There are also convertible toddler beds that flatten out into full-size singles. With a bit of research, you can find something perfect for your situation.
Kids’ room decorating ideas for the future
Investing in functional, sturdy furniture for the bedroom can save you coins in the long run. There are plenty of cots on the market now that convert into toddler beds, saving you from having to purchase both. There are also convertible toddler beds that flatten out into full-size singles. With a bit of research, you can find something perfect for your situation.
Kids’ room decorating ideas for the future
Keep things at eye height when displaying your child’s books or toys. It helps them to locate their belongings without needing constant assistance. A few low bookshelves or even a series of picture rails screwed into a wall to hold books should give them a private library of stories to choose from. Displaying treasured items ensures that your child will play with them as well as limiting the volume of toys they can have.
For older kids
Sharing a room is almost a childhood rite of passage in multiple-sibling households. One time-honoured way of saving floor space is to opt for bunk beds. These have changed dramatically over the years and there’s now a range of different configurations, such as the right-angled ones shown here in this home in Fairfield, Melbourne. They are also good for singletons who like to have friends on sleepover.
Dream spaces for kids’ sleepovers
Sharing a room is almost a childhood rite of passage in multiple-sibling households. One time-honoured way of saving floor space is to opt for bunk beds. These have changed dramatically over the years and there’s now a range of different configurations, such as the right-angled ones shown here in this home in Fairfield, Melbourne. They are also good for singletons who like to have friends on sleepover.
Dream spaces for kids’ sleepovers
Adding in a study area to a bedroom creates an instant quiet zone away from the bustle of a home’s main living areas. It’s an ideal go-to place when kids are working on assignments or are fine-tuning a project they’re working on. If you’re planning to add in a custom desk to kids’ sleeping quarters, don’t be put off by odd-shaped angles. Instead, use them to your advantage to craft the perfect study nook.
If your home is graced by lofty ceilings, then building up is one way to simultaneously increase floor space and ramp up the fun factor. This room in Sydney has cleverly designed joinery that hides a vault of wardrobe space and a large mezzanine area for sleeping.
Good-looking play areas
Good-looking play areas
The teens’ retreat
Raging hormones and an often hostile indifference can make sharing a home with teens less than pleasant. One solution: a teen retreat. Giving them their own living quarters could be just the thing they need. If you’re searching for the space to build one, consider utilising the roof void to free up the room you’ll need for this ambitious project.
Raging hormones and an often hostile indifference can make sharing a home with teens less than pleasant. One solution: a teen retreat. Giving them their own living quarters could be just the thing they need. If you’re searching for the space to build one, consider utilising the roof void to free up the room you’ll need for this ambitious project.
For those short on space or for those who simply love modular furniture, consider investing in a study hub/bunk bed combo. Keep it in your teen’s room as the sleepover spot or let it double as a permanent homework area. In this version, all available space is utilised. The risers on the stairs pull out to reveal drawers while the kickboard of the bottom bunk also hides two roll-out drawers. The desk recesses under the pigeonhole compartments to expose the bunk bed below.
Study nooks for teens
Study nooks for teens
Parents’ master bedroom
A parental getaway is likely to be your most effective arsenal in the battle for sanity-saving strategies. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of escapism to tide you over. It goes without saying that an area like this needs to be accompanied with all the bells and whistles, including its own ensuite, ample storage and dream view if possible.
A parental getaway is likely to be your most effective arsenal in the battle for sanity-saving strategies. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of escapism to tide you over. It goes without saying that an area like this needs to be accompanied with all the bells and whistles, including its own ensuite, ample storage and dream view if possible.
Storage. Storage. Storage. You really can’t get enough of it for an effective and functional room. Built-ins are one classic way to organise your belongings before they begin to dominate you. Another option for the more palatially blessed is the walk-in robe or dressing room. But for most of us, a few shelves and a rail is all you need for keeping your things under control.
Tips for wardrobe organisation
Tips for wardrobe organisation
Leave the computer and other techno devices out of the bedroom to avoid blurring the boundary between your work space and your sleep space. It can be too easy to stay up to all hours with the light on, but do remember your partner may be trying to get some decent shut-eye. If you have the space, install a small partition wall and work behind it so the soft tapping of keys is kept to a minimum and you can work away without looking yearningly at your bed.
TELL US
Are you planning a family bedroom updates? Tell us all about them in the Comments.
MORE
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TELL US
Are you planning a family bedroom updates? Tell us all about them in the Comments.
MORE
Master Bedrooms – Is Bigger Really Better?
12 Decorating Tips to Make Any Bedroom Look Better
10 Hug-Worthy Ideas for Kids’ Bedrooms
It’s been said that having a child is like throwing a hand grenade into a marriage, and there are times when I couldn’t agree more. The least you can do is begin with an ordered and organised nursery to prepare you for the long onslaught ahead, and the place that needs the most attention is the wardrobe. Make the most of all the available space you have – you’ll need it. Put shelves below high-hanging rails. After all, pint-sized clothes don’t take up much space. Also, keep a shelf free for children’s clothes that don’t yet quite fit.