How to decorate a kid's room on a budget
Award-winning interiors blogger and stylist Luke Arthur Wells shares his niece’s bedroom makeover, plus his top design hacks for decorating a kid’s room without breaking the bank
Writer and designer Luke (pictured above) was tasked with creating a ‘big girl’ room for his niece, having previously decorated her nursery. The brief was to transform the tired attic into a cute yet stylish bedroom for the toddler that could also double up as a play space. Read on to find out more about the project.
What was your inspiration for the project?
The starting point for my niece's bedroom was a striped tablecloth I'd spotted in H&M Home. I love using tablecloths as a way to get interesting textiles for projects that don't cost an arm and a leg. It was a brilliant, wide stripe in bright yellow, and it brought to mind market stall canopies, which in turn inspired one of the projects in the room. I started off by sourcing a house-shaped bed from Facebook Marketplace – you can find these quite cheaply on Amazon, but the one I found is a bit more sturdy – before painting it in a bright yellow paint from Craig & Rose. I also created two padded panels for the back, made from MDF, wadding and the first H&M tablecloth.
How did you create the clever built-in storage/marketplace play area?
The base is made using two freestanding pieces from Habitat. I then covered the front of the pull-out drawers in the same panelling we used on the walls, and covered the whole thing in a sheet of MDF to unite it as one piece of furniture before fixing it to the wall. I found scalloped MDF on Amazon, which I attached to a sheet of MDF before hanging on the wall and propping up with two thick wooden poles, set into the top of the unit. A quick paint job and we had a striped canopy that matched the rest of the room.
What are your five top tips for decorating a kids’ room on a budget?
1. If you've got a large window in a kid’s room, you might think you need to go bespoke on window dressings (after all, a proper blackout means your kids might just stay asleep longer!) However, if you can get two blinds to fit the space, you can easily buy small magnetic fixings that will ‘stick’ your blinds together, helping to avoid light coming through the gaps.
2. Panelling is great for a kids room, as you can paint it in a tougher finish like eggshell or satin, which will need repainting less often. It'll work from scheme to scheme too, so you can invest in it once and be used over and over again. Choose a darker colour for the panelling and a lighter shade for the walls and ceiling for a more durable space.
3. Whether you've got freestanding or built-in storage, I'd always recommend thinking a bit more temporarily with how you arrange the storage internally, as your needs are going to change quite quickly. Tension hanging rails can be added in so you can add in as many rails as you want, while moveable shelves will mean your storage is more adaptable for the future.
4. If you're considering repurposing any non-standard fabrics for furniture like tablecloths, just bear in mind that these won't be flame retardant in the same way as conventional upholstery textiles. There are treating sprays you can buy online if you're concerned about this.
5. For added impact, I love the idea of adding a little beading above the skirting board to make it look bigger. It's great when you're doing a contrast skirting, and it just feels more pronounced and oversized, adding a little bit of whimsy to your kid's room.
To find out more about Luke’s work, click here.
Want more kids’ bedroom makeovers? Check out fellow former Interior Design Masterclass contestant Nicki Bamford-Bowes’ makeover of her daughter Bo’s bedroom here, plus her top tips for kid-friendly spaces.