grow into it

From Habitat plus - kids' spaces

One thing is for certain: as your kids get older, they will change – and so will their tastes.

Taking this into account when designing a space for a younger child and avoiding décor that is too ‘kiddie’ could mean you don’t have to redecorate quite so often. It can take a bit of planning to pull this off, and a well-considered colour scheme should be right at the root of that thinking. From there, the space can grow up with your child and make for much easier transitions as they move into their next phase of development.

From bassinet to bed

Over a 24-hour period, newborns typically sleep 14-19 of those hours, so it’s important to have a place where they can get their rest undisturbed. Typically, this means the baby is going to need a room all to themselves. However, your nursery will be as much a place for mum, dad and other helpers as it is for baby, so your colour choices should be made up of ones that all of you will find calming. A darker colour for the lower part of the wall will help mask smudges and fingerprints from little hands as your baby grows into a toddler while a lighter colour up top will add visual height and levity.

From toddler to teen

This sunset pink and terracotta colour scheme is built with neutrals at its base, which means that even if your child decides pink is no longer a preference, the room won’t need a full makeover to completely change the look. Simply swap out the bedding and repaint the furniture and accessories – which is easy enough to do in a weekend. With some minor furniture swaps, areas that younger kids will use for more imaginative play can transition to a hangout or study space in their older years.

Top tip: Pick up a few Resene testpots in coordinating colours and let your child decorate under bed storage boxes or create artwork to suit their scheme. Resene Moccasin (try Resene Toffee), Resene Just Dance, Resene Twilight, Resene Sante Fe, Resene Apache, Resene Sorbet (try Resene Dust Storm) and Resene Kalgoorie Sands were used to paint the round artwork, banner and wooden boxes to match the rest of the scheme.

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