for your
home
Using furniture
that will stand
the test of time in
your child’s room
gRoromo two
By Gretchen Roberts
YOUR CHILDREN WILL outgrow their
clothes, toys and books, but that doesn’t mean
you’ll need to replace their bedroom furniture
every few years, too. Just think long term
when it comes to furniture and short term
when it comes to frills, says Sherri Blum,
owner of Jack and Jill Interiors in Westminster,
Maryland. “Start with a good base of furniture that can grow with your child, and then
you’ll only have to change out accessories as
your child gets older,” she says.
soft and fun to play on, but that’s easy to
clean,” Yip advises. “I like to go with a plain
rug and let other accents show the room’s
theme, so you won’t have to change the rug
out too soon.”
You can spare yourself costly upgrades by
furnishing your child’s room with time-tested pieces—then decorating around
them with creative elements. Pictured
here: the Peyton Collection.
Start with the essentials
When choosing must-have pieces of furniture, think clean lined and simple, advises
Vern Yip, host and designer of HGTV’s
Deserving Design. “Key furniture should be
adaptable pieces that could translate to any
room,” he says. He recommends convertible
cribs, which adjust from a crib to a toddler
bed to a twin bed. “In addition to being cost
friendly, a convertible crib is environmentally
friendly,” he adds.
A dresser is the next must-have item in
the room. “Consider an adult-size chest of
drawers. Small drawers won’t hold your child’s
larger clothing as he grows,” says Blum.
“Everyone knows that even though kids
and babies are small, their stuff is not,” Yip
says. Closed storage such as an armoire can be
used first as a changing table and later for a
television and gaming equipment. Tall book-shelves can display everything from books to
collectibles.
Finally, if the room has a hard floor, get a
good rug. “Look for something that’s really
Add extras
As your child gets older, think about adding a desk and an upholstered chair. “I recommend a personal desk for children of all ages,”
Blum says. “It’s important for them to have a
quiet area to work on individual projects. In a
girl’s room, a desk can double as a vanity.”
Look for a desk your child can grow into.
“Start with a good
base of furniture
that can grow with
your child.”
—Sherri Blum
“A comfortable, upholstered chair covered in a durable fabric like microfiber is
really nice to have in the bedroom,” Yip says.
The oversize beanbag chairs available at
costco.com are hip and versatile. And they’re
large enough to double as spare beds when
friends stay overnight.
the age of 4 or 5, when they start to see other
kids’ rooms or begin to realize there are other
options available,” Blum says. “At this age
they’re usually interested in characters they’ve
seen on television or in stores.”
The next stage is usually in the preteen
years. “They’re embarrassed by the superhero
bedding now and want something more
mature, like a sports-themed or funky flower
room,” Blum says.
Finally, the more sophisticated teen years
arrive. “Teens usually have a very strong opinion about every element in the room. They
like deeper colors and lots of accessories that
reflect their constantly changing likes and
moods,” Blum says. (That is, unless he or she
has a quirky sense of humor, in which case
you’re back to superhero bedding.)
With a core of long-lasting furniture, you
can inexpensively redecorate your child’s
room at each of these stages using just a few
materials: a new bedspread, throw pillows,
drapes, art and wall paint.
Most important, Blum says, is to listen to
your child when choosing accessories. “Take
advantage of this wonderful opportunity to get
to know more about your child’s personality
by involving him in the redecorating project,”
she says. “Allow him to express himself and it
will be a wonderful experience for all.” C
The Costco Connection
You’ll find a variety of sturdy and versatile furniture and colorful accessories for
children’s rooms at Costco warehouses this
month and on costco.com.
Decorate in stages
Decorating a nursery is a time-honored
pleasure, but before you know it your baby girl
will be a preschooler and way more into
Disney princesses than the teddy-bear theme
you so painstakingly picked. “Most children
start to express ideas about room décor around
Gretchen Roberts is a food, home and garden
writer in Knoxville, Tennessee. She has two
daughters, 1 and 4, who share a princess/flo-ral/eclectic mostly pink bedroom.