Can someone help me - I am planning to decorate DSs (17 months) bedroom...

[Quootiepie]

DS is currently still in with me but I think I should start work on his bedroom now-ish as it'll take me a good while to complete it! It is currently in it's baby state - white wallpaper with little blue flowers and white laminate flooring (he didn't even spend an hour in total in it though!) but it needs to be stripped because 1) the flowers really are too babyish and the tumble drier being in their means some bits have pealed anyway and 2) DH layed the laminate flooring (need I say more??!)
I am having trouble deciding how to do it though, I was going to buy a good pine wardrobe and chest of drawers and paint them white (I am obsessed with white furniture!) and have blue and white striped wallpaper (think Laura Ashley type thing) but then I am wondering if I am thinking too much how I would like it rather than DS... I have seen a few 'all out' kids ranges (Thomas the tank engine etc.) and wonder if I should really make it a real toddler bedroom... and risk him going off whatever I do to it (I was just going to have say a few planes from the ceiling, paintings of trains etc.). Sorry if I am rambling but I am really unsure of what to do...
Thankyou so mch if you can help me! x

[Quootiepie]

*there not their, sorry it bugs me

[Twiglett]

don't know if it'll help but I got DS' room painted all white and then did a dinosaur wall .. I figured I could change the dinosaur wall if he grows out of it with minimal effort .. I wouldn't do real toddler stuff .. do stuff he can grow with

[JackieNo]

Have to say, I'd tend to go for plainish walls, floor, furniture, and add the fun element with bedding, cushions, mobiles, maybe stickers, so that if (when?) he does get fed up of it/grow out of it, it can easily be updated. And definitely buy full size furniture (wardrobe etc), I think, as it'll last longer.

[Twiglett]

dinosaur wall

[Quootiepie]

that's what I was planning to do but everywhere is packed with the whole range of character things I think my DS might be left out if his actual room was abit plainer...

[JackieNo]

That's fab, Twiglett.

[UCM]

Lining paper and wipe clean paint. You can keep it clean and as someone else said, update it each year or whateve without decorating again.

[Quootiepie]

WOW. I do have a sticky out wall I can do something like a mural for him on... maybe i'll just do that and change it when he wants something else.

[LadyVictoriaOfCake]

i would just buy white furiture instead of painting it. dd2+3 room has the white robin wardrobe and 3 drawer chest, and pine bunk beds.

dd1 room has the rakke (beech effect and white) wardrobe, and will be getting her the drawers as well.

i think as long as the floor is laid well, (laminate throughout here) and the furniture is simple and unfussy, then you can pretty much have a free reins on the other stuff.

i dont go for 'toddler' ranges as they grow out of stuff so quickly. they have all had character bedding though, which afetr 2years they have grown out of, fortunatly dd3 makes use of eeyore bedding, and my little ponies lol.

to be honest, kids dont care what they rooms look like at this age, it ios purely for parent benefit.

[Quootiepie]

yep, might do a mural wall thingy but with stickers I am really not an artist, unless DS likes horses lol

[UCM]

Oooooooooooooo LL, I could get very very excited over that it's lovely.

[JackieNo]

My DS is 3.8 - his room is still much as it was when it was DH's study () - down to some computer books on the upper shelves of the bookcase. He has never said anything about it, as he just accepts it the way it is (so far). Also, at 17 months, your DS is probably not going to be spending huge amounts of time up there, is he? If you're anything like us, most of the toys live downstairs, and get played with there.

[Twiglett]

no, no didn't paint it .. we just painted the sky, clouds and sand (very easy) and the rest is cut-out wallpaper from a company called friezeframe (will find link) .. you punch them out .. stick them up with blu-tac to check position then wallpaper paste them on

[Quootiepie]

most our house is on one floor (like an upside down bungalow) so it will be sort of his playroom too.

[JackieNo]

(I think what I was trying to say was what LadyVictoria said much more simply - 'to be honest, kids don't care what their rooms look like at this age, it is purely for parent benefit')

[runnyhabbit]

We are going through a similar thing. Ds1 (2.4) and ds2 (5mths) are going to be sharing a bedroom, as soon as we finish decorating it.

Finally decided to paint the walls a pale blue, neutral carpet (did think about laminate, but it would be quite noisy) and a triple wardrobe (either white or beech) like this for their clothes.

The rest of the storage is going to be in bright colours, and really like this as ds1 is really into books, then will take a trip to ikea for little stools/chairs etc.

hth

[Quootiepie]

I think I am OK with the decor now, I don't feel guilty about not buying the Thomas the tank engine bed Just 2 Qs really I guess - are full length curtains risky at this age? and what do you suggest for flooring? Thanks so much for all your help x

[LadyVictoriaOfCake]

yes i go a bit mad in ikea for kids room stuff. dd2+3 want the dragon minnen range? they have already conned the mirror out of me on my last trip there.

dd1 is more 'pin kand fluffy,' so her room iwll be redecorated next year at some point, i can recycle the stuff from the other room as it has pink curtains, bedding and lampshade.

[Twiglett]

frieze frame

[Twiglett]

can you find me big funky butterfly stickers?

or decent fairies that aren't disney style

need to do a room for DD