Are you setting up your kid’s bedroom for the first time? Are you transitioning them from their crib to their “big kid” room? Or perhaps you’re looking to re-design their room altogether and start fresh? We all want to create a space that our children can grow into, and that means getting as much functionality and storage as possible. Here are a few tips and pointers to help you select the best youth furniture and accessories for you and your child.
Basic Furniture Needs for Kids’ Rooms
When purchasing furniture for your children’s bedrooms, first consider what basic furniture items they will need. Every family and child is different, here are five furniture pieces that are essential across the board.
- Sleeping Space: Every kid needs to sleep (even if they give you a hard time about it or not). Luckily, beds and mattresses come in many sizes and styles. Whether it’s a twin daybed with a trundle for extra sleeping space or a queen size bed with an eclectic headboard, there’s plenty of fun youth bed frames to choose from.
- Clothing Storage: Kids need a place to keep their clothes, folded or unfolded. Even if their room has a closet, dressers are a great place to store socks, underwear and pajamas.
- Toy Storage: Toys need a home. Toy chests or an extra set of dresser drawers can provide a decent amount of storage for your child. Try to select pieces that will grow with your child and work well with any design or style they choose.
- Creative Space: Creative spaces can be anything that promotes a hobby or preferred activity. If your child loves to read, consider placing bookshelves in their room. If your child loves to draw, color or paint, then consider a desk and office chair. Many older kids can benefit from a bookshelf as well as desk space for doing their homework.
Shopping For Kids’ Beds
There are a few things to keep in mind when deciding what style bed is best for your child, such as:
- Child’s Age: How long will they be using this bed? You may need a piece that will transition well from a younger child to a preteen youth.
- Expected use: Will your child have friends or relatives staying over that need another bed? You may need to consider a bunk bed or trundle bed that provides additional sleeping space.
- Available Space: How much space do you have to work with? If you’re working with a smaller room you may need to consider a smaller bed frame size or a loft style bed.
Furniture Features to Avoid
Not all furniture pieces are meant for youth rooms. If you have younger children, avoid furniture and accessories that can pose a safety concern, such as beds with height and ladders (bunk beds & loft beds) or furniture with sharp or pointy edges. Instead, look for lower profile beds and softer, rounded edged pieces.
Popular Youth Bedroom Themes
Styles and popular designs change frequently and it can be hard to keep up. Don’t worry, we have you covered! Here are a few classic and current trends for preteen bedroom sets and stylish youth furniture.
- Evergreen Youth Bedrooms: You may opt for a classic approach with neutral tones that can blend and match any theme your child chooses down the road. Color, pattern and favorite characters (from books, movies & shows) can be incorporated through bedspreads, pillows, blankets, youth rugs and art work.
- Versatility & Mobility: If your child likes to frequently change the look and feel of their space, you could opt for a room that has reversible options, including reversible throw pillows, reversible comforters and reversible curtains. Easy-to-move or “roll” furniture is an added bonus for this style of room. Cubed bookcases that can be accessed from either side and either direction is also a great addition.
- Interactive Interiors: A great choice for younger children and preteens, an interactive space is both fun and educational. Some simple engaging elements include: chalk boards, white boards, magnet boards, glow-in-the-dark bedding and glow-in-the-dark artwork to help spark their creativity
- Bring the Outdoors In: Nature is a popular trend in all aspects of design. Touches of crisp white, natural wood, eclectic textures, low maintenance houseplants and water elements are all good ways to get the look and feel of the outdoors.
- Accent Walls: Also a classic, accent walls can be used in any theme, any color and any pattern. They can make a large impact at a very low cost. Current popular colors for accent walls include: onyx, any shade of gray, navy blue, olive, lavender mist and aqua.
Fun & Functional Kids Room Accessories
Once you have selected all of your big furniture pieces and settled on what theme and style your child would like to go with, it’s time to accessorize! Some decorations double as functional items while others just make you feel good.
Functional Youth Décor
- Curtains
- Bookcases
- Nightstand
- Desks
- Lamps
- Mirrors and vanities
- Toy chests
- Lounge chair
Feel-Good Youth Décor
- Pictures of friends & family
- Art
- Plants
- Rugs
- Decorative pillows
- Throw blankets
- Decorative light switch covers
El Dorado’s Top Picks for Kids Rooms
At El Dorado Furniture, we have over 50 years of furniture and home decor experience. We know what pieces work best for kids’ rooms and what styles they love best!
Shop our kids’ room furniture recommendations:
Abigail Espresso Twin Over Full Bunk Bed
Sam White Twin Over Twin Bunk Bed
Balto Brown Twin Over Twin Bunk Bed w/Storage
Youth Desks & Chairs
Yoshi White Low Back Desk Chair
When buying new furniture for your child’s room, get them involved! The more fun the process, the more excited they will be when their room refresh is finally complete. Stop by and see what pieces make them smile. Happy shopping!