Appropriate age group(s):
Preschool and Younger
Elementary School
Middle School
High School & Beyond

Description:
This is more a suggestion than a total theme, because it's aimed at those who won't or can't redecorate frequently, and it's accomplished at a casual pace.

Instructions:
Mainly, the idea is that many children of all ages like bright colors, and staying in that Paintbox palette can serve them well for years, blending with the colors of Toys and other natural components of a child's day, and then progressing to posters and bulletin boards and other things that teens favor.

In our house, it began with a chest of drawers; ours was found at a garage sale for about 30 bucks. Someone had painted the "body" of the chest bright blue, and each drawer face has a different color: yellow, green, red, and blue. I always meant to sand and paint it in sweet pastels, for my little daughter, but never found the time or energy to do that...and working around those primary colors was So Easy, with each child, that I'd heartily recommend it to anyone. When my cousin chose a crib for her firstborn, she chose a metal crib enameled with primary colors, and painted an unfinished chest of drawers to match.

Part of what makes this work is the casual approach to painting, too; my father sold real estate, and he always suggested off white/eggshell type paint throughout a home. That's the paint job we found in military housing, and in most apartments/rentals. It really isn't Blah if you choose other decorating elements that have Pizzaz, and it makes changing elements of a room later just that much easier. In a child's room and kitchen, it's a good idea to look for the paints that claim to be more "scrubbable", but beyond that, it's not essential to re-paint that often. Save that Fun for the more Opinionated teens and 'Tween years, when the child can provide some of the labor...

When my daughter was in this room, we had a crib with a light oak finish, but white or brass or Colors would have worked just as well. The challenge of crib location in a small room: it can't go next to the window, due to danger of strangulation by the mini-blinds cords (clip, and attach safety doohickeys; check Toys R Us or Target). It should not be right next to a heat duct/baseboard heat thang, or too close to thermostat controls and light switches, the top of the dresser, lamps, and bookcases. Pictures (with glass, nails, tacks or other stuff attaching) should not be within reach of the crib; the crib itself should meet current safety standards, with slats/bars in good condition and the space between rather close, to prevent strangulation. (People wonder how this could happen, with the older, "spacier" bar placement that served them or their older children well, but Believe It: an active child can push feet and arms thru the bars, and try to follow thru with the rest of the body, but the head won't fit...and that's how the tragedy happens.) My son could be found with arms and legs stickin' out of his crib every which way; with crib bars set wider apart, I think he would have long ago been a Statistic...the other things to be cautious about are non-toxic paint on the crib, and a mattress that fits rather snugly in the bedframe. Go to the Web and check out what the Consumer Product Safety Commission says about cribs and bedding. www.cpsc.gov
Honestly, with the small bedrooms in many houses, the above criteria are enough challenge without trying to be a total Master Decorator (and once the Wonderchild gains full mobility, room decor takes on completely new meaning!).

The baby comforters featured primary brights, and then we had stuff ranging from patchwork quilts w/lace ruffles to Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Thomas the Tank Engine, and now "jeweltone Plaid", which is a shade different from the Baby/Preschool decor, but not so radical a change that I feel an itch to ditch the dresser. What's the rush?...when the time is right, I'll find it...
We have a clock on the wall that's got a photo of Mickey and Goofy and all the Disneyland greeters, at the Magic Kingdom. There's an enormous bookcase (bolted to the wall, because of a. climbing and b. earthquake preparedness; dresser is also bolted to the wall. Kids will take drawers out and it becomes a ladder... ;-)

The window covering is an off-white mini blind, topped with a valance to match the bedcoverings. People who sew (or know someone who sews) can squeeze a valance and several throw pillows out of a matching twin-sized sheet. With 2 or more sheets, simple curtains are possible. I encountered half price sheets with no matching pillowcases; using a twin sheet, I sewed up two, and had enough scrap for toss pillows. It also works to mix and match solids and patterns. Look for ideas in catalogs, but don't feel bound by any of them, for they are Showcases, vs. Real People homes.

When a child is older, dedicating a large amount of wall space to Bulletin Board is worthwhile. All those certificates and Kid Art need a place to hang out! I want to put a desk in my son's room, but considering the space limitations, the Toy Cargo net I crocheted about 9 years ago, bulging with enough critters to fill 5 zoos, will have to be culled down considerably...

You might think that a changing table could have no use after Diaper Days, but we outfitted ours with 4 milk crates in bright colors (2 on each lower shelf) and it keeps on truckin' as extra storage and shelf. My next door neighbor's teenage daughter uses hers as a showcase for Trolls, Beanie Babies, and other Stuff. When diapers were still a happenin' thang, I found that placing ordinary, inexpensive bath towels on top of the pad and foam cover made my life easier; I didn't need to have a half dozen fitted covers for the changing table! Just laid that cute striped towel on top, and whipped out new ones as needed. We had about a dozen of them, and they rolled up to stow in a "wine rack" on the bathroom wall, above the toilet (we try to keep some on the bottom level at all times, to prevent climbing to reach 'em). The Baby is 6, and we still have those towels, for gym and beach purposes.

If you get bunk beds later, know that the youngest in the house will be drawn to that top bunk like a magnet. Age 6 is the minimum suggested by many manufacturers, probably so kids won't leap off the top in their Batman pajamas, emulating superheros. Check that Consumer Product Safety Commission site again, because bunk beds (especially second-hand) are another area with safety concerns; some of the enameled, tubular frames have had recalls/repair kits needed due to collapsing top units, and wood frames are not exempt of hazards, either. Even if you are going to buy a new unit, the safety information is Vital. Kids tend to do stuff like lay on the bottom bunk and push on the top one with their feet; you've got to take measures to prevent the kid from dislodging the top enough to bring it crashing down. As for decorating them, the child is by then old enough to have some distinct preference, so find some comforter and sheet designs you can live with, and let the child help choose from that, or be Open to ideas.

Unless you are Very Tall, the bedding on the top bunkie isn't as visible as the bottom, and if you can put something respectable on the bottom bunk, you have time to ponder/budget for comforters, sheets, and pillows that you may be looking at until the child grows up and leaves home. If you and your child(ren) are undecided, and being UnMatched for even a day is bothersome, consider the bin of "$19.99 or less" twin sized comforters, because it's generally easy to find a nice selection in twin size (white sales, or specialty linen and bedding store clearance). Affordable solid color sheets can usually be found to blend with virtually any print. Pending Mother-In-Law visits and such can make us make snap decisions. It's OK to buy a little Time first, and decorate at leisure later. Realize that the interest in bunk beds begins to decline when the kid's head starts bumping on that top bunk, due to growth; I have known children who had the twin/full combo, futon/twin, or standard twins type for less than 2 years, for this head-banging reason. LL Bean claims to have more head room in their bunkies; for top dollar, you should expect that. Measure your room, ceiling height, check the positioning you'd need for bunks in relation to the door, ladder placement in relation to that door, etc. Our bunkies are from "This End Up."

Sorry this was so long; this is just mommabear budget-conscious decorating notes for any of you Real People on a Budget types that are saving for your kids' college fund, your own retirement, a nervous breakdown, or Whatever... ;-)