One of the main problems facing families today is the issue of space. Let’s face it, there’s never enough of it. If you have small children and space is at a premium, chances are that your child’s bedroom is also doubling up as a playroom. This means, of course, that your child is spending a lot of time in that one place, doing a lot of different activities, either alone or with friends. The challenge for any parent in this scenario is making sure that this area is both imaginative enough to allow your child to get creative, but also relaxing enough to ensure that the bed time routine runs smoothly. One of the best ways to address this balance between fun-time and bed-time is through thinking carefully about the design and decoration of the room, and how this can support your child’s use and enjoyment of their personal space.

A good way to keep both the calm, relaxing elements of your child’s bedroom, but also the fun, imaginative side, is by reorganising the room to be in two halves. On the one side can be the messy hotspot for toys, art and general creativity, and on the other the more serene, quiet area, where your child gets ready for bed. One of the best ways to implement this divide is by placing distinguishable furniture on either side, appropriate for the activities taking place on that side of the room. An all-purpose toybox and a small children’s table and chair set are nice additions to the play side of your child’s bedroom, and give a clear indication of what that area is for.

On the other side, without a doubt the most significant piece of furniture for helping your child relax and enjoy bedtime is the choice of bed, and this is a feature which you and your child can enjoy choosing together. Involving your child in the process of choosing their bed ensures that the end result is something they’re going to be really happy with, and this ultimately leads to you having a less difficult time getting them to bed each night! Children are sensitive, so if you want them to feel more comfortable in their own bed than yours, you need to make sure they’re enjoying optimal comfort. Silentnight beds and other specialist retailers offer a great selection of mattresses with extra quilting and supportive pocket springs to promote a great night’s sleep for your child.

Thinking about colour schemes for your child’s bedroom is a more subtle issue, especially when you want the room to encourage both play and relaxation. In this case, there’s no reason why you can’t assign different colours to the different areas of the room – a calming pastel blue for the bed side, and a vibrant red for the play side, for example. Thinking about the balance between these two aspects will help you to maintain a room for your child that is both a functional playroom and a relaxing bedroom.