Cost-efficient Decorating

How to Jazz up Your Child's Room and Stay Under Budget

By Tamar Weiss

"I had envisioned decorating my son's room in an elaborate sports theme," says Sharon Sims, mother of 3-year-old Zachary from San Francisco, Calif. "But all the ideas I had turned out to be way too expensive or something only Martha Stewart could pull off! I didn't know where to start."

Like Sims, moms often dream of providing their children with the perfectly-decorated room that either they always wanted but never had or did have and remember as a whimsical child haven. But for parents on a tight budget and with limited time, such undertakings are not feasible.

Many parents are at a loss when beginning the process of decorating a toddler or preschooler's room they want to create a stylish yet functional room, while keeping their child involved in the decisions and staying within budget. Though this sounds like an insurmountable challenge, such expectations can actually be realized with a few pointers and simple ideas.

Begin by looking at "as many design magazines as possible to get ideas and formulas (you) can translate," says Patty Flauto, a color and design consultant with the Color Marketing Group. "Also, look at the pictures in kids' wallpaper books. The room set-ups are great idea starters." Ideas can be gathered by just window-shopping, she explains. Visit showrooms and furniture stores that cater to the children's market.

Leslie Zinberg, co-author of The Pink and Blue Baby Pages and The Pink and Blue Toddler and Preschooler Pages, suggests picking a theme and designing the entire room around that theme.

Another good starting point is bedding. "Use the bedding as a springboard for paint and pattern choices throughout the room," says Flauto. Bedding is also an area where your child can have some control over the room design. The bedding is easy to change as your child gets older and tastes change. When involving your child, Flauto says to pre-select no more than four patterns for him or her to choose from.

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