Top Bedroom Trends for Kids

Designing a child’s bedroom can be tricky. On the one hand, it’s important to honor a child’s personality and let them make the space their own. On the other hand, the room is part of your home, so you’ll want to have input. If you’re looking for inspiration, we’ve scoped out some kids’ bedroom trends for all ages that you and your little one will both love.

The latest trends in kids’ rooms are all about sparking their imaginations. Using color, pattern and texture, you can design an enchanting escape that encourages creative play in your child.

Many designers are also forgoing typical kids’ room furniture and decor for more mature pieces that will grow with the child, like Mary Patton did with this space’s stylish gallery wall. While it’s easy to default to cute animals and sparkly unicorns for art in a kid’s room, using actual art in nice frames can heighten the decor. “I think investing in real art for a child’s room is the way to go if the budget allows,” she says. “Something youthful and fun but that does not read as babyish." Browse our gallery to see more kids’ room trends designers are loving.

In this sophisticated bedroom that designer Annie Elliott, principal of Annie Elliott Design, designed with and for her daughter, the wallpaper pattern is a charming old-fashioned cityscape that immerses you in buildings and streets. “Wallpaper accent walls are becoming very popular in children’s bedrooms — and you'd be surprised how mature their selections can be,” says Elliott. “I thought my young teenager, who loves loud colors, would choose a festive, dramatic wallpaper for her tiny bedroom. To my surprise, she selected a sophisticated cityscape in blues and grays instead.”

If you want to stick with neutral walls in your child’s room, you can still add plenty of color, pattern and personality with bedding, curtains and other accessories. Anne Hepfer, interior designer and author of MOOD, picked a delightful array of magenta accents for this girl’s bedroom, from the striped bedskirt to the piping on the pillow sham. The sheer white curtains offer a nice contrast to the bold pinks.

Sometimes all you need is a bold headboard to bring a bedroom to life. For this children’s room, designer and MOOD author Anne Hepfer picked a pair of stunning headboards upholstered in bold stripes — with curtains to match.

A dramatic chandelier can elevate your child’s bedroom and add a nice contrast to textures and patterns. Laura Umansky, founder and CEO of the Laura U Design Collective, let her daughters pick wallpaper to match their personalities then topped off the room design with a dazzling chandelier. Photo by Michael Hunter.

Annie Elliott picked a grass-cloth wallcovering to bring warmth and texture to this tween bedroom. The tween chose her bedding and bedside lamps, which can be easily swapped out as she ages. “Many parents ask for rooms that will ‘grow with’ their children — or at least will get them through the tween years,” says Elliott. “It's okay to invest in big-ticket items that have staying power, such as neutral wallcoverings, custom window treatments and dressers. Then you can let your child have a say in the easier-to-change items, such as bedding and artwork.”

Themed kids' bedrooms don’t have to be over-the-top; when done right, Western themes can bring sophisticated playfulness to a room. Jennifer Hunter of Jennifer Hunter Design tinged this boy’s bedroom with subtle Western motifs, from the small, mounted skull to the framed cattle portrait. Meanwhile, the cloud-patterned wallpaper evokes a wide-open Western plain.

The delicate wallpaper pattern brings immediate vibrancy to this child’s room from Jennifer Hunter Design, especially when paired with the contrasting pattern on the headboards. "Wallpaper is an amazing way to play with pattern and bring youthfulness into a space while maintaining an elevated look and feel,” says Jennifer Hunter.

Jessica Salomone, creative director and principal designer at Lotus + Lilac Design, created this sensory-friendly bedroom for an autistic girl. The plush shag rug offers soothing comfort and the blue is reminiscent of a calming underwater environment. “The curtains are to separate the bedroom space for daytime sensory relief and to help soothe her enough to fall asleep at night,” says Salomone.

Design your child’s bedroom with adults rather than kids in mind. “Regardless of the child’s age, I believe the room should not be too juvenile,” says designer Mary Patton. “We like to design fun and stylish rooms that will remain relevant over the years.” Patton appointed this study corner with a handsome writing desk and sophisticated chair. The solar system mobile gives it a scholarly yet whimsical touch.

Encourage creativity by offering walls that children can modify or draw on. This dynamic wallpaper print from Fine & Dandy Co. is modeled after an art salon and even features empty frames inside of which kids can draw their own art. Painting the walls with chalkboard paint is another great option.

Showcase your child’s inner rock star by making their room a tasteful homage to their favorite band (or movie or book). “When this little boy told his mom he wanted a Beatles theme, my imagination went wild,” says Rachel Schwartz of Rachel Schwartz Design. “I really thought outside the box to make it a room he could grow into but enjoy now, too.”

Kids love the adventurous feeling of camping in the woods, so why not bring the woods into the bedroom? In this boy’s bedroom from Mel Bean Interiors, the natural wood in the bunk bed, driftwood side table and the tree print in the window treatment all suggest themes of nature.

For children who love to pretend play, you can create a sitting area to call their own. Mel Bean of Mel Bean Interiors designated a space for a low table and four stylish poufs — perfect for entertaining best friends or dolls, or for crafting if your child is in a solo mood.

Farmhouse-inspired style is still hot in home design, and kids’ rooms are no exception. This bedroom designed by Emily Barry gives off sweet farmhouse vibes, from the rustic metal bed frame to the beige and neutral color palette. The room gets a cheerful modern touch from the blue window treatments from Wovn Home.

Pale pink is a popular color choice for babies' rooms, but it can work in big kids’ rooms as well with the right accessories. Eilyn Jimenez, founder of Sire Design, pairs pink walls with gold accents and plush textures for a luxurious but age-appropriate style.

Don't forget the fifth wall when designing your child's space. The ceiling of this small Manhattan bedroom abounds in watercolor, with echoes of watercolor on the rug as well. The bursts of color are a nice focal point for such a small room, which uses the Kali Board from Resource Furniture to convert the bed into a desk. “At night, when the bed opens, the desk disappears beneath it without any of the storage being disturbed,” says Clare Donohue, principal of 121 Studio.

Bunk beds have come a long way. Some are designed to mimic treehouses and castles, but others make their mark with bold geometric designs. This arch-shaped bunk from Pottery Barn Kids was designed in collaboration with designer Sarah Sherman Samuel. The architectural shape offers a modern feel to the room while giving kids a cozy nook to curl up in.

In lieu of wood shelving, add a modern, minimalist vibe with acrylic shelves like these from Pottery Barn Kids. Acrylic storage works for all ages, from toddlers to tweens. The transparency makes them especially great for storing and keeping stock of toys.

Don’t overlook children’s bedrooms when it comes to houseplants. Plants bring vitality to a child’s room, and they provide a nice opportunity for children to care for living things. In this bedroom designed by Sarah Jefferys Architecture + Interiors, the plant is a stunning centerpiece and complements the natural wood of the floors and bed. Some plants can also help improve the air quality, which is never a bad thing.

In this design, the natural wood bunk bed and woven decor embody calm and simplicity, while the bold Vera Bradley-designed wallpaper from WallPops evokes drama. The contrast is both striking and mature. “The black and white Jacobean pattern brings both drama and timeless elegance to walls — perfect for defining a style that’s both youthful and worldly,” says Jennifer Daltorio of Brewster Home Fashions.

All-over pattern is making a comeback thanks to the grandmillennial style trend. Try doubling down on pink florals for a classically sweet ambiance. This rose wallpaper pattern from A-Street Prints is paired with matching bedding, and the vintage metal bed frame completes the look. The commitment to florals is both daring and dainty at the same time.

Lofted bunks are a perfect way to create a nook where your child can retreat from the world. “Bunk beds create so much additional space in a kid's room,” says Lane McNab with Lane McNab Interiors. “A great way to get the most out of a small footprint or a shared kid's room is to do custom bunk beds that allow each child to have their own sleeping space and then utilizing the additional area for a separate creative space for each sibling, like a secret reading nook.”

Eliminate the need for shelves and storage furniture by building storage into the walls. “When working with limited space for a children’s bedroom, one solution is to reduce the amount of furniture and incorporate the storage into the architecture of the room instead,” says John Potter, partner at Morgante Wilson Architects. “For a smaller children’s room in an urban home, the designers at Morgante Wilson Architects built recessed shelves into the eaves of the roofline and incorporated drawers into the bed frame.”