Girl's Bedroom Decorating Tips

Decorating a girl's bedroom is always a challenge; there are so many colors to choose from and theme ideas that it can become confusing. Keeping things simple is always a good idea though and so long as you stick to a few basic rules you should be able to create a room that even the most difficult to please little princess will approve of. Here are a few tips:

Stay Neutral - it is easy to be tempted by bright colors but this only leads to problems later on. If you start with a pale pastel color as your background it can easily be adapted to whatever fad and accessory ideas come along.

Think about Storage - you will never have too much storage space so incorporate it wherever you can. Under-bed drawers, toy boxes that double as seating benches, bookcases and shelves are all more or less essential if you want to keep some kind of order.

Durability - always go for a finish that will take some wear; so vinyl wall paper, washable paint finishes and lacquers are always a good investment.

Zones - rather than making the entire room a free-for-all try and separate it into spaces or zones. So you'll have a sleep zone, a play area and calm and ordered space for study.

Lighting - the importance of good lighting is often overlooked but needs to be considered before you start. You'll need good task lighting for study, a bedside light for night time reading and good adjustable general lighting.

Bedding - there is no lack of choice these days - from soft floral to bold colors, patterns and character themes. Use your bed linen to add color to room.

Accessories - good accessories can make a child's bedroom. So think about a large rug, cushions, beanbags, name plaques and so on - all touches to make a girl's room her own.

Curtains and Blinds - make sure she can open the curtains and raise the blind herself. Also consider some form of black-out option for the summer so her sleep patterns are not disturbed.

Keep Her Involved - most importantly, don't make all the decisions yourself. The more she's involved in the process then the more she'll like the end result.