Change is the only constant in our lives. Without making simple changes to our lifestyle, we would soon tire of our lives, and this rings especially true for children. One important way to treat children and make their lives that much more fulfilling is to give their room a whole new look. The makeover needn't cost too much, and there are countless ways to make creative changes to better suit a child's temperament. Color is vital One easy solution is to select furniture and decorations that are bright in color. Natural colors may work for the rest of the home, but children soon tire of such ‘empty' colors and prefer brighter and bolder colors. “At the moment four colors are available in the market for children's beds: pink and purple for girls and blue and red with green for boys,” said Muzammal Ahmed, manager of a Home Plaza store in Jeddah. Colorful beds will certainly add much cheer to a child's bedroom. Let them feel grown up Children these days prefer to have more open spaces in their bedrooms so the large, circular desks of yesteryear are out of fashion and therefore out of stock at furniture gurus Ikea. “The round study desks are out and aren't going to come back any more. Instead, we are offering smaller square desks without chairs,” said one employee at the Ikea store in Jeddah. These desks certainly seem to be a hit with children as they exude a rather more mature air and therefore appeal to children that much more. Since the objective of desks is to provide a study station for children, it is very important that children are both excited about using their desks, and understand the importance of studying on a desk, as compared to lounging on the bed or the living room sofa. For younger children, many desks in the market have popular cartoon characters printed or stenciled in on them, including SpongeBob SquarePants and Bratz. Give them their own library It's official. Huge, lumbering book shelves are out of fashion and space-saving, medium-sized cabinets have made a grand return. Available in a variety of bright colors, this must-have for the children's room can be bought according to the color of the bed or the curtains. “Children simultaneously need space to play and keep their books, CDs and video games in a safe and organized place. It is important to give them a small book shelf or even a desk-cum-shelf,” remarked Saima Naeem, a mother of four. Social acceptance These days it is also not uncommon for children's rooms to feature a number of chairs, beanie bags and even small sofas. Again, all these are available in the market in a variety of bright colors and patterns. These are important from a social point of view. Even children get visitors and it's only fair that they have somewhere to seat them. Sleeping with friends Children often don't just like to watch cartoons, they like to sleep with them as well. The latest fad in this respect is the advent of bed sheets and covers with cartoon characters splayed on them. If not “Kung Fu Panda”, then teddy bears, cars and animals are a given prerequisite. According to an employee at Home Plaza, the latest in this line is to have racing cars printed on the bed covers. Get sticky It was almost unheard of a couple of years back, but using beautiful, glossy stickers to decorate children's room is the new way to refresh a room for frugal parents. “Stickers are available in the form of flowers, popular cartoon characters, ‘cool' words or phrases and a variety of dazzling patterns,” explained Ahmed. “They look like paintings, instead of stickers and give a fabulous and different look to the room.” Keep those windows interesting Curtains are as important in a room as the bed or book shelf. Though it is advisable to use curtains that match somewhat with the furniture, it is important to keep them bright but simple. Garish and heavily embellished curtains will not give the room an airy environment – a vital prerequisite for children's rooms in particular. Two-color combination curtains are highly fashionable these days, and Ikea offers a fantastic assortment of curtains that are specifically geared to younger customers. Every night is an adventure You will be hard pressed to find a child that does not want to sleep in a bunk bed. Furniture stores often witness tantrum-throwing children who insist on getting bunk beds. And why not? Gone are the days when bunk beds were considered safety hazard and expensive item in furniture stores. These days bunk beds make both financial and aesthetic sense, and Ikea recognizes the never-out-of-fashion appeal of this traditional piece of furniture. “Children still prefer bunk beds, but there is a need to preserve more and more space. Some single beds ape the bunk bed's style and include a desk and storage space underneath the bed. Bunk beds are an excellent choice for small rooms where there is very little space,” explained an Ikea attendant. There is a recession going on, you know According to Muzzamal Ahmed, Home Plaza “has everything that can suit every pocket or taste”. However, for the frugal parent, unwilling to spend too much on the makeover, there are a variety of alternatives available in Jeddah that steer clear of Ikea and Home Plaza. Independent furniture shops at Kilo 2, Souk Majran in the Safa district and the Mahmood Saeed market all offer an excellent variety of children's furniture and decorations. Beds, desks, cabinets and shelves all cost about half of the expected cost, although the drop in quality is also substantial. Most are imitations of the items available in more expensive furniture stores. “Before, everything was at lower prices, but after the global economic crisis, prices have gone up,” said Abdul Mohammad, a salesman at an independent furniture store at Kilo 2. “However, we still try to keep people's budget limitations in mind.” Ultimately, it is important to keep making changes to a child's room to stave off boredom and ensure that a child is happy to be in their room. It makes economic sense to invest in strong and durable furniture once, and then make small, but creative, changes to the room in terms of new curtain and tasteful wall decorations. The most important thing to remember is that open spaces are always preferred to a cramped setting and the room should be a child's sanctuary. Everything should be chosen according to a child's temperament and preferences.
