Making your toddler’s nursery into a room fit for a Big Kid

A lot goes in to planning a nursery. As well as the natural nesting instinct kicking in, it’s seen as crucial to pick the right wall colour to stimulate your baby (but not too much!) find the perfect soft bedclothes and arrange the cuddly toys just so to welcome your bundle into the world.

But what happens when that bundle turns into a bouncing toddler? Creating a room that’s perfect for the little personality your child’s become, rather than the child you hoped it be when it was just a twinkle in your eye, means a new set of challenges.

So, how do you find a balance between your daughter wanting fluorescent green carpeting and finding investment pieces that’ll last until she’s a young woman? How do you explain to your little boy that Sponge Bob wallpaper might seem like a good idea now, but that when he’s entering his rock ‘n’ roll stage, he might feel differently?

Argos has a whole range or bright, beautiful homewares which are perfectly practical (for you) and colourful enough to please even the most neon-loving toddler.

Bright colours

It’s a great idea to buy bigger items, like beds, desks and even wallpaper in neutral tones, so they’ll weather the changes in your child’s preferences: when they decide their favourite colour is now blue, or yellow, or purple, there’s no need for your bigger furniture choices to fall out of favour.

Instead, pick up a bed set in their favourite colours. We can’t promise it’ll be easier to get them to go to bed, but we can promise it’ll be easy to change up if they change their mind. Why not try reversible duvet covers for extra flexibility? Spots, stripes and bright block colours can be found in Argos’s Colour Match range.

You can also create unobtrusive accents to a neutral room by adding bright flashes of colour where it’s least expected: use Baroque-print paper or plum paint to cover the backs of shelves so that a hint of colour peeps out from behind books and toys, or paint the sides of drawers in different shades so when they’re opened up a rainbow is revealed.

Floor-some

First and foremost, you want something that can withstand the spillages and stains that are an inevitable part of your toddler’s territory. Secondly, you want something that’s the focus of your child’s room and hopefully, their play. Covering precious carpet with a bright colour match rug, or character rug, creates a great focal place for the room as well as a comfy area for them to spend time building block towers or stretching out to read.

Lighting

Thick curtains are a must; how else are you going to get them to stay in bed on those long summer evenings when it’s still light out well past their bedtime? Tab curtains are easy to hang and more secure than ring curtains, so they won’t fall down if your toddler is tugging at them.

As well as Ben Ten curtains, Argos has a selection of really basic patterned pieces in bright blues, purples and reds: perfect for complementing the bright, primary colours of your child’s toys, and great if you can pick up accessories in similar shades. If your space is small, avoid using patterns on both the curtains and the bedding; it can add to a feeling of clutter, especially in a room that’s bound to be a bit of a mess sometimes.

A bright, colourful floor lamp (like Argos’s Habitat Two Headed Tommy Lamp in canary yellow) would make for easy bedtime reading, while a pendant light made from clear stained glass will give a nice warming glow. You can even add a cheeky twist with a multi-coloured plastic chandelier.

For more inspiration

Check out Argos’s quirky range of furniture and homewares that are perfect for kids to grow into!