Childhood101

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Kids Rooms: Make Your Toddler’s Room Pop!

This post is sponsored by White Knight Paints.

I have a little confession to make. Something I have been feeling terrible about … you see, the truth is I never actually got AJ’s nursery finished. Where Immy’s room was totally ready weeks before she was due, AJ is nearly two and her room is as bland and boring as a cardboard box. Where I spent weeks scouring secondhand stores and collecting bit and bobs with a clear vision for Immy’s room, I had a vague idea about doing something with rainbows for AJ’s room but it never actually translated into reality. Even now, when she’s nearly two!

See what I mean…

Making Kid's Rooms Pop

As you come into the room you can see a wicker chair (where I have been spending way too many twilight hours recently, but that is a whole other blog post) and bedside table.

Make Your Toddler Room Pop

The cot is next, situated along the middle of that back wall. A chest of drawers that doubles as a nappy change table sits in the far corner of the room. The wall on the right hand side of the room is dominated by a large window.

Make Your Toddler Room Pop

As you move around the room, the final wall includes a door into the walk in robe, some display shelving with a small collection of keepsakes, a wicker toy basket and dollhouse inspired bookcase.

So, as you can see, the room is very much unadorned. Some might call it a bland blank canvas – neutral, warm white walls, grey carpet, silver grey curtains and white furniture. Whatever you call it, it’s well overdue for an injection of warmth, colour and personality!

I also think it’s time to make the room more of a fun, toddler friendly space for AJ by adding;
•    A comfortable, independent reading spot
•    A small table and chair for puzzles (AJ loves doing puzzles)
•    More (kid friendly) storage

Needless to say, when White Knight invited us to get involved in their Reluctant Handyman campaign – choosing a home based project that we have been procrastinating about and getting it done – Dad 101 and I both instantly agreed that AJ’s toddler room was well overdue for a dose of love and attention.

Kids Spaces: Make Your Toddler's Room Pop

As I started planning and preparing for this makeover, the combination of pinks, yellow (if you’ve seen our art space, you’ll know I love yellow) and mint green in this striped blanket that my Mum bought for AJ’s room have inspired me. If the room comes together as I hope it will, I am hoping these will form the basis of the decorating colour palette.

I have also had a good look around Pinterest for inspiration and just love the pops of colour against neutral backdrops within each of these gorgeous images.

Kids Spaces: Make Your Toddler's Room Pop

Image sources (clockwise from top): 1. Pillow Thought 2. Lauraamiss on Etsy 3. Petite Vintage Interiors featured on Babyology 4. Scandinavian Chic

So the challenge that lies ahead involves re-purposing and renovating a number of furniture and decorating pieces for the room to make it more functional and colourful, with the help of White Knight’s range of specialty paints.

Kids Spaces: Make Your Toddler's Room Pop

Wish us luck and pop back in a fortnight when I will show you the results!

I would love to know, what colours feature in your nursery or toddler’s bedroom? And, do you have a decorating or renovation job that you’ve been procrastinating about?



Christie Burnett is an early childhood teacher, presenter, writer and the editor of Childhood 101. More importantly, she is a Mum who believes wholeheartedly in the value of children learning through play, the importance of quality early education, and the togetherness of family.

Read more of Christie's adventures at https://childhood101.com.

Read the comments or scroll down to add your own:

  1. Amanda Eastment says

    March 26, 2014 at 9:43 AM

    Our house is just one big renovation procrastination! We have ceilings to board up and paint, skirting boards to paint, a kitchen that is half pulled out and hasn't been re-done, doors to paint, cupboards to put in, outside walls to paint, maybe house to be lifted, fans and lights to change...... the list is endless! We are content though and it's just lovely to have a house. We'll get to the renovating again some day. Have fun doing AJ's room.

  2. Debra says

    March 26, 2014 at 3:24 PM

    Good luck :) We are currently decorating my little boys room as he's getting a single bed instead of his toddler one so we need to do some rearranging. LIke you, we didn't really do anything specific in the room, we just left it cream and put things in there.

  3. Margaret Elvis says

    March 27, 2014 at 7:53 PM

    Children today are so fortunate. My two didn't really have a nursery but just a bedroom which they shared for a few years before we divided a large room and they had one half each. What you are doing sounds just so exciting and glad to see the cushion is hanging together OK.

  5. katepickle says

    March 28, 2014 at 3:04 PM

    Oooh we have that Ikea bed that has been painted pink (in fact two of them) and they would be AWESOME painted colours! My girls would LOVE that! I wonder how well the spray paint would adhere to the cast iron?? Right now I think my girls would pick aqua and bright fuchsia/purple as their colour scheme, and I'd try to throw in some lemon yellow and lime green!

    • Laurel from Tennessee says

      March 29, 2014 at 11:01 AM

      Katepickle check with your local auto body painters. They can do a permanent finish that will hold up much better then spray paint.

    • Christie Burnett says

      April 22, 2014 at 4:54 PM

      Check out the White Knight site, Kate, they have lots of information about the right preparation on all different sorts of surfaces. And I love your colour scheme!

  7. Laurel from Tennessee says

    March 29, 2014 at 10:56 AM

    I thought I was the only one! I've been feeling so guilty about not having my daughter's room together. We moved her into a larger room a few months ago, and in spite of having everything I need to make it a fabulous space for her it's still quite blah. The raspberry pink curtains are up, and a colorful rrug on the floor but nothing else. As soon as I get motivated she will have fabric wrapped canvases and framed bits from some of her baby clothes on the walls. I think this weekend would be a good time to get it done!

  9. Nichole {youclevermonkey} says

    March 30, 2014 at 6:52 PM

    I can't wait to see the finished product either! I'm part way through renovating both of our kids room (two share). The nearly ten year old wants her walls painted 'Golden Summer' yellow which is quite strong so I'm trying to balance that with plenty of white space along with pops of aqua, pink and green.

  11. Thomson Toys says

    June 2, 2014 at 2:36 PM

    I just adore these nurseries. So much room for heaps of play time. I agree that you should have a section for each activity. This way your child knows that books stay on the bookshelf and puzzles stay on the puzzle table. I bet AJ loves his room.

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