Trees, plants, and animals are a delightful way to help young children learn about the natural world. While city-dwelling kids in Singapore may not have easy access to forest environments, you can always bring the magic of jungles and forests into their bedrooms and play areas.

A simple way to bring a jungle or forest theme into a kid’s bedroom is with wallpapers with tree or animal patterns. Nikki Hunt, co-founder of interior design studio Design Intervention, says, “A heavily patterned wallpaper or mural can provide the ideal base for this theme. Make sure you incorporate some plain elements to give the eye a place to rest amongst all the patterns.”

British interior designer Katharine Pooley suggests adding colourful, funky wallpaper to wardrobe panelling if you don’t want to wallpaper the entire room. “This will draw the eye and brighten the room,” she says. De Gournay offers a gorgeous selection of wallpaper that can help you to do so.

Jeremy Teo, founder of boutique children’s furniture store Kids Haven, says, “The green in jungle canopies are important but be sure to add a tinge of light brown for contrast, so explore many different shades of greens, browns, greys, creams, and whites. Consider using softer or more subtle lighting for a room with this theme.” To complete the look, introduce animal-themed furniture, toys, plants, or even a tent or teepee to simulate a camping experience.

Pastel-coloured schemes have long been popular for nurseries and girls’ rooms. Paint bedroom walls with soft, light-coloured baby blue, cotton candy pink and mint green paints to create a calming and dreamy atmosphere. To ensure that the overall concept isn’t too muted, you can use pastel paints to create wall murals or even patterned feature walls.

Terence Neo, founder for design practice EightyTwo, says, “We like to use wallpaper to create a feature wall within a pastel-coloured kids’ room. By keeping to a fairly neutral scheme like a repeated pattern of greige “hand-painted” polka dots, you can create visual interest to make a fun and whimsical space.”

Pooja Bihani, founder and principal architect of Kolkata practice Spaces & Design suggests adding black and white vertical lines to break up some of the monotony of a pastel scheme. “Black and white offsets well with pink and offers many layering options. This works particularly well for an older girl’s bedroom,” she says. You can also add layers to a pastel-themed room by introducing bedding and drapery in different textures and shades of the same pastel tone.

Little boys – and little girls, too – dream of exploring outer space, going on safari adventures, becoming race car drivers, or maybe scuba divers. They love to imagine what life might be like in new and unknown worlds and lands, so fire up their creativity by designing an outer space or travel and exploration themed bedroom, study, or playroom.

“The ceiling, floors and walls are the perfect canvas for space or travel-themed rooms,” says Nikki. “By adding rockets, fantasy landscape patterns, or glow-in-the-dark stars and planets to the ceiling, you can really transform a kid’s space,” she adds.

Katharine says that wall decals are “brilliant for adding a touch of whimsy” to such rooms. According to Terence, decals can be used to make a big statement. “As kids learn through play, the decals can also encourage creativity and interactivity with their environment.”

To create a room your kid will be proud to show their friends, you can even include beds shaped like vans, buses, rockets, race cars, boats, or aeroplanes. “Explorer-themed rooms largely depend on the age of your child,” says Jeremy. “Consider gaming, space, pirate, and rock wall themes. The wall is very important for such a theme. You could either get a wall muralist or a wallpaper, or even install a rock wall.”

If you’re looking to design a versatile and adaptable child’s bedroom that can be easily refreshed as your child grows older, consider a minimalist bedroom with white walls, plywood furniture, and earthy neutral colours.

A pared-back design allows you to focus on functionality. “Set up a dedicated desk for craft making, homework, reading or simply daydreaming. A comfortable chair and ample book shelving is a must,” says Katharine.

“Palettes and materials that are serene and inviting like light oak or beige tones provide a neutral canvas that can be updated as kids grow,” says Terence, whose suggestions include multifunctional furniture like bunk beds with study areas underneath or benches and platform beds with storage underneath the. “This helps reduce clutter in the kids’ room. You can also customise built-in open shelves with a table for homework and craft activities to fit into awkward corners. This will maximise functionality while creating a clean and streamlined look,” he says.

Pooja suggests using oakwood floors and wardrobes with milky white or grey cabinet doors to create a soothing atmosphere. “Polka dot and pastel wallpapers can also be used to add a little playfulness to a minimalist themed kids’ bedroom,” she says.

According to Jeremy, a minimalist bedroom doesn’t have to be furnished with just plain white furniture, and blending plywood laminate is a great way to add warmth to this concept.

Text: Michele Koh Morollo/Home & Decor

Images by: Circu, De Gournay, Design Intervention, EightyTwo, Gauthier Kids, Kids Haven, Talib Chittalwala and Ishita Sitwala

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