Wallnutz

It is a balance between design and function when it comes to making a home. You want it to look like a magazine, but you also want to live in it. The desire to have a place that you love to look at can sometimes conflict with your desire to have a place that works. Form follows function. Once you determine what functions you need, you can look at form.

For example, you have a busy lifestyle, and you need everyone to be on the same page. You would benefit from a home base where messages, calendars, and important info can reside. Where should home base be? Where is a shared space that everyone in the family passes or can easily access? Many people find that the kitchen is a good central location. A mudroom or homework area may also be smart. Ask your family what would be easy for them, or chances are you are already collecting a pile of schedules and messages somewhere.

Once you have your location, determine how you need the space to function. Do you need a place to write messages? Do you need a calendar? Should every family member have a tray or folder for their paperwork? Once you determine what the space should do, then you can decide how the space should look.

What home base LOOKS like is the form. You could add a wall calendar to the space so that everyone can coordinate events and appointments, and you can check it everyday. For messages, consider a space to write on the wall so that scraps of paper don’t accumulate or get lost. You could use a chalkboard style or a white writable space.  Our writable talk bubble is a fun accent, and you can use any kind of marker, even Sharpies! They all wipe off the special surface. You could also use the blank decal and cut it into the size or shape that you desire. Make a template out of poster board and trace it onto the back of the decal paper. Cut out the shape, and you have a custom white board!

Storing papers is also something to consider in your home base. Do you have drawers at the location? If so, you can assign them to different family members or different purposes. If not, there are many solutions for paperwork. You could get shelves designed for paper sorting or stackable trays. If you don’t have the counter space, you can use wall hanging trays or even a magnetized board or bulletin board. We even have wall pockets to hold some of your schedules or photos. Just make sure that whatever you choose works for the quantity of paper you process, and keep on top of discarding papers. Having a filing cabinet or box nearby, will prove handy for those papers you want to save long term.

In order to personalize or coordinate your space, you can use decals or contact paper to add designs to trays, boxes and the surrounding wall and furniture. Check out our wall stickers and get creative. Decorate the table, trays, and accessories to match, or choose different styles for each family member. Put the fun into function!

Your kids can help you when it comes to decorating. They can pick colors and themes, and help prep the room and place the décor. Think of how much they will enjoy having a hand in helping and in deciding how their space will look!
Painting
Colors are a huge determining factor when decorating. Turn to your child for help. What colors do they love? What colors do they dislike? Why?
When choosing more than one color, you can choose different hues of the same color, choose complimentary colors that are across from each other on the color wheel for a high contrast look, or choose colors on the same side of the color wheel such as green, blue and purple to create a harmonious color palette.
If they have certain interests, it can point to certain colors. A ballerina might like pink, and a kid that loves being outside could like green. Most children will want to be surrounded by something they like to do. You can check out Shop by Theme to get inspired.
Another paint option is a mural, we have a large selection of children’s Mural Painting Kits that you can paint together using paint-by-number pattern. If you are doing a mural consider that the base paint of the room should work with the colors in the mural and even be the background color.
Home improvement stores now sell paint directed towards children, such as Disney paint. Picking swatches together and testing a few samples on the wall can be lots of fun for your child. Painting on the wall will be fun since it is usually off limits!
Once you’ve chosen a color, they can help you move things out of their room, and lay out the tarp or paper. If they are older, they can also help tape off the windows, baseboards (Great, since they’re closer to the floor!), and door jams. Once everything is covered, give them a small paintbrush and a low area to work on. The little artist will feel helpful and you’ll probably have some great photo opportunities!
Decorating
It will be fun to help you decorate the room, too. Give them a couple of choices to make about new accessories and furniture. You may want to do the research first and then let them pick from a couple that you like. If you have the option for several furniture arrangements, let them weigh in on things like if they would like their bed close to the window or as far away as possible. I would get frightened at night sometimes, so being far from the window was a good thing.
Choosing accessories like curtains, pillows, art, and lighting can be fun to do together, too. Our Wall Stickers are fun to choose and to apply. Your child can help pick the location of your stickers and even help place them. Think about using them in unexpected places such as on furniture, doors, or even in the closet or toy chest. If you want an even bigger impact, check out our Wall Sticker Murals.
Letting your kids in on the fun will surely make the experience more fun for everyone. Remember that they’re only a kid for so long and that the experience of helping will make the space their own.