With kids heading back to school, we surveyed* the Houzz community on how they design their kids’ rooms and tackle child-related home design challenges. More than two-thirds of respondents said their kids’ rooms have a decor theme (69%). Of those, a nature theme lead the pack (30%), followed by animals (23%), sports (17%) and princesses (15%). Other notable themes include nautical, superheroes and geometric patterns.
Colors are another form of expression, with more than half of kid’s bedrooms painted blue (59%), followed by white (31%), gray (30%), green (25%) and pink (20%). We found that kids also get a vote in home decor, with one in five respondents allowing children younger than six years old to decorate their own rooms (20%).
While the design elements are important, parents also prioritize functionality in their kids’ rooms. Top considerations include creating a space that is easy to clean/maintain (71%), having a functional setup (64%), and using durable materials (47%). One in five respondents also place significance on non-toxic products (20%).
These priorities follow the top two child-related challenges in the home, which are keeping things clean (74%) and managing clutter (69%). In fact, only 8% feel their children’s things are nearly always organized, while 22% feel their children’s things are mostly or completely disorganized. As with many things in life, 42% say it totally depends on the day.
The most popular solutions are bookshelves and toy boxes for the storage of things not related to clothing in children’s rooms (71% and 70%, respectively). Beyond cleanliness and clutter, other child-related challenges in the home include overflowing laundry (35%), tripping or stepping over child-related stuff (30%), limited play space (29%) and damage to furniture (25%), carpeting (24%) and walls (22%).
These considerations expand to other areas outside of bedrooms which are also dedicated to children including, outdoor space (49%), playrooms (44%), reading nooks (22%), homework stations (21%), craft stations (20%) and game rooms (20%).
Most respondents enlist the help of their kids to bring order to the home. More than two-thirds of children over three years old clean their own room (68%). Children also help out at home by picking up after themselves (76%), feeding the pets (56%), making their bed (53%) and setting the table (53%).
For storage solutions that fit perfectly within creative kids’ decor, check out this collection of drawer chests, bins and cubbies from the Houzz Shop.
*Houzz survey of more than 200 members of the U.S. Houzz community who have recently completed, are currently working on, or are planning a home project with children in mind, was fielded in July of 2017.