Creating a bedroom that will grow with your child

Collaborative Post

Shutters Manchester contacted me to discuss how I think mothers cope with the changing needs of children’s rooms…from that I’ve created this blog post as it’s something all of us mums do think about.

When you’re decorating your child’s bedroom, you want it to last. It has to be resilient enough to cope with the tantrums of toddlers and teenagers, flexible enough to cater to changing tastes and yet personal enough to keep on feeling like the most welcoming place in the world. Trying to do all that in just one room is quite a challenge. I’ve found that the best place to start is with a solid set of shutters.

You can buy shutters from here (Shutters Manchester) and when you look at what’s available you’ll understand why they’re such a good investment. You can get them cut to fit any size or shape of window. Although there are lots of styles to choose from, if your child is still a toddler when you buy them I recommend opting for full panel shutters, simply because they can take the most damage. Even café style shutters, however, are remarkably resilient. They won’t tear like curtains or fall apart like blinds if your child swings on them. They can even survive being punched by small fists, licked and chewed, and any superficial damage can be painted over.

With the right finish, shutters can be drawn on with crayons or coloured pencils or even felt tip pens and then just wiped clean. You’ll also have the option of covering them in blackboard paint so they can be chalked on. When your child gets a little older, they can help to paint decorative pictures of patterns on them or adorn them with stickers. When wall space runs out, teenagers can attach posters to them. They won’t sag like curtains and it takes decades for wear and tear to show – indeed, there are Medieval houses out there that still have their original shutters – so you really can expect them to last.

Studies have shown that sleeping in complete darkness is important to the development of children’s eyes. I’ve never found anything that blocks out the light better than shutters. This is also helpful for teenagers, who face high rates of insomnia. Although darkness can make children more nervous about monsters and other imagined threats, I found that mine were braver when I showed them that our solid shutters made the windows really secure. With this additional fortification, no monsters could reach them from outside.

Fun for kids but with a timeless elegance which ensures they won’t cramp older children’s style, shutters are very good at surviving children’s changing preferences. They also look good with practically any other décor that changes in the room, from paint to wallpaper to furniture styles. They even made my neighbours happier as they helped to provide sound insulation at the stage when my kids were always shouting and when they got older and started playing their music at high volume.

Many things change about children’s rooms as they grow, to the point where one day you’ll no longer recognise your original creation. One thing that doesn’t need to change is the shutters – you may end up keeping them for many years even after your child is grown and has left home.

Collaborative Post with Shutters Manchester.