"Invest in a lot of drop sheets": 5 things I wish someone told me before letting my kids redecorate their room.

When it comes to Things That Make Parents Apprehensive, your child deciding they need to revamp their room is definitely up there.              

Sure, it doesn’t strike the same level of fear as “I’ve got an itchy head” or “I dropped peanut butter on your phone so I washed it in the sink” but there still exists a certain level of apprehension. 

Because with this kind of request, you can feel in your bones that it’s going to be hard work. The thing is though, you can see why they might fancy a refresh. 

A child or tweens room is their castle so why shouldn’t they want to spruce things up to reflect their changing tastes and personalities? My two eldest kids are 10 and 7 years old, so we definitely know this phase all too well.

Here’s 5 things to keep in mind that I wish I’d known before embarking on Project Bedroom Upgrade. I’ve made the mistakes before, so that you don’t have to.

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1. Start with a plan. Like, actually do.

Sometimes it’s fun to fly by the seat of your pants, take a step back and let things unfold organically. 

This is NOT one of those times. You need a plan, man. Because, as I quickly found out, your ideas are most likely vastly different to those of your kids. 

You might be thinking soft, pastel paint tones and timber items to compliment. They’re thinking a bright purple feature wall and stickers on all surfaces. 

Getting a basic theme, colour palette and the necessary changes to be made down on paper means that everyone is (literally) on the same page. 

It also means pulling together the order of things, along with a timeline, in your plan so that crucial steps don’t get missed.

2. Share the creative control (and manage your kids' expectations).

I’m the first to admit that I’m not overly invested in interiors. 

I like my house looking presentable but redecorating isn’t my idea of a rollicking time. 

That being said, I do have certain ideas of what works and what doesn’t in our home. Those ideas however are not always shared by my 3 kids. 

I learnt early on the importance of sharing creative control. My kids just want to be involved in the process. 

My eldest son, 10, and my 7-year-old daughter, had strong ideas about how they envisioned their new rooms looking. These didn’t always meet my aesthetic choices but I continually reminded myself that this was their space. 

What I found worked was shifting my focus to the practical elements like layout (“No darling... you can’t move your bed across the doorway.”) and product selection, and letting my kids take on more creative tasks like choosing paint colours, artwork and soft furnishings (which, let’s face it, is the fun stuff).

3. Paint selection is important. Now read that again.

The biggest task you’ll likely undertake during a room revamp is painting. 

Whether you’re going for a whole new colour scheme, a feature wall or something a bit more snazzy, painting is a big deal for any kids' room upgrade.

It's likely the biggest chunk of our time commitment, and with that in mind, you want to choose your paint wisely. 

A high-quality interior wall paint and primer is a no-brainer but you may also want to consider the odour and chemical emissions of your paint. 

My kids are ultra sensitive to unpleasant smells (and love being vocal about it). They pretty much stage a protest after I bleach the toilet, such is the impact on their sensitive noses. 

By going for an option like Dulux UltraAir we were able to significantly lessen the paint fumes, cut back on chemical emissions, avoid triggering sensitivities AND have the kids back in their rooms the very same day we painted.  

That last point itself is a huge draw card here.  

Ideally we didn't want to invite a child (and those little kicking legs) into the parent's bed for a week to wait for the walls to be ready! So knowing we could all breathe easy (literally) knowing that the air quality in the bedrooms after using Dulux UltraAir wasn't compromised in the days and weeks to follow was actually genius. 

Something handy for parents to know too: Dulux UltraAir is also GREENGUARD Gold Certified. Products who boast this badge help reduce the contribution to indoor air pollution and the risk of chemical exposure. Wins all 'round.

4. Work out what your kid really values.

Kids, if they’re anything like mine, will have a very enthusiastic approach to redecorating. And have little to no idea about what a budget means.

This will generally be reflected in their desire to buy ALL THE THINGS for their space. 

During the planning stages, my kids and I worked out the things they really valued and enjoyed having in their rooms. 

For our daughter, it was lots of fluffy, cosy pillows for her bed. She loves snuggling down at night or to read a book. 

For my son, it was space to store his LEGO, and other bits and bobs that he is always collecting. 

By working out what made their room feel like their own, we could focus on and really hero those elements in the space, and not worry as much about some of the other things that had cropped up.

5. Get them involved in the practical parts.

From moving furniture to priming the walls to be painted, we got the kids involved in it all. 

While they’d have preferred to focus on The Fun Stuff, getting them into the practical elements gave them a greater understanding of the project and also a sense of accomplishment when it was finished. 

And appreciate the time and effort that actually goes into it!

I'd really recommend investing in plenty of drop sheets, extra paint brushes and rollers and make sure your kids wear their oldest clothes, as funnily enough, I wouldn’t rate their neatness and painting accuracy very highly. 

Because we used Dulux UltraAir paint in their bedroom upgrades, we felt comfortable with the kids working with the wet and drying paint as the odour and emissions were so low, which was another bonus. 

Redecorating your kids' rooms can be so time-consuming, messy and exhausting. It might feel like the last thing parents might have on their lockdown to-do list. But with the right planning, prep and products, it's definitely doable and a lot smoother when you've got the right advice and materials to get going. 

We enjoyed the project as a family and the kids have a real sense of pride and accomplishment in seeing their vision come to life.

New Dulux UltraAir has Ultra Low Chemical Emissions and Ultra Low Odour so you and your family can breathe easy. 

Dulux UltraAir emits significantly fewer chemical emissions than regular paint, which means fewer fumes not only when you paint, but also for the days and weeks that follow. 

Feature Image: Supplied.