Tips To Help You Decorate Like An Expert

1. Treasures and Collections

Your child will love being in a room that's a reflection of their likes and interests. While you can't bring in live dinosaurs and giraffes - princesses, ocean, and aeroplane themes are quite possible. Let your child display his/her collections in his/her room. Using cork tiles on the back of a door is great for personal bits and pieces...this also keeps clutter out of sight ;)

2. Focal points- where the action is

Identify which wall is the focal position in your room before anything else. It is usually the wall first seen upon entry and it's usually better to use a wall without a window as your focal wall. The bed is usually placed with the head against the focal wall. Every room is different and where the door is can change everything. If you are not sure, we can help you...Send a hand drawn plan, attention it to 'Little Dinosaurs Interior designer' and we'll get back to you...Our contact details can be found here.

3. Creative Spaces to Inspire & Challenge

Just as a child learns to appreciate music by early exposure, he can learn to recognize and love art and be creative by having it around him. Creative personal spaces can inspire a child and actually help develop the creative mind.

4. Colour - and I don't mean beige!

Colour or paint is hands down the most effective and least expensive way to add interest to any room. Planning is the key if you want to achieve a great result. Always acknowledge existing pieces like patterned items, bed linen and feature designs that you want to use in your room when you are selecting a wall colour. Most kids will find beige very uninspiring for their room. If you would like to have a very colourful wall sculpture or themed room idea that will liven up a neutral coloured wall, that is where the planning comes in...don't let it be too boring. On the other hand, try to avoid using harsh bright colours in paint. It tends to cheapen a décor and can be overpowering and oppressive.

You may wish to stick to a neutral white or cream for your walls. This always looks beautiful and serves as an ideal backdrop for other colours and patterns. However, even whites and creams vary in warmth and intensity, and stark white is not usually best for a child's bedroom. We can advise which neutral will suit you, taking into account the principles below.

Light levels. Which direction does the bedroom face? A North-facing room will be warm and light, and cooler colours can be used without risking giving the room a cold, dull feel. North-facing rooms are highly satisfying to decorate for a baby or child, however, and can be turned into embracing, nurturing spaces with the correct use of cooler colours. How big are the windows and how much space do you have in the room, both floor space and height? Our designer has over a decade of experience with decorating kid's rooms and will help you select just the right colour to go with your Little Dinosaur kit.

Please note: It is important to recognize that due to the limitations of both computer monitors and printers, paints viewable either electronically or in print form are not an exact colour representation. The true nature of colour and texture can only be achieved by referring to colour charts or colour brush outs.

5. Furniture Hand-Me-Downs

Most everyone has a piece of furniture from a past home. It's a fun idea to bring the bed from your growing-up years into your child's new room. An old chest from your grandmother can be painted to look fresh, but will still evoke the memories from the past. Just as you cherish the old pieces, so will your child as he grows up.