Tips on Making Over a Boring Room into an Awesome Kid's Room

Color

• Brighten up your child's room with a fresh coat of paint. Replace white walls with warm, inviting colors, such as pale yellow, lavender, light brown or baby blue. However, if you can't paint or simply don't want to, keep in mind that white or other neutral colors have their own advantages. First of all, neutral colors are versatile. You can completely change the tone of the room simply by replacing bedding or hanging curtains. If your child is older, she can choose posters or other inexpensive pictures to hang on the wall and personalize the space. These will be easily replaceable if she wants to change the decorations in the future.

Lighting

• Take advantage of light fixtures in your child's room and use them as a source of color and design as well as light. Browse flea markets and thrift stores for fun lamps, lampshades and hanging light fixtures to bring out the room's overall theme. Nightlights present another opportunity for a bit of flair. As explained in "Kid's Rooms: Ideas and Projects for Children's Spaces" by photographer and designer Jennifer Levy, it's easy to dress up a plain nightlight with a bit of rick rack, stamps, stencils or ribbon.

Texture

• Incorporating texture is a flexible way to spruce up your child's room. Use bedspreads, pillowcases, rugs, curtains and other fabrics to complement the room's color scheme or theme. Simple touches, such as a bit of lavender tulle draped over your daughter's headboard or a ribbed knit blanket hung over the back of a chair, are easy ways to add character to your child's space. When you purchase rugs and other textiles, consider the texture of the fabric, as well as the color or design.

Organization

• Organization may not sound exciting, but it will make your child's play space more appealing for both of you. Your child will not only have a hard time cleaning up a disorganized room -- he may also have a hard time initiating play time at all. Use organizational items that contribute to the design of your child's room. If you already have dressers, bookshelves and other items, apply a fresh coat of paint to enhance their appearance and make them more tailored to the chosen bedroom theme or color scheme.