Perfect spaces for kids. How to design a kids room from the floor, up!

Carpet flooring provides a beautifully soft and comfortable place for babies and children to play, rest and grow. There’s nothing better than a cosy carpet to encourage lego, puzzles, movie time and other play. Perhaps you already have carpet in the bedrooms or home, but if you’re looking for new carpet, there are a couple of things that you can keep in mind to help find the perfect carpet for your family and kid spaces. Nylon and polypropylene (synthetic carpet) are particularly easy to clean and maintain (while still being soft) and wool carpets are great for those with allergies or asthma. Cut pile carpet styles are relatively easy to clean and extremely soft, while loop piles are durable and don’t tend to show indentations from furniture.

You can read more about carpet fibres and structure here. Kids will be kids, so regular vacuuming and prompt cleaning of spills will mean your carpet will look fantastic for longer. Professional carpet cleaning is also important and you won’t believe the results!

Hard flooring, particularly of the vinyl, laminate and hybrid varieties, are wonderful child-friendly options. The same material can run in and out of different rooms seamlessly and can be an excellent base for décor and colour. All of these options are easy to care for, are resilient to everything that life (children!) throws at it and often have water resistance-characteristics. If water is a concern to you, chat to your local Flooring Xtra store and they will point you in the right direction for practical product solutions.

If you have hard flooring in children’s bedrooms or play areas, floor rugs are an easy and affordable solution to bring comfort to the space while also protecting the flooring underneath. This is a suitable option for families in rental properties too, where you can feel like you’re adding personality to the room without changing anything permanently. There are fun colours, patterns and textures to add a sense of playfulness as well.

The development of washable rugs is a game changer for kid’s rooms. No matter what the drama is, being able to wash a rug is such a benefit (some can even go in the washing machine!). Another great option for these areas of the home is outdoor rugs. If they can survive outdoors, they will thrive in your children’s messy spaces!

Walls are a perfect place to add layers of individuality to a kid’s zone. Remembering that colour impacts mood and energy, pick colours that your children are going to like, while also promoting a relaxing environment. Washed-out or pastel tones are great for finding this balance. There’s also art and posters with so many options to choose from. Create a kids room ideas board on Pinterest and see what you’re drawn to. Etsy, markets and Instagram is a great place to source affordable and fun art for kids. You could also frame their own art, handprints, holiday memories or get crafty yourself (or together!). Removable decals and wallpaper provide another way to lift the mood of a child’s room with so many cute, age-appropriate designs a simple Google search away.

Depending on budget and taste, there are “high and low” options for decorating in abundance. For longevity, try to think beyond the stage your children are at currently. Will the bookshelf be appropriate in a few years? Can it be repainted? Can the chair be recovered or cleaned? Spaces that evolve with children are sustainable and smart. Don’t think everything has to be new as well! Scour Marketplace and Gumtree for quality pieces or see if something you already own could be repurposed (perhaps it just needs a lick of paint, a touch-up or a new, fun fabric?). Ensure there’s adequate storage, even ottomans with lids, beds with drawers and cute hooks for coats and bags. For fun, you can always add pendant lights, tepees, beanbags, canopies or even a bench seat for a truly special space for children to want to be in and enjoy.

What type of flooring is easiest to maintain?

All flooring requires some level of maintenance to ensure it will look good for a long time. All carpet and hard flooring should be swept or vacuumed regularly to remove grit and dirt from the surface (which can lead to scratches and marks). Laminate and vinyl floors are excellent low-maintenance hard flooring options while solution-dyed nylon and polypropene carpet are also resilient.

What is the best way to mop vinyl?

Vinyl flooring is an easy-care flooring option and simple to look after. Use a quality mop and not too much water and ensure it’s not a steam mop. You can read all the details you need on our Vinyl Care page.

How to stop rugs moving on a wooden floor

Rugs are beautiful additions to any room but if not secured they can become a slip or trip hazard. There are a few ways to deal with this. You can either anchor the rug to the floor with furniture to restrict movement or use a non-slip pad between the floor and the rug.

Disclaimer: In some states of Australia, the building regulations for Vinyl Planks, Vinyl Tiles and Hybrid flooring varies. Meaning they may not be suitable for areas requiring water resistance, such as bathrooms and toilets. We advise to always ask your local Flooring Xtra store for the correct advice regarding the local regulations. We also advise to follow the manufacturer’s recommended installation instructions and guidelines, not following the instructions could make the product not fit for purpose, for the area it’s being installed into and void your product warranty. To ensure you get the appropriate product for those areas, please contact your local Flooring Xtra store.