Most child's bedrooms are a basic box, with a small window, closet and a door. But they shouldn't be so boring! A child's bedroom should be an interesting place, and a place that allows your child to change the look or function of the room over time, as they grow up. Here are some tips to help you get started:

INCORPORATE ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS

Built in book shelves add detail and important storage space to a kid's bedroom. The shelves can be used to store books and things the child collects. It's also a place to display important items, awards, and trophy's the child may have won. And don't skip on architectural detail just because it's a child's room. Trim around windows and doors should match other trim in the house for continuity.

PLANNING FOR THE SLEEPOVERS

Consider adding a built-in window seat. This can be a place to read when their child is young, or, if it's large enough, it can be a place for a friend to sleep over. Kids love to have sleepovers with their friends, but it's often challenging to find room for a friend to sleep. A trundle, which is a bed that incorporates another slide out bed below, is a great solution to sleep multiple children in one room on regular and comfy regular size mattresses. There are also chairs and ottomans that fold out into a small bed that would be suitable for a child.

STORAGE SPACE

Kids have a lot of stuff that needs a place to be stored. To make a kids bedroom appear bigger and be more functional, outfit the closet with a closet system that incorporates drawers that can replace a dresser in the room. If you can get all the child's clothing into the closet, then the rest of the room can be used for a desk area, a play area, or other uses.

WORKSPACE

If the bedroom is small, consider a bunk bed arrangement that incorporates a bed located above a desk. This arrangement allows for sleeping above, and homework and projects on the desk below.

CREATE VOLUME

If the opportunity allows, consider creating an interesting vaulted ceiling. But keep the scale appropriate to the room size. A small bedroom with an too tall ceiling may appear strange and out of scale.

NATURAL LIGHT AND VENTILATION

As with other rooms for living, kid's bedrooms should have as much natural light as possible. A room with good natural light will be used for more than sleeping. A nice bright room will be used to read, work on homework and crafts projects, and play. Also keep in mind that a window (or door to the exterior) will also be required by building codes for egress during a fire or other emergency. There are size requirements for the opening, so check your local codes.

With a little creativity,design, and planning you can create a wonderful kids bedroom that a child can grow into, adapt and modify it as necessary over time.