In our latest guide "All You Need To Know" guide, we show you how to choose wallpaper for a kid’s room. Unlike other spaces in the house like a bedroom or living room, wallpaper for a child’s room requires you to think about wallpaper features you may not have considered before, such as wallpaper material and the timeless quality of the design. This article includes all you need to know about wallpaper in a kid’s room, so read on to see what tips and tricks we have for you.
Table of Contents
- Defining a ‘kid’s room’
- Questions to ask yourself before wallpapering a kid’s room
- Wallpaper Materials and Cleaning Capabilities
- Setting the mood: wallpaper color and pattern
- Inspiration for your own interior design
- Summary
Defining a ‘kid’s room’
Whether it’s a bedroom or a general play/game room, for the purpose of this article the term “kid’s room” will be used to refer to a room or space that is used by kids most of the time.
Of course, defining “kids” is more open-ended, and could range from younger infants to teenagers, depending on your perspective. Since one of our goals is to choose wallpapers that will “grow” with your children (more on that in a section below), you can think of this guide as being for individuals in their teenage years and below.
Painted Contemporary Gold and Cream Hummingbird Wallpaper R4556
Painted Contemporary Yellow and Pink Hummingbird Wallpaper R4559
With any kid’s room, you get the chance to be really creative with your wallpaper selection, especially since kids' preferences may (and probably will) differ from those of older interior designers. Bold colors, unconventional patterns – these “out there” wallpaper patterns are perfect for designing a room that suits younger tastes.
Questions to ask yourself before wallpapering a kid’s room
Who will be using the room?
Since you’re designing the room for another individual, be sure to get them in on the project. At the very least, letting kids have some influence on the final wallpaper choice will make them feel involved in the process and allow them to really connect with their wallpaper design choice. It also means the final room design will feel more customized and entirely theirs.
One way to make kids really feel like they’re a part of the interior design project is to get their input on wallpaper color and patterns. Do they like floral patterns? What about yellow and beige colors? Learning more about their favourite colors is a simple yet effective way to include kids in the decision-making process.
How many walls will you be wallpapering?
You have a lot of different design techniques to choose from, such as the traditional route of wallpapering all four walls, or creating a single feature wall. Of course, mixing and matching wallpapers can create a really individualized and unique effect, and can be the perfect solution if two or more children use the room. Sometimes, the tastes between the kids using the rooms differ, so working to incorporate multiple color and patterns can help make the space feel perfect for everyone.
Jungle Leaf Floral Wallpaper Teal and White R4672
How long do you want your wallpaper to last?
Of course, the answer is, “a long time.” But let’s break that down so that we can narrow down our wallpaper selection later on in the process. As with wallpaper for any room in the house – living room, dining room, den, kitchen, and so on – wallpaper in a kid’s room should last for a long time as well. However, kids grow up fast and their tastes change as well. Thus, the wallpaper for a kid’s room should have a timeless quality. In other words, focus on choosing wallpaper that will “grow up” alongside the kid(s). Some wallpaper style categories are perfect for this idea, such as floral and geometric, which never go out of style.
Wallpaper Materials and Cleaning Capabilities
Materials
With any kid’s room, you’ll want to select products that will stand the test of time - physically, that is. Wallpaper material and durability are both important parts in making sure your walls not only last a long time, but they continue to look perfect throughout the years.
Wallpaper comes in different materials; some are better for kid’s rooms while others are just a bad idea altogether. Here are some of the most popular wallpaper materials and what we think about using them in a kid’s room:
Vinyl coated wallpaper:
One of the best wallpaper materials for a kid’s room is wallpaper with a vinyl coat. With a super thin layer of acrylic or polyvinyl chloride that is applied on top, this allows these wallpapers to be fully scrubbable and easy to clean. This thin layer also means these wallpapers are more resistant to moisture and grease. Sticky fingers are no longer an issue!
Solid vinyl:
As the most durable material of wallpaper, this is perfect for a kid’s room. Like the previous category, these wallpapers also have a vinyl layer on the surface. The great feature about solid vinyl wallpaper is that it has absolutely no holes on the surface, meaning it is completely water-resistant. It’s durable and scrubbable as well.
Silkscreen, flocked, mica, grasscloth:
While these wallpaper materials provide a high-end, luxurious feel, they aren’t recommended for kid’s rooms as they are generally more fragile and harder to clean than regular wallpaper.
Some common wallpaper symbols you might run into
Cleaning Capabilities
All wallpapers have certain symbols that tell you about the features of that specific product. For a kid’s room, the two most important features you’ll want to keep in mind are how washable and resistant the wallpaper surface is.
Take a look at the first four symbols in the chart above: water resistant, washable, highly wash resistant, and scrubbable. These are the key symbols to look out for. The presence of these symbols means that your wallpaper selection will be a more suitable choice for a kid’s room. Whether it’s an accidental splash of paint during your finger painting session, or kids wanting to test out their pencil crayons, the ability to easily clean your wallpaper surface is crucial. If you’re ever in doubt, be sure to check out our cleaning manual.
With faux finish patterns such as wood wallpaper, focus on lighter-colored designs, like beige or tan. This makes the room appear brighter and more open. On the other hand, darker wood wallpaper patterns can make a room seem more sophisticated but enclosed.
Setting the mood: wallpaper color and pattern
Wallpaper Color in a Kid’s Room
With any kid’s room, it’s easier to focus on bright, attractive colors that make the space feel more engaging, welcoming, and open. While a darker color scheme may look more elegant and sophisticated in a dining room or powder room, it may appear too dreary for a kid’s bedroom or playroom. Of course, color is subjective so be sure to get the children’s input on what colors they love best.
For a guide on how colors affect moods, click here!
If you still want to keep the room’s color scheme light but the kids want something colorful and bold, focus on wallpaper patterns that can do both. For example, take a look at the Vintage Butterfly wallpaper above. The butterflies provide that eye-catching burst of color while the subtle background helps balance it.
Wallpaper Pattern in a Kid’s Room
We’ve already mentioned how the longevity of wallpaper design will allow the product to “grow up” alongside the kid(s) using the room. Let’s take a look at some examples!
First, floral wallpaper is always fashionable and it never goes out of style. Some floral wallpapers take a contemporary twist while others are more abstract. A trendy design that will last a long time are wallpapers that feature minimalist floral patterns. In other words, the floral wallpaper doesn’t look too “busy” or complicated, and the pattern features a nice mix between design and negative (or empty) space.
Another wallpaper category that is easy to use in a kid’s room is abstract wallpaper. Most of the time, these wallpaper patterns are simple mixes of colors that look like a painted canvas. Other times, the abstract quality of a wallpaper pattern is combined with other wallpaper categories, such as floral or brick. In essence, abstract wallpaper have an artistic feel that makes it stand out from other wallpaper styles.
If you’re looking to create a feature wall in a kid’s room, using a wallpaper mural is a great idea to really add a boost of creativity and originality to the space. Because wallpaper murals can be customized, you can even use one of your own images and create wallpaper out of it!
Wallpaper inspiration for your own kid’s room
Now that you know more about wallpaper in a kid’s room, let’s explore some wallpaper styles to get your inspired!
Geometric Pixellated Floral Wallpaper Pink and Violet R4658
Geometric, floral, and abstract wallpaper categories are all on display with this gorgeous pattern! What we love best about this pattern is how creative it is. From far away, viewers can see an abstract floral landscape while up close, the pixelated effect of the design gives it a distinct, old-school “8-bit” aesthetic.
This is a wallpaper pattern that is suitable for use on all four walls, rather than for a feature wall. Available in multiple colors, we’ve chosen this pink and violet one because the swirling mix of colors is absolutely beautiful.
Another abstract wallpaper that would be a fun addition to a kid’s room is this Retro Tie Dye wallpaper. Settling on a specific pattern may be difficult, but abstract wallpapers that only feature colors are easier to use. Here’s a close-up look at the pattern:
The best part about this pattern is how funky and interesting the design is. The colors are featured in a visually appealing gradient, adding a lot of interest to the pattern. With a lighter coloured background that highlights the subtle yet stylish nature of this wallpaper, this allows it to be versatile in its usage.
For a minimalist floral wallpaper pattern that suits a variety of tastes, we’ve got you covered. This elegant design showcases blue flowers featuring a watercolor aesthetic that give it a “hand painted” quality. It’s a very trendy look that inspires both a sense of tradition and imagination.
With its large-scale design, this floral wallpaper pattern can be used as a feature wall or on all four walls. Its minimalist design also lends itself well to mixing and matching with other wallpaper patterns. For example, with Watercolor Minimalist Blossoms as the feature wall, why not pair it with a light blue wood wallpaper on the other four walls to create a stunning room design?
For a truly unique and fun look, check out this Piles of Books wallpaper. This wallpaper pattern is the perfect choice for kids who love to read and what better way to show off their hobby than to paste it on the walls? This wallpaper’s colorful aesthetics adds a lot of energy and visual appeal to the room without being too overbearing or harsh due to the light pastel color palette.
For a slightly stronger color scheme, this one features bolder oranges and brighter yellows that really make the space shine.
Bringing that galaxy far, far away closer to home has never been easier with this space-themed wallpaper for kids, an excellent choice for Star Wars fans! If you’re creating a space-themed room, this wallpaper is a “must-have” item in order to complete the décor. Since the design features a dark color palette, use this wallpaper mural in a space that is brightly lit in order to avoid making the room feel closed off or gloomy. This wallpaper mural functions as a feature wall, and definitely works in bedrooms and play/game rooms alike.
Summary: All You Need To Know About Wallpaper In A Kid’s Room
Designing a kid’s room is a fun project, especially if the kid(s) using the space are involved in picking out their favourite wallpaper colors and patterns. With this guide, you should have a head start on narrowing down and choosing the best wallpapers for your home.
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