The Steps to Creating WOW Factor Walls

Decorating a kid’s bedroom or playroom can be great fun but I think it is safe to say that some activities are more fun than others. We recently featured a post about shopping for child-friendly furniture and I love this stage of decorating; hunting for some funky (but functional) items of furniture and getting them home and watching the look of wonder on your kids’ eyes as the room takes shape!

I thought I would take the time to discuss the less glamorous area of decoration which is preparing the walls and getting the room ready for the brilliant furniture, toys and furnishings you are excited to buy!

Get the walls ready

If you have the walls stripped down and ready for decoration there is one step I like to stick in before we start hanging wallpaper or whip out the paint brush. I like to hang a lining paper before the wallpaper as it has the advantage of creating a smoother surface for the wallpaper – which is a huge advantage if you have bought some expensive wallpaper and it can help the wallpaper hang better as it will dry more evenly.

If the room has a problem with condensation and damp now could also be the time to think about using a thermal liner. These types of liner help create a thermal barrier between the colder walls and the warmer room so can help reduce the effects of condensation – so definitely something to think about when planning your decorating project. If you use thermal liners do check about what coverings can over the top of the liner.

Hanging the Wallpaper

Thanks to the lining paper you now have a lovely smooth surface to work with (a blank canvas!) and we can think about hanging some wallpaper. Kid’s wallpaper definitely seems much more exciting than those for adults. There are loads of patterns to choose from and you can find wallpaper that features your kids’ favourite TV and film characters.

Wallpapering is a DIY project that I always like to do with a little help (there’s nothing worse than trying to carry wet wallpaper and having it cling to your face, clothes and hair) and make sure you plan carefully. Wallpaper for kids can be bought both online or at local DIY stores the main thing is to buy the right amount! Measure up the surface area of the walls you want to cover and buy enough rolls to get the job done in one go.

If you are not confident with wallpapering you could always hire a decorator but there is another option and that is to look for paste-the-wall papers; easy to hang and less mess.

Create a Feature Wall

Rather than wallpapering a whole room you could look at creating a feature wall for your kid’s room. These can take any number of shapes but wall murals are an extremely popular option. There are a number of ways you create a mural:

• Buy a pre-designed wall mural – there are a number of printed murals available, Walltastic is a well-known brand and their murals feature loads of popular characters, TV shows and films.
• Paint your own wall mural – time to get creative folks and get the old pots of interior wall paint out. If you are planning to draw your own mural do plan it out and try not to take on a job you will get bored of and not finish. A small mural will look better than a half-finished epic!

Another great feature wall alternative is to create a giant chalkboard on one wall. If you are going to take this option it is best not to paper the walls. With a blackboard wall your kids are free to doodle till their hearts are content and create their own art which can be easily cleaned for them to start all over again!

If you don’t want a blackboard (chalk dust can be messy) an alternative is to create a noticeboard using cork tiles; great for pinning up artwork and school marks!

Once the walls are sorted you can start to think about the furniture and furnishings.