ontheme If you’re going to go all-out in imagining a fun space that your kids will truly embrace as their own, deciding on a theme is a great place to start. Brainstorm with your child to help focus on one or two of their favourite things that could be combined together, or even get them to draw what their dream bedroom looks like. While you might not be able to recreate it exactly, it can help your child to feel like they’re really the one wearing the designer’s shoes. Start by anchoring the theme with a feature piece. This might be a favourite picture or poster, a striking duvet or a cool bedhead, then build everything else off of that. To carry the theme further, think beyond the walls when it comes to painting and decorating. Consider how you can includethefloor,ceiling,furnitureandaccessories, such as frames, in your paint colour palette, and how soft furnishings, ornaments and other decorations can all add to the finished effect. You should also think about how long you want to go before having to redecorate. Try and choose a design based on a theme that will be age appropriate for several years, and one that they’ve been interested in for a while, rather than just the passing flavour of the month. Remember, paint is one of the easiest things to change out when your child’s design choices change! Left: Resene Riptide walls have been given a rippled effect in Resene Perfume using Resene Paint Effects Medium. The bedside table is in Resene Riptide with drawers in Resene Perfume and the floor is in Resene Half Fog. other cool theme ideas: • Bring outside in - paint the room to look like an outdoor area with a garden, mountain scape or desert island • Go sporty and tailor the space around a favourite sport or team • Take things under the sea with graduated blue walls and a ceiling covered in sea creatures • Pick a favourite toy or cartoon character and build a world around them • Take a trip and bring a space scene or favourite place they’ve always dreamed of visiting into their bedroom • What about a circus, a pirate ship or a fairy tale castle? • You can keep things simple by sticking to a single main colour and paint in a variety of shades of that colour • You could also consider painting the room a neutral colour and layering it with replaceable features, such as pictures, cushions and bedding. Or, allocate a feature wall and focus on keeping that refreshed every few years and the rest of the room more neutral. mermaid magic The Resene Riptide walls in this dreamy mermaid room have been given a rippled effect using Resene Paint Effects Medium and Resene Perfume, and the floor has been coated in Resene Half Fog. The bright pink stools create a bold anchor for the room in Resene Hopbush, while Resene Riptide has been repeated on the bedside table and drawing table to match the walls. The Resene Hopbush toybox has been given a cute wave detail in Resene Half Fog and the shimmery streamers hanging above the bed complete the effect of a magical underwater kingdom. Resene Hopbush Resene Perfume Resene Riptide Resene Half Fog top tip Create a magnetic wall using Resene Magnetic Magic under your topcoat. Then stick magnets onto small pictures and characters so your child can adjust their room scene. Resene Pink Panther Resene Fairylight 2 | | 3