Ultimately, what your kid’s room will look like depends on personal taste (yours and eventually your child’s), although there are some basics to keep in mind when designing and decorating one:

Choose colors, furniture and décor that will grow with the child. If you go overboard with the cutesy designs, things will have to be changed as the kid becomes a toddler or a pre-teen. A way around this is to paint the room itself a neutral tone and then use bedding, curtains and rugs to provide personality and details.

Pick materials that are durable. Washable fabrics are a must, as are darker colors (whites and beiges will get dirty too quickly). Low-maintenance that are machine washable and will withstand wear and tear will make your life a lot easier.

Get plenty of storage at kids’ eye level. Trunks, large drawers and bins are great to help kids get organized. At the end of the day, if you don’t feel like picking up things, they can just be thrown into containers to be sorted out later. If you want the kids to do the organizing themselves, don’t choose furniture with high drawers or pegs they can’t reach or open.

Provide plenty of insulation. If you have hardwood floors, cover them with thick rugs or rubber mats, to prevent injuries when kids fall or play on the floor.

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Small spaces present special challenges to decorators, as they often require non-standard furniture to fit into corners and crevices where “normal size” items would not. If you have a small room but little money to spend, though, there are still some things you can do to make the most of the space.

Buy furniture that serves more than one purpose. An ottoman can become a coffee table in a pinch and a bookcase can serve as a room separator if you live in a studio or need some privacy for your desk or work area.

Get rid of clutter. Nothing enhances space in a room like getting rid of things that don’t belong there. You don’t need to get rid of all your magazines, but throw away the ones you already read (or don’t plan on reading) and then arrange the rest on a nice basket in the corner. Or buy a TV stand with drawers and store your magazines inside.

Avoid making the room look too busy. Resist the urge of decorating the walls with a dozen small framed photographs and instead hang a single medium-size painting. Stick to just a few pillows for the sofa and choose flat ones that can be used on the floor as additional sitting if necessary. One large couch is better in a small room than three small chairs, as the second option would not only take more space, but also reduce the walking area considerably.

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If you’re moving to a new house that is larger than your previous residence, you may suddenly find yourself with less than enough furniture to fill all rooms. If budget is a consideration and you can’t simply go out to buy whatever is missing, there are some decorating tricks that can help you make a room feel “fuller” and more inviting.

Space out the furniture. While you may be tempted to place the armchairs and the sofa next to each other, that would probably leave a lot of empty space in other corners of the room. Instead, use a coffee table to complement the sofa but place the armchair in a different area, combining it with a side table, a large potted plant or a dividing screen to create an additional sitting area.

Use rugs. They create a feeling of unity among the furniture placed on it or nearby.

Add a few touches to increase the apparent size of the furniture. For example, a vase with flowers placed on a table can make the furniture seem taller, and a painting on the wall can make the walls feel less “naked.”

Paint the room more than one color. Choose a soft tone for three of the walls and a darker one for the fourth one. If you choose colors that complement each other, this will create a soft focal point, giving the feeling that the walls are drawn to each other.

Above all, don’t overcompensate the lack of furniture by placing lots of knickknacks on each corner. Rather than making the room seem fuller, that will only make it seem more crowded.

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Kids’ bedrooms are a lot more than just a place for them to sleep. Done right, they can also double as playrooms, study rooms and even hideouts. Aside from the obvious bed, what else do you need to make a kid’s room just perfect?

A couch or armchair. May sound a little pretentious if your kids is just five years old, but he will grow up, won’t he? Besides, armchairs are more comfortable for reading and lunging around. And the next time your child has a fever and you need to sleep in his room, you’ll definitively be happy to have a place to sit.

Entertainment options. TVs, DVD players or Playstations are usually at the top of the list when it comes to keeping kids busy, but don’t forget to create a small library (set it up in a corner, with a bean chair or a few comfy pillows nearby to encourage reading). Depending on the age and preferences of your kids, you can add some inflatable toys or building toys, as well as small musical instruments or make-believe toys, such as kitchen sets or basketball hoops.

Decoration. Don’t go overboard here. Sure, your kid may love cowboys today, but he may feel the same way about astronauts a month from now and you don’t want to be stuck with a room that looks like the Wild West when that happens. To personalize a room, opt for details, rather than a general theme. For example, you can indulge your kid’s love of sports by choosing a bedspread or curtains featuring sport topics, or by adding a few items around the room that support the decoration but are also practical (Does your kid play hockey? Strategically hang the hockey stick on the inside of the bedroom door as a nice decoration). You can always add a rug to match as well.

Whatever you decide to do with the room, always allow some room for spontaneity. You want your kids to add their personal touch to the place. Give them a few empty shelves or drawers so they can use them any way they please, and don’t get upset if furniture is moved around or toys suddenly find a new favorite spot. Letting your kid’s personality show through is what it’s all about.

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