UK parents spend almost £8,000 decorating their children’s bedrooms

• Average parent redecorates child’s bedroom four times, with one in six tackling a redecoration project a whopping EIGHT times
• Each project costs an average of £1,048.42, according to new study by Next
• Expert shares tips to keep redecoration projects on budget

New research has revealed that UK parents spend almost £8,000 decorating children’s bedrooms during the years they spend living in the family home.

The findings, from home retailer Next, form part of a nationwide poll of over 2,000 parents with children between the ages of 16-50. It found that the average redecoration project costs £1,048.42, meaning the total redecoration cost for a child throughout their lifetime is £4,197.68. For the average UK family with two children, that tots up to a whopping £7,933.62 on redecoration alone. 

The study also discovered that the average parent decorates their child’s bedroom four times during their childhood, with one in six even admitting they redecorated at least eight times before their child flew the nest. Following this, a further 16% – or 3.1 million families – will once again redecorate to repurpose their child’s bedroom as an office, gym, or guest room.

When asked what constitutes a redecoration, 97% of parents stated that a fresh coat of paint will always be included. It was also found that temporary fixtures go a long way, with nine in 10 parents saying that changing the bed linen and curtains will always be part of their project. A further 82% of parents highlighted that new furniture will always be included, with new flooring (61%) and new wallpaper (55%) also making the list of non-negotiables.

The cost of these elements can really add up, as the below table shows:

Next spoke with kids’ interior design expert, Nicki Rodriguez of Essex House Dolly, who provided her top tips on how to make your child’s bedroom design last longer, and how to tackle it on a budget:

“When approaching your next bedroom design refresh, be sure to think ahead. Try and avoid going for bold choices spur of the moment. Things like glittery wallpaper or bold and bright colours might seem an exciting choice at the time but will be very difficult to remove and cover up the next time you redecorate.

“Decorating on a budget is a reality for many of us as we remain in a cost-of-living crisis, so decorating with neutral walls as your blank canvas is a great way to make each redecoration project a little bit cheaper. Invest in quality furniture early on and if you are looking for a change, try upcycling the furniture you already have with things like leftover paint, and you can even have a shop around to find second-hand pieces which you give a new lease of life.

“Another good trick is to focus a lot of the bedroom revamp on adding storage. Storing away things like toys and knickknacks not only promotes that useful blank canvas but encourages you to have a sort out that could result in things to sell or donate to a good cause.

“During lockdown, people were left to improve and work on their DIY skills after being left with no choice but to tackle projects themselves. Using online tutorials to do things like wallpapering and carpet fitting yourself will also knock a substantial amount off your overall cost as you don’t have to rely on paid professionals.”

Findings provided by:  https://www2.next.co.uk/edited/homeware/childrens-bedroom-interior-design-costs