Interior design expert shares top tips for redecorating on a budget

Top tips for redecorating on a budget from interior design expert Nicola Rodriguez

• A third (32%) of UK parents prioritise redecorating their child’s bedroom over their own
• The average UK parent decorates their child’s room four times during their childhood
• 500,000 UK parents feel pressure to create a social media worthy room for their children

Next surveyed 2,000 parents across the UK and discovered that a third (32%) of parents prioritise redecorating their kids bedrooms over their own, with a further 12% prioritising their kids room over the kitchen or living room.

And that’s not all, data also revealed the average UK parent redecorates their child’s bedroom four times during their childhood, with one in six parents redecorating a whopping eight times before their children move out.

Parents also now must contend with social media, with 500,000 UK parents stating they feel pressure to create a social media worthy bedroom. Looking at the figures, #kidsbedroomdecor has racked up an impressive 16.1 million views across TikTok, with the further 183k posts on Instagram.

Next spoke with interior design expert, Nicola Rodriguez of Essex House Dolly, who provided her top tips on how to tackle redecorating your child’s bedroom on a budget, as well as making your child’s bedroom design last longer.

Reflection on trends:

“In my line of work, I often see the pressure put on parents by social media. Wealthy reality stars from shows like Love Island fill our feeds with pictures of their stylish living spaces and have proved to be a popular and desirable design choice.

“From this, I’ve seen a rise in children and teenagers wanting bedrooms that resemble their very own small living space with TVs, seating areas, display units, and walk-in wardrobes – almost like a reflection of what their parents have in their bedrooms and wider home.”

Longevity tips:

“Needing to redecorate your child’s bedroom as they get older, or as their interests change, is just a part of watching them grow up.

“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.

“If your child is keen on brighter colours, use white/neutral walls so you can add colour through accessories and temporary fixes like bed linen, rugs and curtains. This provides you with a blank canvas you can easily change.

Decorating on a budget:

“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.

“Another great way to save money is to invest in quality furniture early on so that you won’t need to replace it.

“Or instead of this, 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.

“One 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.”