Adults use many rooms of the house, but kids pack most of their living into a single room. To a child a bedroom is a place to listen to music, play games, and sprawl on the floor, roughhouse, read, study, and stash innumerable possessions. That's asking a lot from four walls. Creative planning and thinking will help you to design a room that serves all those functions--and looks cool enough to please your child.

Maximise what you can fit in a small area When space is expensive consider a bunk bed for a child old enough to climb a ladder. It will let you fit storage and sleeping quarters in a small area. It gives the child a sense of privacy and personal space.

Plenty of room for sleeping, playing and storage - Kids love the out-of-the-ordinary when it is designed especially to suit their needs. Built on a platform the high bed gives the child a feeling of adventure. With space allotted for all needs the room appears uncluttered yet interesting. The brightly colored plastic storage trays make it fun to put away his things.... and easily too; also this young musician's bed is close to all the action--drums, stereo system, and books. The carpeted lower step is an inviting place to lounge and visit with friends, and it also muffles some of the noise.

Nurseries are fun to decorate but will be short lived-unless the original idea can be adapted to something else. Always consider the longevity of the theme in relation to the cost. It is wiser to use softer furnishings with not so sharp edges. A new baby doesn't really need a room of her or his own. One corner of the parent's room is an ideal location. But if you are planning a nursery, it should be close enough to the parent's bedroom so the baby can be heard.

By the time the baby starts to crawl, there should be less or no need for night feeds and the time is ripe for a separate bedroom, giving the parents a chance for a return to normality, and the child a sense of independence, however tentative.

So as you must in everything you undertake, apply a bit of thinking to your aesthetic sense, a bit of fun to your sense of colour and watch your child's face light up with joy at the sight of her room.