Children have special needs when it comes to furniture. For one thing, furniture designed for children needs to be sturdy, easy to clean and maintain, and convertible or adjustable so that it can be used for many years. (You certainly don't want a child's sudden growth spurt to render their furniture useless within a few months!) Additionally, many children like furniture that features their favorite colors or cartoon characters. Luckily, with all the choices available, it's possible to find all these qualities in children's furniture.



So where should you begin?

Inspiration can be found in many places. Department stores are a good choice for those who like a hands-on shopping experience. Go to the juvenile furniture section and take a look at the displays. You'll not only find lots of furniture solutions for your little ones, you'll also get a glimpse of the latest trends in kids' furniture.

If you prefer a lot of variety, shop online. You'll have access to furniture that's hard to find in stores. Just make sure that you factor shipping costs into your decorating budget.

When you first decorate a child's bedroom or playroom, let them pick the color scheme. Children like making choices for themselves. They'll feel special if you allow them to choose the colors for their walls and carpet.

After the background colors have been selected, find some well-built furniture that will work well in the child's room. Try to find pieces that can grow with the child, such as chairs with adjustable heights or convertible bed frames. Children often have a lot of toys and small items, so look for beds and television stands with plenty of storage space built in. This will make it easy for the child to get their clutter out of sight at clean-up time.

Speaking of clean-up, go for furniture made from finished wood, metal, or vinyl. Typically, a shiny surface means easy cleaning. Fabrics and porous or unfinished wood get stained too easily. Scratches are also a consideration, since kids can be rough or careless when they play. Look for scratch-resistant surfaces such as Formica or steel. Hard woods work well, too.

Take your child's interests into account when you decide which types of furniture to put in their room. If your child is an avid video gamer, provide them with some resilient bean bag chairs or video game seating that they can share with a pal. Maybe your child prefers art and reading. In that case, a desk with an adjustable chair and a low bookshelf would provide the perfect space for their hobby. Does your child often have friends over? A couple of kid-sized sofas provide plenty of seating for friends.

Children's furniture should be tested for safety. Watch out for flimsy bed frames, toy boxes with lids that are too heavy to stand up properly, or shelves that can be tipped forward. Painted items should be lead-free, and everything should be fire resistant.

However you and your child decide to decorate their room, you can be sure that their furniture will provide lasting comfort and functionality. Use this list as a guideline before you take your little one shopping, and rest assured that your child will love their cozy new space.