I recently shared that we updated our kid’s bedroom for his big kid era ahead of his 5th birthday so the room was still colorful but calmer in design. Even though the decision to update the room was mine, I involved August in the process early so he could feel as if he was making choices about what his room would look like.

I knew what I wanted to do early on: paint the room white as it had been before, switch out the light fixture, and replace his headboard. When he found out I was painting the room white and getting rid of the peach triangles on his walls and ceiling, he thought the room would be boring. I can’t blame him for thinking that and he had a good idea: add a rainbow above his bed.




So before I got started on his room, I got paint color chips of two different whites we already have in the house. I found two blue headboards that I liked, that were at an affordable price and were ready to ship. I had a harder time finding multiple light fixtures that I liked, were affordable, were ready to ship and had a removable bulb but I found one light fixture that met those requirements and came in two color options. I found two rainbow decals that I liked, were affordable, were ready to ship and were different enough from each other that he would think he was really picking something that he wanted.

They key to involving a kid in the design process – especially a kid this young – is keeping everything to two choices. That means giving a choice between two headboards, for example, and how that choice is presented.

Once I had all four products ready, I created a PowerPoint to show August. This is important because if I had shown him the product pages for his options on the websites, then similar products would have popped up as well as other eye catching elements that pop up or live on shopping sites that would have been distracting to a young kid and could have derailed what I was hoping would be a smooth and fast process. I already knew what I wanted for his room and only wanted him to think he was involved so he would be happy with the outcome.

The power point had three slides: one of pictures of two different blue headboards, one of two pictures of the same light fixture but shown in two different colors, and one of the two rainbow decals. He pointed at the one he wanted on each slide and then we were finished.

Once he gave me his choices, I ordered everything and then we were underway. Once his room was done, he loved it!