Inspiration | Storage & Styling Ideas for Children’s Rooms & Nurseries

What makes a wonderful children's room? A place for play, nurturing and rest, children's rooms and nurseries are where friendships are formed, secrets are hatched and dreams held. On one hand, these rooms need to offer peace and tranquillity. On the other, fun and imagination. And at the heart of it all, a child's room needs to function well so that everyone can easily place things and put things back in order as needed.

When children are very small, this room can host an endless cycle of wardrobe changes, feeding and soothing, so it is good for the space to feel calm and nurturing. As babies grow, all of the colour, imagination and personality children bring to a home can start to be reflected in the space, all the while holding a multitude of clothing, toys and keepsakes. For this reason, striking a balance between form and function in your child’s room or nursery is key - here are a few storage and decoration ideas to help you do just that.

It’s all about storage

Let’s start with the ‘function’ part of the equation, because taking care of all of your storage needs in this room will enable you to quickly put a hand on what you need, do a simple tidy throughout the day and help to put things in order each evening so that you and your family can start the next day afresh.

From small items like tiny socks, hand towels, lotions and balms to bulkier articles like gumboots and tractors, it is helpful to make a home for everything to keep things running smoothly and feeling good. Having an obvious home for all of your children’s belongings will also help you to teach your children how to look after their belongings and enable them to easily practice their tidying skills over time.

We recommend a wide variety of baskets for this purpose. Small baskets and pots like the Small Sona Square Basket Duo and Woven Pot Duo work well positioned on a change table or set of drawers to hold hair brushes and ties, tall rattles and skincare. Lower baskets like the Trio of Round Jute Baskets and Minikin Bowl - Natural will do the same trick and also hold collections of small objects like wooden animals, cars, miniatures and teething toys that can be placed in each basket for little ones to take turns exploring. Switch them in and out of view to keep things interesting!

Medium baskets like the Sona Rectangle Basket - Large and Small Rectangle Basket are ideal for storing groupings of slightly larger items like picture books, musical instruments and small soft toys.

For bulkier items like toy trucks, large stuffed toys, dress-ups and sports gear consider large baskets that can be placed in a corner on the floor or within cabinetry. Our jute baskets are a little flexible and have a soft texture - try the popular Large Natural Jute Basket or Joti Basket - Jumbo. If you're after something a little firmer, the Rani Basket - Large might be just the thing for you or the indestructible palm fibre Jala Basket.

Our taller handwoven Laundry Baskets are equally handy for storing worn clothes between washes or for toys. For cushions and throws, consider the Seafarer Basket - Large or Large Round Jute Basket - Natural. Keep these by an armchair or bed to make cuddles, reading time and playing on the floor a little more comfortable.

I use my basket for my granddaughter’s toy collection. It is not too high sided so it is perfect for her to reach into and pick out which toy she wants to play with next. I love it!

~ Caroline, Seafarers Basket - Large ~

I have two of these I use for my children's toys. The baskets fit everything so it's an easy way to store toys in every room neatly and stylishly. I have since made these baskets my go-to for gifts for friends becoming first-time mums and they have been a hit over time. HIGHLY recommend this product - 6 years later and mine look as good as new.

~ Kalle, Large Round Jute Basket - Natural ~

Then add decorative touches for mood and personality

The sky's the limit when it comes to decorating children’s rooms. It is fun to draw on their seemingly limitless imagination and enthusiasm for life to create a space that nurtures, encouraging both learning and joy. To ensure these spaces connect with the rest of your home, we suggest integrating a few quality, handmade decorative elements that will help the room to stand the test of time.
Natural floor rugs are a great first step. A large floor rug that encompasses the whole space will allow children to comfortably play on the floor, adding a relaxed vibe. Or use a smaller rug to delineate spaces for rest or play.

Positioning a rug under a bed will dress up your child’s place of rest and keep things cosy in winter. The Dharma Door floor rugs are surprisingly soft to the touch thanks to the high-quality fibres that are used to craft them, so they work well as a play space - particularly the Shahi Rug, thanks to its pleasing shape.

A woven wall hanging will bring a beautiful decorative touch to a children’s room or nursery, adding a calming note thanks to its natural fibres. Hung above a change table or cot, these items can continue to be enjoyed down the track when positioned above a larger bed or sideboard. Switch and variate lamps, textiles, artwork and the occasional artwork and you are good to go!

I purchased this wall hanging for my daughter’s bedroom. The quality is fantastic and the size is perfect. My daughter loves the hanging and it's given her room the bohemian beachy vibe she was looking for. 

~ Lisa, Tassel Wall Hanging - Natural ~

This is the most beautiful hand made mandala I've ever seen. I have styled it in my girls bedroom and it just makes the room ! It is quality handmade and the texture and natural jute colour suits any style. I am so happy I made this purchase… Thank you.

~ Lauren - Mandala Wall Hanging ~

Tips from inspiring space makers

Learn how others use The Dharma Door baskets at home via The Dharma Door journal. Lauren Charge from Salt at Shoal Bay shares a little about her family space in this read. Kara Demmrich also shares some great tips in a recent post devoted her to her new home - complete with a gorgeous playroom for her two young children.

‘We’ve used The Dharma Door baskets to separate and organise toys and of course, they add texture and hide things we don’t want to see.’

How Kara Demmrich Uses Baskets in her Modern Coastal Home

‘At home, we use our Dharma Door baskets as toy baskets and beautiful storage for everything! I like to fill our home with things that make us happy. We used to have an old shoebox filled with hairbrushes and hairbands and school scrunchies that we’d pull out every morning to get the girls ready for school. The shoebox recently broke so I took the opportunity to upgrade it to one of the beautiful jute baskets from The Dharma Door and it makes me happy every morning when I pull it out of the cupboard.’

IN CONVERSATION with Lauren Charge | Salt at Shoal Bay