We are all travelling again this summer, and I am just back from visiting my daughter in the USA. She has been planning a nursery and it got me thinking about décor ideas for children’s rooms. Whether you’re preparing for a new arrival, creating a space for your growing child or decorating a spare room for visiting grandchildren, follow my tips.

The essentials
A baby’s room should do what it says on the tin – a cot, a changing table, a chest of drawers and a comfortable chair is a good start. It doesn’t have to be new; my daughter had most of her furniture donated by friends.

Kids’ rooms need to be both practical and imaginative, so create a room that will grow with them, with space for play and plenty of storage for toys and books. Soft, practical flooring is a must; a Berber style rug works well.

Choose your palette
Pastels or bright? Patterns or plain? My advice is don’t go too cute otherwise you’ll be constantly redecorating – little ducklings won’t necessarily appeal to an older child!

Classic stripes work well in children’s rooms. Ferm Living have a great selection of wallpapers in bold colours, or pick a soft neutral wall colour for a calm stylish look.

Look for vintage chests of drawers and wardrobes on eBay or in charity shops and paint them to match. Also search out colourful wicker baskets for toy storage.

Have some fun
Now’s the time to be playful and indulge your fantastical side. Most furniture brands have a children’s range with interesting, imaginative pieces. Little ones will love Habitat’s crocodile shaped bookcase, and I particularly like the White Company’s rattan elephant bookcase.

Make a toy box by painting a fun motif on a plain blanket box. My sister found some old children’s chairs in a charity shop and painted them white with Beatrix Potter themed motifs as a gift for my daughters. Now they are ready to be handed down to the next generation.

What’s on the walls?
It’s a tradition in my family for someone to make a birth sampler with the baby’s name for the nursery wall. Alphabet wall hangings are colourful and educational too. Wood and Whistles has a lovely range of wooden animal shaped wall hooks.

For something original check out the papier-mâché animal heads at Edit 58 or, if you’re feeling artistic, create a themed wall mural. Check out Annie Sloan’s website for inspiration.

The little extras
You can find so many adorable decorations for children’s rooms. Skandiborn has a great range of coloured wooden toys; display them on a specially designed wall hung shelf.

Finally, no children’s nursery is complete without a mobile. The website Not-Another-Bill has lots of unusual shapes and colours, and they can even be personalised.

Now you can make your child’s space both special and stylish.