When it comes to decorating a child's room, the approach should be very different from decorating an adult bedroom.

Your kids bedroom is where they play, read, listen to music, day-dream, or just go and be alone sometimes. So use these eight hints and tips to help create a space that will make you both happy:

1. Consult your child. Find out what activities he or she enjoys; what their favorite color is; and what's unique about their personality that a theme could be built around.

2. Allow your child to help. Let them have a say about colours, fabrics, and how they want to display their belongings.

3. Make the room multi-functional. Since children use their room for many activities besides sleeping, it should have several different areas, such as a play area, reading area, and entertainment area.

4. Make storage a priority. Try large decorative wicker baskets, plastic see-through containers, and closets that contain plenty of shelving and racks. Shelving is perfect for displaying a child's treasures. Keep more valuable belongings on the top shelf and everyday things lower for convenience. One unique shelving option is to paint two ladders and place boards across the rungs as shelves

5. Keep window treatments simple. Avoid long draperies. Shades, blinds, and shorter curtains are safer choices. The fabric should be versatile, and patterns should be repeated in other items in the room, such as in pillows, quilts, lampshades, bed ruffles, etc.

6. Choose the right lighting. A child’s room should include both task lighting for homework and reading, and soothing light for quieter times. A nightlight is also important.

7. Use wallpaper or paint to add colour and texture. You can apply whimsical borders along the top edges of the walls, and clouds or stars on the ceiling. Make sure walls are washable, so if you are using paint, choose a semi-gloss or gloss finish. Kids love bright colours, but you should limit any strong color to only one wall.

8. Allow your child to select the design theme. Here are just a few: firehouse fun room, starry night, angels, rainbows, unicorns, football, a bedroom for a princess, underwater scenery, outer space, race cars, airplanes, trains, jungle motifs, wizards and dragons, and dinosaurs.

Decorating with your child offers a great opportunity to display your playful side, while doing some memorable family bonding, so have fun with it