If my son had his way, his bedroom would have bunk beds, despite the low, sloping ceiling. As we took him on a tour of furniture stores to find a new bed we could all live with, he always retreated to a bottom bunk, pretending it was his dinosaur cave or superhero den – he was hooked. And we were happy he was occupied enough so we could talk to the salespeople about construction and alternate finishes.

When buying kids bedroom furniture, you need to find that magic mix of budget and style that will work for both you and your child. After all, it is the kid’s room. But it is under your roof and the money is coming from your bank account. Feeling the struggle already?

Here are 5 questions to consider and even discuss with your child, depending on his age.

1. What Kids Bedroom Furniture Are You Looking For?

Do you want to buy an entire new bedroom set, or are you just looking for a twin bed or desk and hutch? Setting the parameters that we were just looking for a bed helped to keep both my son and my husband and I focused. Once you start looking at all the options in kids bedroom furniture, it’s easy to get off task and let practicality go right out the door.

2. How Long Do You Plan to Have Your Child Use This Furniture?

A Cars toddler bed might not get you through all of toddlerhood, depending on your child’s size. Kids grow – a lot and more quickly than you imagine. If you’re looking for bedroom furniture that will get a child through to the college years, then you need to worry about materials and construction. You also want to go with a neutral design that will work with an array of wall art and potentially additional pieces of furniture. The longer you expect your child to use the furniture you’re buying, the more you may need to spend.

3. How Much Do You Want to Spend on Your Child’s Furniture?

Now that you’ve considered the furniture pieces you plan to buy and how long you expect them to last, you can set a realistic budget. Don’t worry -- you can find quality affordable furniture. Your budget will help you stay on track and avoid surprises as you shop for furniture for your child’s room.

4. Are There Any Style Constraints?

Does your new furniture need to match any existing pieces? If so, be sure to consider the finish and style so your new items will work with what you already have.

5. Are There Any Physical Constraints?

When thinking about physical constraints, consider the room, your home and your child. If you plan to fit the bed into a specific nook or near a window, you need to be mindful of the space’s width and height. You’ll also want to be sure that all pieces will be able to fit in your doorways and physically be maneuvered into your child’s bedroom. And lastly, consider your child’s size and make sure, for example, he’ll be able to get in and out of bed unassisted, if he is younger. For example, when we were looking for my son, we thought a bed with trundle would be the perfect compromise since he wanted a bunk bed so badly. But most beds with trundles we found had a higher profile than his 3-year-old height could easily navigate.

Your answers to these questions will help you set some ground rules and help you choose at what points it will make the most sense for your child to make decisions about his own room and the furniture within it.

Browse kids bedroom furniture at Furniture.com.

Categories: Kids Rooms, Bedroom Furniture