How to Choose Kids' Bedroom Furniture: A Step-by-Step Guide

The easiest way to furnish a child's bedroom is to do it in order: measure the room, choose the bed first because it's the biggest piece and decides the layout, plan storage around it, then add a desk and somewhere comfy to sit. Pick pieces that suit your child's age now but will still work in a few years, and fix any tall furniture to the wall.

Here's that process step by step, with the questions worth asking at each stage.

1. Measure the room, and the way in

Measure the length and width of the room, and the ceiling height if you're considering a bunk bed or high sleeper. Mark where the windows, radiators, sockets and doors are, because they decide where the bed can go.

• Leave room to move. Aim for a clear walkway of around 60cm, and allow 50 to 60cm in front of any drawers so they can open fully.
• Watch the swing. Wardrobe doors and room doors need space to open without hitting the bed.
• Check the way in. Most beds arrive flat-packed in boxes, but measure tight turns on the stairs anyway. Our delivery teams bring beds to the room of your choice where there's safe access.

2. Choose the bed for their age

The bed is the centrepiece and the biggest decision. The right type depends mostly on your child's age, then on the room. Our kids' bed buying guide goes into more detail, and the size guide explains every mattress size.

Toddlers and under-6s

Low and easy to get in and out of

Floor-level toddler beds, low cabin beds and house beds are safe to climb into, and many have storage drawers or a trundle.

See our toddler beds, including the Scandi toddler cabin bed and Nordic playhouse bed.

Ages 6 to 11

A first raised bed

From 6, children can use a mid sleeper, which frees up space underneath for a pull-out desk and storage. Brothers and sisters sharing? A bunk bed puts two beds in one footprint.

Browse mid sleepers, bunk beds or all beds for 6 and over.

Older children and teenagers

A desk, storage and room to grow

A high sleeper puts a full desk, a wardrobe or a sofa bed underneath. In a bigger room, a small double gives them space to sprawl.

See high sleepers, beds for teenagers and our small double guide.

Whatever you choose, check the build. A solid slatted base and sturdy joints stand up to the jumping and climbing that come with family life far better than a flimsy frame.

3. Plan storage around the bed

Children collect things fast, from clothes they'll outgrow in months to school books, hobby kit and treasured toys. Start with the space you'd otherwise waste: underneath the bed. Drawers, a trundle that doubles as a drawer, or a bed with a built-in wardrobe adds storage without using any extra floor. Our guide to single beds with storage compares the options.

Then add tall storage. A wardrobe with full-length hanging space, like the Swing wardrobe, will still work when they're a teenager with longer clothes. Put open shelves and baskets at your child's height so they can tidy up themselves, and keep the heaviest things in the lowest drawers.

Short on space? Our beds with wardrobes build the wardrobe into the bed itself.

4. Add a desk and a place to unwind

Once school brings homework, a desk matters. In a smaller room, a bed with a desk underneath saves the most space. Our guide to cabin beds with desks explains mid sleepers with pull-out desks and high sleepers with full workstations. If there's room, a desk by the window gives the best light.

Just as important is somewhere to switch off: a comfy chair, a beanbag or a reading corner with a lamp and a shelf of books. For older children, a vanity table can double as a desk.

5. Make it safe

• Fix tall furniture to the wall. Wardrobes, bookcases and chests of drawers can tip if a child climbs them or pulls out several drawers at once. Use the wall fixings supplied, every time.
• Follow the age guidance for raised beds. Mid sleepers, high sleepers and top bunks are for children aged 6 and over, with a mattress no deeper than the bed's stated maximum, usually 15cm.
• Keep cords away from beds. Choose cordless blinds or tie cords up out of reach, run lamp and charger cables along the wall, and never hang anything from a bunk bed or high sleeper's guard rails or ladder.
• Think about where the bed goes. Keep raised beds away from windows, ceiling lights and fans, with no gap between the bed and the wall that a child could slip into.

Choosing furniture that grows with them

It's tempting to buy small, cute pieces for their age today, but furniture that adapts lasts longer and costs less over the years.

• Beds that change with them. A detachable bunk bed like the Ashby splits into two single beds when children want their own rooms, and a trundle bed like the Henry is ready for sleepovers for years.
• Neutral big pieces. Keep the bed and wardrobe in white, grey, cashmere or natural wood, and let bedding, rugs, wall colour and prints carry their personality. Whether it's for a boy's or a girl's room, those are much cheaper to change as tastes move on.
• Themed beds, with eyes open. Little ones love a themed bed like a digger or race car, and it can make bedtime easier. Just expect to replace it sooner than a classic frame.

Common questions