How to Decorate Your Toddler's Room with Their Favorite Characters

Toddlers and young kids love their favorite cartoon characters. There’s no telling who they’ll latch onto — it might be anybody from Simba to Shrek — but just about every parent knows that once an obsession begins, your kid almost acts like that character is their new best friend! 

Fortunately, it’s normal for toddlers to have fictional character obsessions. And when they do, there’s nothing wrong with giving them a little bit of what they want! Many toddlers love having their rooms decorated with their favorite cartoon characters, and it can help provide them with a little more of the environmental stimulation that they need for healthy brain development. 

From Disney wall decals to stuffed animals and beyond, here are seven easy and fun ways to bring your child’s imagination to life by adorning their room with their favorite characters. 

1. Removable Wall Decals

Removable wall decals are a godsend for parents with cartoon-obsessed toddlers. These reusable vinyl decals are available in a huge variety of sizes and character designs, and their vividly lifelike quality means they’re sure to please toddlers who can’t get enough of their favorite cartoon friends. 

However, it’s really important to make sure that you buy high-quality wall decals made with an adhesive that’s actually removable. Otherwise, you might find yourself taking a large part of your paint off when you remove the decal. Look for decals that are officially licensed by the character’s owners, such as official Paw Patrol wall decals, as these will usually be higher quality products. 

2. Fun Furniture

Themed furniture is a great addition to any toddler’s bedroom, and you’ll almost certainly have an easier time getting your toddler to sleep at night if they get to climb into a Lightning McQueen bed. Character-themed furniture makes an excellent centerpiece to build a character-themed room around, or it can be a good compromise if you’ve agreed to let your child get one Batman-themed element for their room. 

Of course, the thing about furniture is that it’s not something you usually want to constantly replace, so consider whether your child tends to move through obsessions quickly. If you think they’ll be done with Winnie the Pooh in a few weeks, it’s often a good idea to get a less permanent and less expensive type of character decoration. 

3. Stuffed Animals

Stuffed animals bring out a whole new dimension for your child’s character obsessions — a third dimension, to be precise. Some Backyardigans are sure to bring joy into your child’s face, and stuffed animals can help spark a child’s imagination and encourage them to learn social and emotional roles. 

Note that sleeping with stuffed animals should be avoided for kids under a year old, and it’s best to keep very large stuffed animals out of the bed until kids are out of the toddler years. Fortunately, however, research in child psychology now indicates that it’s actually quite healthy for children to have stuffed animals to give them comfort in tough times. 

4. Doorway Art

The doorway to your child’s room is a perfect place to add decorations of your kid’s favorite characters. Working within the doorway gives you a defined space inside which you can create clever designs and dynamic scenes. For example, a decal of Peppa Pig that looks like she’s popping around the door could be a lot of fun! 

Consider adding some words too, such as an inspirational message or your toddler’s name. If the door has decorative features like panels and rails, try working around these to create unique designs that work with the space you have. Whatever you add to the door, it should be lively and colorful! 

5. Wall Murals

Sometimes you want to go big, and it’s hard to get cooler in the eyes of a toddler than a full-sized wall mural of their favorite cartoon. If you want to truly take them under the ocean with the cast of Finding Nemo or into the enchanted forests with Snow White, then a wall mural might be just the thing. 

Large-format vinyl wall murals are available for most popular cartoon characters, and you might be surprised at some of the fun and dynamic scenes they’re designed with. Just make sure that the characters in the mural are ones your kids are comfortable with and that they don’t include elements like scary villains that might cause fear once you turn off the light. 

6. Add Educational Content

What if you could help kids learn through cartoon decorations? Incorporating educational wall decals into cartoon-centric designs can be an excellent strategy for communicating important concepts like the ABCs and basic colors. Raising a toddler in a home where these concepts are constantly reinforced through decoration will help prepare them when they begin learning them in preschool or kindergarten. 

The characters and the educational content can have varying degrees of interconnection. You might add some favorite characters to your ABC wall to create a positive association between the two — perhaps even a favorite character for every letter (A for Arthur, B for Belle, etc.). To teach colors, try adding some colorful characters and challenge kids to name each character’s colors (yellow and red for Winnie the Pooh, etc.). 

7. Go with the Flow

Most toddlers love cartoons, but they also have wide-ranging interests! If your toddler has shown an interest in other things like sports, superheroes, princesses or anything else, remember that there are themed decorations available for these as well. Whatever your child is most interested in, you’ll create a more stimulating environment by enriching the environment with those topics. 

You could even add an interesting element to your decorations with custom big heads or standouts of family members or even of your child themselves! In general, any decoration that gives your child comfort and intellectual stimulation is a good one. 

11 Ways to Decorate a Wall in Under an Hour

Not everyone has the time to curate a perfect collection of wall art and sink hours into experimenting with placements and mockups. A lot of us just want something that looks good but doesn’t take a lot of effort and time, especially if we’re decorating an area that’s not going to be the centerpiece of our homes. 

Don’t worry — there are lots of great options out there for easy wall decoration! Let’s take a peek at 11 of the most popular choices for decorating a wall in under an hour with no muss and no fuss. 

1. Vinyl Wall Decals

Removable vinyl wall decals are one of the easiest and fastest ways to decorate a wall. They’re available in all kinds of designs now, from sports stars to video game characters to heroes from comic books and movies. One key tip is to choose good quality decals, as cheaply made ones can damage your wall when they come off. 

2. Washi Tape

So, you’ve got some great prints for your wall, but they’re not framed. What to do? Washi tape to the rescue! This thin Japanese tape comes in colorful patterns and is perfect for decorating on the fly and on the cheap. Just tear off a few short strips (no scissors required!) and use them to create a “frame” around whatever you want to hang. Washi tape is easy to apply and remove, but it’s also surprisingly durable and it won’t damage the materials you hang with it. 

3. Large Pieces

Don’t want to mess around with hanging a bunch of smaller pieces on a wall? Choose one good larger piece and let it speak for itself. This might be a painting, a print, a tapestry or any other large-format style of art. The important thing is to pick something high-quality that complements the wall color and the rest of the room’s decor. 

4. Peel and Stick Wallpaper

Wallpaper can look great, but it’s a labor-intensive way to decorate. You can count on at least a couple of hours of work applying adhesive and making sure it’s all smoothed out. Unless, that is, you use peel and stick wallpaper! These durable, no-nonsense wallpaper products feature all kinds of cool patterns and colors, but they require just a fraction of the effort. For most walls, all you’ll need to do is draw some basic guidelines, unroll the wallpaper, apply it and smooth it down. That’s it! 

5. Plants

Plants can do so much good for a space. They bring a lively, vibrant character and have documented benefits for improving mental health. Whether it’s a few small succulents, a giant palm or something in between, a couple of well-chosen plants will make your wall come alive. Of course, it’s important to make sure that your wall is somewhere that the plants can get the right amount of sunlight, and that it’s safe for any pets and children who are frequently in the house. 

6. Wall-Mounted TV

Hanging a TV can require a little more thought about the purpose and configuration of the room than some other options on this list, but the results can be fantastic. There are lots of practical uses for a wall-mounted TV, from watching the game while you’re in the kitchen to turning on Spotify any time you need to quickly set a mood. DIY TV mounting kits are available from any hardware store, but trusting it to a professional is a good idea if you’re not much of a handyperson. 

7. Print Sets

Don’t want to go to the trouble of matching a bunch of prints from different sources? Buy a set of prints that are designed to work together out of the box! Many home decor stores now offer pre-made print sets that just need to be framed and hung, and they’re usually available in a variety of colors so you can match them to the rest of your decor. Choose a set of decorative matching frames and you’ve got an incredibly easy decorating solution. 

8. Shelves

Adding shelves to a wall instantly turns it into a practical and attractive storage space. Once you’ve got the shelves up, your options are just about limitless. Want to display some of your favorite knick-knacks? How about some books? Or perhaps this wall is a good place for your plants to get some sun? There are so many different choices, and most of them will look great. Just pick some good-looking shelves that are strong enough to hold what you put on them. 

9. Custom Decorations 

Why not use something that will make your wall truly your own? It’s easier than ever to get awesome custom decorations that give your walls something unique that nobody else has. If you’re looking for something fun and silly, try some custom standouts or custom cardboard head cutouts of your family, or use a custom wall mural of a favorite photograph to create just the atmosphere you’re looking for. 
10. Hanger Racks

Why not put that wall to good use as a place to hang jackets, hats, purses or other clothing and accessories? Wall-mounted coat racks are generally inexpensive and easy to install, and they’re really helpful for eliminating the clutter and mess that can accumulate from outerwear getting scattered around the house. Choose a central location near the entrance to your home where most guests will be removing their outerwear. 

11. Instant Windows

Instant what now? That’s right — instant window wall decals are fun, funky removable wall decals that create an image on your wall of a window with a wild scene outside. You can get them in all kinds of styles, ranging from your favorite Bob Ross paintings to (gulp!) a spooky Grim Reaper for Halloween. And unlike real windows, you’ll never have to worry about drafts or replacing the caulking. 

Guest Post - Kitchen Renovation: Kitchen Design Trends of 2021

The kitchen serves as the heart of many homes. This is where our most cherished memories are created. Not only does it serve to be an important place for keeping all our appliances and tools for making a meal, but at times kitchens are also the best spaces for storage in the house. 

Without a kitchen, a house would awfully feel empty, as for some. It is where significant conversations and gossips are heard. All of this makes it all the more imperative to make your kitchen look and feel good. 

According to a recent study by Home Stratosphere, more than 31.41% of kitchens follow a traditional design style, followed by 25.18% of kitchens using a contemporary style.

Furthermore, 47.88% of kitchens are medium-sized (70-720 square feet), followed by 39.63% of kitchens that are large (more than 720 square feet).

However, 41.28% of kitchens are found to be favoring brown and white being the second most common color when it comes to color choices. Moreover, 41.02% of kitchens have an L-Shape layout. 

In light of this information, let's take a quick look at some of the best kitchen design trends that await you in 2021. 

• Bright and In Your Eye Colors

A kitchen has the tenacity to be the quietest space in your home and quickly transform into a venue that is also the busiest and source of the most ruckuses.

Due to its dual personality, there are often times where you might have entered an empty kitchen looking for a lost object, tool, or utensil that you need urgently. This is where colors can guide you. 

There are numerous options available. It's fairly common to give your kitchen a loud appeal by using bright colors on cabinets or the area you want people to be most aware of when they enter this space. Bright colors can also help you boost your mood and get you into the grove for some delicious cooking as well.      

• Curves vs Sharp Edges

If you have studied Feng Shui, you might know that indoor places that attract a lot of foot traffic should be devoid of sharp-edged furniture, fixtures, or fittings. This is due to the fact that they might cause someone to injure themselves when moving in a hurry badly.

This is why rounder, smoother, and curves are more appropriate as they seldom deliver the same impact as a sharp and pointy edge. 

There is no doubt that your kitchen is indeed a magnet that has the ability to pull the crowd, especially when you are attending to guests at home, and you are managing several things at a time.

Stick with Feng Shui, ancient geomancy becoming popular worldwide and chose curves over sharp edges when it comes to your kitchen fixtures and fittings.    

• Energy Efficiency

These days, many emphases are being made to reduce our carbon footprint, which has led those who are aware of climate change and global warming to adopt better lifestyles. Many pupils who opt for a personal statement writing service are also aware of such concerns.

Without question, the kitchen uses a ton of energy, which is why the new trend is to keep a lookout for keeping your kitchen as much energy efficient as possible. Some viable tips include:

• Designing your kitchen so that it can use natural air for ventilation and natural light throughout the day to save on energy consumption.

• Installing smart devices with high efficiency and low power ratings to keep energy consumption levels low. 

• Install faucets with a flow rate of no more than 1gpm, or you can also choose to add aerators. 

• Make use of smart, low energy, but bright lightings. This will help you save a lot of power with LED lights. 

• Replace faulty apps as they are not only a hazard but also use more energy while running. 

• Use smart kitchen solutions for lowering down your consumption level of utilities and follow best practices such as making sure that taps, faucets, lights, and even gas outlets are closed when not in use.

• Hidden Appliances

A new trend that is fairly becoming popular these days is where kitchen appliances are hidden from your sight, but they are there for use whenever you need them.

The basic idea is to incorporate your most used and daily appliances into your kitchen fixtures and fittings. You can find several iterations where people simply have their kitchen cold storage or refrigerator as cupboard standing a fixed to the wall. 

What this does is that it makes your kitchen floor less crowded. Hence you have more and ample space to move around and manage yourself freely. It also gives your kitchen a more spacious look as well as the ability to keep secrets.  Young learners who pay for essay may also find such designs quite enthralling and exciting. 

• Intuitive Cabinets, Fixtures, & Fittings

Related to the previous trend, another popular style for kitchens is to have intuitive cabinets that can move, change their structure or shape, or can be transformed.

This allows them to serve multiple purposes. Some of them transform as if they belonged to the Autobots race or something in their previous life.

Plus, there are many fixtures and fittings being released in the present that you can easily pack up to give yourself and others more space and room.

They not only look good and pleasing to watch, but they also offer your kitchen a surprisingly distinct look. Plus, you can always amaze your guests with what your kitchen can do. (And theirs can't!)    

• Quartz/Marble Countertops

Quartz is a human-made and engineered product of natural stone fused with polymer resin, whereas marble is a natural metamorphosed limestone or dolomite rock. Whether you go for marble or quartz, the choice is completely yours. 

Both are actually great for countertops as they definitely raise the appeal of your kitchen to the next level. Even a simple layout and design but with a marble or quartz finish on the top can uplift your kitchen's visage. Marble is indeed desirable, and quartz is also favored for its incredible beauty as well as durability.  

Conclusion 

The kitchen is where all the home parties begin and end. For some couples, the kitchen becomes the place where you begin making out and then leads to all kinds of trouble later on.

No one can deny the kitchen also serves to be a thinking spot for the most absurd thoughts of the day, and things do get messy afterwards when spill and splatter unintentionally, of course. 

No matter how you look at them, kitchens indefinitely more than what meets the eye. But for all the Monica Gellers out there, kitchens can be private and a place of love where much of your dedication shows in how you keep them. Cheers to all of you and to your brand new kitchen look, BANZAI!

Author Bio 

Melissa Calvert currently works as a devoted Lifestyle Counselor at Crowd Writer and Master Thesis. This is where higher education students can acquire professional research paper writing services from experts specializing in their field of study. During her free time, she likes to play the banjo for her loved ones. 

Guest Post - How Lighting Plays an Integral Part in Interior Design

Using the right type of lighting in your home can significantly enhance the interior design of each room. Being creative with lighting can illuminate specific areas and provide a cozy, warm atmosphere. It can even appear to alter the size of a room. Natural daylight is the most effective light source you can incorporate into your home, but electric lighting is always a necessity. There are several ways you can improve a sophisticated interior decor by choosing functional, but inspirational lighting.

Ambient Lighting

Every room needs to have an adequate amount of lighting to enable you to see clearly. This general or ambient lighting is usually provided by lamps hanging from a central point in the ceiling and supplemented by lights fitted to the walls. As an alternative, you could ask your electrician to install recessed lighting that provides a vertical pool or beam of light. Whichever style you choose, a room with bright, ambient lighting usually looks interesting and inviting.

Illusion of Space

An important element of interior design is to create a large, open space that conveys a sense of calm. You can achieve this by limiting how many pieces of furniture you include and de-cluttering the room effectively to prevent it feeling restrictive. Painting the walls in pale colours can also make the room appear larger. The effect can be further enhanced with ambient lighting reflecting on the wall surfaces to give the impression of a much larger space. By contrast, you can make a spacious room appear warm and cozy by combining soft, dimmable lighting with a dark color scheme. As the lighting creates hazy pools of illumination reflecting on the dark walls, it will make the room appear smaller and more welcoming.

Directional or Accent Lighting

Imaginative interior design often includes focal points such as an ornate piece of furniture, a large, ornamental vase or an artistic painting. By adding directional lighting, you can increase each object's level of interest by simply illuminating it. Some picture frames include small, integral lights specifically for this purpose. Alternatively, track lighting fitted to the ceiling is a versatile choice as the individual lamps can easily be positioned to illuminate one or more objects.

Practical Lighting

Successful interior design must combine an aesthetic, artistic style with practicality. Illuminating work spaces such as a writing desk or a small home office requires functional lamps that emit a strong, bright light. A well-designed kitchen will usually have large, pendant lights above an island unit. Another option is a series of spotlights that cast a clear, bright light exactly where it's needed. Some kitchen cupboards placed above countertops often have inbuilt lights to provide additional illumination.

Types of Lighting

There are three main types of lighting you can choose from.

 Incandescent lights use a tungsten wire filament to create a bright, ambient illumination. They can often be dimmed very easily to make the atmosphere of the room more cozy. 

Fluorescent lighting uses a tube containing gas, mercury and phosphorous to emit a clear, bright light. It's frequently used in kitchens and for recessed lighting. Compared to incandescent lighting, fluorescent lights are about one-third less expensive to run and have a longevity of about twenty times longer. 

The most economical illumination comes from Light Emitting Diodes or LED lighting. It can last up to fifty times longer than an incandescent bulb and uses far less energy than either of the other forms of lighting. The small, versatile bulbs can be used imaginatively to create different lighting effects. They also provide a range of colors that can help to enhance the features of your interior design.

Portable Lamps

Using a couple of portable lamps that stand on either the table or floor can provide additional, practical lighting wherever it is needed. They can be fitted with dimmable bulbs to help your room achieve a particular mood or atmosphere. Convenient desk lamps with cantilever arms are especially useful as they can be positioned with great accuracy whenever you require additional illumination.

Conclusion

Interior design relies on imaginative lighting to enhance the special features and style of a room. By using lighting that complements the colors on the walls, you can easily create an illusion of a more spacious room or a cozy corner. 

Directional lighting is perfect for making an ornamental feature seem more interesting and stylish. Practical lighting that's bright and clear is essential in work spaces such as a kitchen. 

Choosing economical LED bulbs can help to add many different colors and atmospheres. However, these are not always peoples first choice. And remember to be safe and always contact a fully qualified electrical contractor when you enhance your room's interior design with versatile lighting.

Author Bio:

John Keohane is the owner of JK Services, an electrical contractor who helps many homeowners with their lighting needs.