Spencer Faux
Builder

A child’s room has to be a bedroom, a playroom and a breakfast and dinner room. I can get my kids fed and dressed much quicker up there, as there are no distractions such as TV.

It’s important to get a sense of fun into the room, with lots of cushions and bright colours. White makes a good backdrop to every colour, and smudgy fingerprints will show up on any wall, no matter what shade you have painted it. Actually, my children, Aarran, 6, and Elle, 4, are really tidy – I’m obsessive about it, and I guess that never having seen a cup left out has rubbed off on them.

My favourite store is Attic (020 8943 9626), in Hampton Hill, where I bought them a vintage chest – I made them promise not to take it apart.

I’m often asked to create themed rooms, such as camouflage walls, but they’re a bad idea. Kids grow out of them, then, six months later, you’re redecorating again.

Vonda Heng-Vong
Owner of Petit Aimé children’s boutique

First and foremost, a child’s bedroom has to be practical. It’s got to be geared to the child, and it should be plain, so that it can change with the years. If you start them off in good taste, they won’t want the whole room painted bright orange when they are older – you hope.

Nurseries where everything matches are awful. There is nothing worse than seeing a child’s bedroom that has had hundreds of pounds spent on it by the parents, but doesn’t reflect the child’s personality at all.

Fabric bunting is cheerful, and it is appropriate for both girls and boys. We sell it at Petit Aimé (aimelondon.com) in red, green and yellow, with a star or polka-dot pattern.

Liberty does the best fabric for curtains, especially for little girls. The floral prints are pretty without being twee, so the child can grow up with them.

Nat Robinson
Buyer at The Cross lifestyle boutique

When I was thinking about how to decorate Harry’s room, I didn’t really have a plan for it – I’m not that organised. I just buy whatever I love, and at work I’m surrounded by the most beautiful things for inspiration. I’m also a big fan of Bonton (bonton.fr), a store in Paris that has beautifully made clothing, furniture and toys.

It was important for me that Harry’s room fitted in with the rest of the house and wasn’t just a child’s room. I’ve always loved bold colours, so keeping that going in his room was natural. Having said that, I just filled the space with whatever I loved, or things that made me smile.

Harry is only 15 months old, so I’m going to have to watch out when he gets bigger – we have already totally run out of room.

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