Choosing the right wall art for a bedroom is about so much more than just filling a blank space. It’s about creating a personal little haven where your child can dream, play, and feel completely safe. From whimsical nurseries to cool kids' rooms, the right prints can totally transform the atmosphere, reflecting your little one's budding personality.
Creating a Magical Space Your Child Will Adore
As a parent, you want to design a bedroom for your child that’s beautiful, inspiring, and safe. It’s a room that needs to be functional enough for playtime but also calming enough for bedtime stories and sweet dreams. Wall art is one of the most powerful tools you have to get this balance just right, setting the tone for the entire room.
This guide is for busy parents who want practical, no-fuss advice. We’ll walk you through everything, from finding a theme that sparks joy—like cheerful jungle animals for a new nursery or a superstar football set for your little champion—to the finer details of sizing, framing, and hanging. It’s all about making smart choices that will last.
More Than Just Decoration
The right art does more than just look pretty on the wall. It can:
- Inspire Imagination: A map of the world or a whimsical forest scene can spark all sorts of curiosity and storytelling.
- Create a Soothing Environment: Soft colours and gentle images, like our watercolour animals, can help create a tranquil atmosphere that’s perfect for sleep.
- Reflect Their Identity: A personalised name print or artwork featuring their favourite hobby makes them feel seen and truly special.
Personalising children's spaces is a trend that's only getting bigger. In 2022, the UK wall art market generated a massive £3,597.2 million in revenue, and experts see that growing to £5,500.4 million by 2030. A big part of that growth comes from families just like yours, looking for stylish, meaningful prints for nurseries and children’s bedrooms. You can read more about these market trends from Grand View Research.
At Pompom Prints, we believe creating a magical room shouldn't be complicated or expensive. With a little guidance, you can select pieces that not only look fantastic but also grow with your child.
Throughout this guide, we'll share our insider tips to help you transform your child’s room into a space that truly reflects their unique personality. For even more inspiration, check out our guide on children's wall decor.
Choosing a Theme That Grows with Your Child
Finding the right theme for your child's wall art is one of the most exciting parts of decorating their room. It's about creating a space that feels personal and inspiring, but a little forward-thinking goes a long way. Let's be honest, their favourite cartoon character today might be old news tomorrow. The trick is to choose a theme that can evolve as they do.
For nurseries, the goal is nearly always to create a calm, serene atmosphere. Soft, gentle themes are absolutely perfect for this.
- Scandi Style: Think minimalist designs, clean lines, and a soft, neutral colour palette. It's the perfect recipe for a peaceful environment.
- Baby Animals: You can never go wrong with adorable, watercolour illustrations of safari or woodland creatures. They're timeless and universally loved.
- Nautical Designs: Classic sailboats, anchors, and gentle waves bring a touch of quiet adventure to the room and have a classic, lasting appeal.
These kinds of themes create a beautiful backdrop that won't feel dated as your baby grows into a boisterous toddler.
From Nurseries to Toddler Rooms
As they get older, their personality really starts to pop. Toddlers might fall in love with vibrant Watercolour Vehicles or a playful Jungle Safari theme. This is your chance to start weaving their favourite things into the decor, but in a more sophisticated way. Instead of latching onto a fleeting trend, try building the room around a broader concept.
For example, a love for dinosaurs doesn't have to mean a room full of loud, primary-coloured cartoons. You could choose more realistic, sketch-style dinosaur prints in lovely earthy tones. This approach feels more curated and is much easier to update later with new bedding or a few different accessories. For even more creative ideas, have a look at our guide on decorating a child's room.
A successful theme is less about a specific character and more about a feeling or interest. A child who loves space can have a room with deep blues and star constellations that will still feel cool when they're a teenager.
This desire for elevated, personal spaces is part of a bigger picture. Wall art is a huge part of Europe's decor scene, which is set to grow by USD 16.42 billion between 2024 and 2029. Here in the UK, that translates to a huge demand for personalised wall art for bedroom spaces that feel truly unique.
To help you narrow down the options, here’s a quick guide to what themes tend to work best at different ages.
Popular Wall Art Themes for Different Ages
Use this quick reference guide to help you choose the perfect theme based on your child's developmental stage, from newborns to school-aged children.
| Age Group | Popular Themes | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Newborns (0-1 year) | Scandi, Baby Animals, Stars & Moon, Nautical | Creates a calm, soothing environment with gentle colours and simple shapes. High-contrast art is also great for visual development. |
| Toddlers (1-3 years) | Jungle Safari, Woodland, Vehicles, Dinosaurs | Engages their growing curiosity and imagination with more vibrant colours and recognisable objects from their world. |
| Preschoolers (3-5 years) | Alphabet/Numbers, World Map, Superheroes | Supports early learning and reflects their budding interests and role-playing games. The themes are fun and educational. |
| School-Aged (6+ years) | Football, Ballerina, Hobbies (music/art), Tropical | Allows them to express their personality and passions, creating a space that feels truly their own and reflects their identity. |
Ultimately, choosing a theme that can be layered and adapted over time is the smartest approach. A simple colour palette or a love for nature can be expressed in countless ways as your child's tastes mature.
From Hobbies to Lifelong Passions
Once they reach school age, children often have very strong opinions about their space! Our Superstar Football sets are a massive hit for this very reason, turning a passion into the focal point of their room. Hobbies like dance, music, or art also provide fantastic inspiration for themes that can mature with them.
You could even think outside the box with vibrant tropical ideas for bedrooms to inspire a sense of adventure and wonder. A few well-chosen prints of lush leaves or exotic birds can create an exciting, imaginative vibe without taking over the whole room.
By focusing on a colour palette, a favourite animal, or a beloved hobby, you create a timeless backdrop that can easily adapt to their changing passions.
Mastering Wall Art Size And Placement
"What size print should I buy for my child's room?" It's a question we get all the time from parents, and for good reason. Getting the scale right can make or break the feel of a bedroom. A tiny print floating on a large wall can look a bit lost, while a piece that's too big can feel overwhelming, especially in a cosy nursery.
A brilliant rule of thumb is to make sure your artwork fills about two-thirds of the wall space above a piece of furniture. Whether it’s over the cot, a changing table, or a chest of drawers, this simple guideline helps create a balanced, intentional look that just feels right.
The Two-Thirds Rule In Action
Let's put that into practice. Say you have a dresser that’s 120cm wide. You’d be looking for art with a total width of around 80cm (two-thirds of 120cm). This could be one single, impactful print or a collection of smaller ones in a gallery wall that span that width together.
Following this guideline stops the art from being dwarfed by the furniture beneath it, creating a lovely, cohesive focal point. Honestly, getting this right is your first step towards a professionally styled room.
Finding The Perfect Hanging Height
Once you've got the size sorted, where exactly do you hang it? The standard advice is to position the centre of the art at eye level, which is usually about 145cm from the floor. But when you’re decorating a child's room, we need to tweak that rule a bit.
After all, you want your little one to actually see and enjoy the art you've so carefully chosen for them! For this reason, it’s always best to hang art a little lower than you would in a living room. A good aim is to hang your pieces so the bottom of the frame is about 15-20cm above the furniture.
This little trick ensures the art connects visually with the furniture piece beneath it, rather than floating disconnectedly on the wall. It also brings the artwork down to a height that feels more accessible and engaging for a child.
This visual guide shows how these principles can adapt as your child grows, from their nursery days right through to their 'big kid' room.
The main takeaway here is that while your core design principles stay the same, the themes and complexity can evolve to match their development.
Practical Steps For Perfect Placement
So, you've chosen the perfect pieces and figured out the ideal size. Now for the slightly scary part: getting them on the wall. Mastering the art of hanging your picture with precision is the final hurdle.
Here are a few quick tips I've picked up over the years to take the guesswork out of it:
- Map it out first. Before you even touch a hammer, lay your frames out on the floor. Play around with the arrangement until you're happy with the spacing and the overall shape.
- Create paper templates. This is a game-changer for parents! Trace each frame onto paper, cut them out, and use a bit of masking tape to stick them to the wall. It lets you live with the layout for a day or two and make tweaks without putting any holes in the wall.
- Measure twice, hang once. It’s an old saying for a reason. Double-check all your measurements before drilling. You can even mark the spot for the nail directly onto your paper template to ensure it's in exactly the right place.
For a deeper dive into specific measurements, you might want to explore our detailed guide on https://pompomprints.com/blogs/news/uk-poster-sizes to help you choose prints that fit standard frames perfectly. By following these simple rules, you can hang your child's wall art with confidence, creating a beautifully balanced and enchanting space they will absolutely love.
Designing a Safe and Stunning Gallery Wall
A gallery wall is a fantastic way to bring a collection of prints together and inject a huge dose of personality into your child's bedroom. It lets you mix different sizes, styles, and even add cherished personal photos or your little one's own masterpieces into the display. This approach turns a blank wall into a beautiful, evolving story of their childhood.
The secret to a great gallery wall? Start with a main focal point piece and then build your collection around it. This ‘anchor’ piece sets the tone. From there, you can explore different layout ideas, from a perfectly structured grid to a more organic, free-flowing arrangement that feels collected over time.
Child Safety First, Always
When you’re decorating a child’s room, safety is the number one priority, especially with anything hung on the wall. A beautiful gallery wall is only successful if it’s completely secure.
Here are the essential safety checks I always recommend for parents:
- Secure Hanging: Please, always use at least two hooks per frame. It gives so much more stability than a single hook and stops pictures from tilting or being easily knocked off the wall.
- Location, Location, Location: Never hang frames directly over the head of a cot or bed where they could potentially fall. It's just not worth the risk. Position the gallery wall on an adjacent wall or make sure it's well out of a curious toddler's reach.
- Lightweight Materials: Opt for lightweight wooden or composite frames instead of heavy, ornate ones. Lighter frames are simply less of a hazard if they do ever come loose.
The most important safety swap you can make is choosing frames with plexiglass or acrylic instead of real glass. It’s shatterproof, much lighter, and gives you complete peace of mind without sacrificing that high-quality look.
This focus on creating beautiful, safe spaces for children has become a major driver in the UK's home decor market. After 2020, sales boomed as families spent more time at home, with the sector now projected to grow at a 6.3% compound annual growth rate. Digital-savvy parents are increasingly seeking out unique prints to create these special bedrooms.
Planning Your Perfect Layout
Once you’ve got the safety aspects covered, it's time for the fun part—planning your layout! A little bit of prep work on the floor can save you a lot of nail holes in the wall later on. Trust me on this one.
Start by laying all your chosen pieces out on the floor. This lets you play around with the arrangement without any commitment, seeing how different sizes and orientations work together. A good trick is to place your largest piece slightly off-centre to create a bit of visual interest, then fill in the surrounding space with smaller prints.
Don't be afraid to mix up vertical and horizontal frames to add rhythm and stop the layout from feeling too static. For a complete walkthrough on creating a balanced and beautiful display, our guide on how to create a gallery wall has more advanced tips for achieving that perfect, curated look.
Bringing Your Vision to Life with Prints
With your theme and layout beautifully mapped out, it’s time for the really fun part—choosing the perfect pieces of wall art. This is where you bring your vision to life, selecting the prints that will make the space feel truly special and personal to your child.
A wonderful way to do this is with a personalised name print. It not only looks stunning but also serves as a beautiful keepsake that your child will cherish for years to come. It’s a simple touch that makes their bedroom feel uniquely theirs, instilling a lovely sense of ownership and pride in their personal space.
Now, you need to decide which format is best for your family, home, and budget. At Pompom Prints, we offer a few different options to suit every parent's need, helping you achieve a high-end designer look without the hefty high-street price tag.
Digital Downloads: The Ultimate Flexibility
Digital downloads are a fantastic choice for parents who love a bit of DIY or need maximum flexibility. Once you purchase, you get the high-resolution file instantly, which means no waiting for delivery—perfect when you're trying to get the nursery finished!
This format gives you complete control. You can:
- Print in Any Size: Whether you need a small A5 print for a shelf or a large A1 statement piece, you can scale the artwork perfectly to fit your space.
- Choose Your Own Paper: Fancy experimenting with different paper types? From matte to satin, you can achieve the exact finish you want.
- Print Multiple Times: Want to use the same design in a playroom or as a gift for a fellow parent? You have the freedom to print it again for personal use.
It’s an incredibly cost-effective way to get high-quality wall art for bedroom spaces, especially if you’re decorating on a budget or enjoy managing the printing and framing process yourself.
High-Quality Prints: Convenience Meets Quality
If you'd rather skip the hassle of figuring out printing, our high-quality prints are the perfect solution. We handle all the technical details to ensure your art looks flawless.
We use premium, thick paper that gives the colours a beautiful depth and vibrancy, ensuring your art looks professional and lasts for years. This option is ideal for busy parents who want a guaranteed beautiful result without the extra steps. Your prints arrive carefully packaged and ready for you to pop into your favourite frames, making the decorating process smooth and simple.
Framed Prints: Ready-to-Hang Perfection
For the ultimate in convenience, our ready-to-hang framed options are a lifesaver for busy parents. This choice takes all the guesswork out of the equation and gets that beautiful art on the wall in minutes.
We select high-quality, child-safe frames that perfectly complement our prints, ensuring a cohesive and polished look straight out of the box. It’s the easiest way to achieve a stunning, professionally styled wall with minimal effort.
Choosing the right frame can be as important as choosing the art itself. If you're looking for guidance on pairing prints with the perfect frames, you can find helpful advice in our article about custom framed pictures. This choice ensures your wall art is not only beautiful but also securely and stylishly displayed.
Your Wall Art Questions, Answered
Choosing the perfect art for your child's bedroom or nursery naturally comes with a few questions. From making sure everything is hung safely to picking designs that will last, it's smart to get a bit of advice before you start. We’ve put together answers to the queries we hear most often from parents, so you can decorate with total confidence.
Getting the practical side of things right is just as important as finding a print you love. You're creating a space that’s not just beautiful, but a safe haven for your little one. Let's walk through some of our top tips to help you put the finishing touches on their dream room.
How Do I Safely Hang Wall Art in a Nursery or Toddler's Room?
Safety is, without a doubt, the number one priority for every parent. Always hang artwork well out of your child's reach, and be especially careful to avoid the area directly above the cot or changing table. Using two hooks per frame is a great little trick for extra stability, as it stops pictures from tilting or being easily knocked off the wall.
We also highly recommend looking for lightweight frames that use acrylic or plexiglass instead of real glass. This one simple swap gets rid of the risk of shattering and injury, giving you peace of mind. For an even safer option, you could try high-quality wall decals or even unframed prints mounted with non-toxic, removable adhesive strips. As a rule, never hang anything heavy or with sharp edges where a curious toddler might be able to pull it down.
How Can I Choose Art That My Child Won't Quickly Outgrow?
The secret to choosing art with staying power is to lean towards timeless themes and more grown-up colour schemes. Instead of picking characters from whatever TV show is popular right now, think about classic ideas like animals, nature scenes, world maps, or even simple abstract shapes that can grow with them.
Scandi-inspired designs, for example, have that minimalist feel that’s gorgeous in a nursery but still looks chic and stylish in a pre-teen's room. Another brilliant strategy is to choose a core colour palette that you can easily update with accessories like cushions and bedding as they get older. Personalised name prints are also a fantastic investment because they’ll always feel special and relevant.
A common mistake is going all-in on a very specific, fleeting interest. By choosing broader themes like 'adventure' or 'woodland', you can easily swap out individual prints over time without having to redo the entire room.
Is It Okay to Mix Different Art Styles in One Room?
Absolutely! Mixing different styles is a wonderful way to create a look that feels personal, dynamic, and carefully curated. The key to making it all work is finding a common thread that ties all the individual pieces together.
This unifying element could be a few different things:
- A Consistent Colour Palette: Make sure each piece shares at least one or two of the same colours.
- A Similar Frame Style: Using all light wood frames or all simple white frames can bring very different prints together.
- A Unifying Theme: You could have a gallery wall dedicated to 'nature', but include a mix of watercolour paintings, line art, and photography within it.
A gallery wall is the perfect canvas for experimenting with this. We suggest starting with one main 'hero' piece and then building out from there, adding smaller, complementary prints to create your unique collection.
Are Digital Downloads a Good Choice for Wall Art?
Digital downloads are a wonderfully flexible and affordable way to decorate your child's room. They give you total freedom to print the artwork in whatever size you need, and you can print it as many times as you like for your own personal use.
This is perfect if you want to create a huge statement piece on a budget, or even use the design on other things like cushions or party invitations. Plus, you get your art instantly—no waiting around for shipping! You can print it right at home, take the file to a local print shop, or use an online service. It’s a brilliant choice for parents who are watching their budget or anyone who loves a good DIY project.
At Pompom Prints, we're passionate about helping you create magical, safe, and beautiful spaces for your children. Explore our full collection of timeless nursery and bedroom wall art at https://pompomprints.com.