10 Minimalist Ideas for a Playroom, Nursery or Bedroom

1. Declutter

The first and most obvious step: get rid of everything that is unnecessary and junk. You don’t want to throw anything that has value, such as sentimental or a practical/storage use. But undesired, unused, broken, and purposeless items need to be thrown away and can be anything such as collectable items, old ornaments, random wall hangings and junk you don’t use.

You don’t want to hoard stuff when creating a minimalist room.

2. Separate areas for each project

Minimalist rooms should be separated for each project.

For example, if you were to create a minimalist playroom you can create a reading nook, a kids library corner, and a workstation for projects/activities.

The same goes for minimalist design in other areas of the home, such as a living room with a coffee table, dining table in another corner, lounging area, library corner, and so on. The key is to keep it simple and to a minimum

3. The right storage with pictures labels

For the playroom, nursery, or bedroom it’s important to have the right storage. This is so everything can be more easily and neatly packed away where it needs to be to look visually more clean, simple, and tidy.

Have picture labels or word labels to make tidying up easier too for you and your child.

Try and get one storage item so we can keep that minimalist-chic visual. We don’t want those chunky draws and units to hog all the space. It will also create a focal command centre where everything is clearly in one space. Cube storage is great for organizing toys and books whether you have a playroom, a nursery or not

Use shelves! Whatever room in your house- a bedroom, living room, playroom - you can still make the most out of a room. For example, using shelves to organize books, a plant, and a few items of choice.

4. Use the centre of the room

The centre of the room is what draws the most attention and placing a table can give it a clean and functional look. When designing a minimalistic playroom, you can place a table in the middle of the room, so toys and mess won’t end up on the floor but on the table. Children and adults can use the table for work and leave items there instead of on the floor.

5. Monochromatic colour/ tone

Have a monochromatic colour, which is one consistent colour for a minimalist room.

The most important thing after space is colour in a minimalistic room. Lighter colours will expand the room, while darker rooms would do the opposite.

Neutral colours work great and are great as your child won’t outgrow and mature out of them. Use one colour, a soft one, so that it is simple and will create uniformity. You can always paint over these easily with your child's favourite colour when they grow older.

Create Gender neural spaces - this includes play spaces, work areas, wall paint, wallpaper, bedding, and furniture so there are no colour clashes with the minimalist aesthetic.

Create a playroom, nursery, or bedroom that your child won’t outgrow!

6. A theme

There should be one theme too. Rooms that are neutral and monochromatic work well with little splashes of colour. Such as one of your child's favourite artwork or a nice vintage toy. This will stand out, give the room more personality and make yourself and your child proud.

There are many themes, such as a mountain theme with wooden storage crates. Or an under the sea theme with some matching sea-related objects on a shelf or table such as a ship. Safari and jungle themes or celestial themes (moon, stars, space, sunshine, rainbows)

Remember to keep it to a minimum and limit how much stuff you keep. Only have one or a few. The effect is to spark some life in the room, not overloading it.

7. Patterns

Have a bare wall? If the room is looking a little too simple for your liking, then jazz the room, playroom, or nursery with some wall art.

These can be patterns, stickers, a wall of prints, a stick to the wall checkboard, or some glow in the dark stickers.

This will bring life to a minimalist playroom which has been stripped of many toys and items.

8. Japandi Style

Japandi style is a mix of the aesthetics of Scandinavia and Japan.

The modern element of Scandinavian design is intertwined with the elegance of the Japanese design which creates the ‘Japandi’ style aesthetic.

This style is minimal, sleek, functional, and elegant. The use of natural materials and high-quality craftsmanship create a room filled with durable toys, furniture, artwork, and items. As well as it is favouring quality over quality to fit the minimalistic design, it also uses neutral colours, tones, and materials!

9. Natural light

Natural life can even open the smallest of rooms. Removing the curtain completely or pushing them open can allow sunlight to illuminate the room, making it look bigger, elegant, modern and minimalistic.

10. Add a plant

Add an earthy touch by adding small touches of green in the form of a plant, flower, or vines. These are modern and minimalist if you don’t go overboard and place them strategically. Place one on a shelf, or in the middle of a table. It can really give a neutral minimalist room a nice earthy touch of visual art.

Modern-looking and easy to care for house plants include a rubber plant, aloe vera, lavender, spider plants, peace lily, cactus, a philodendron, or a fiddle leaf fig.

You don’t have to use fresh flowers, artificial can work just as well without the hassle of maintenance. But real-life greenery may be a fun activity in a playroom or nursery for a little one.

Use a neutral-toned vase or clear jars, such as mason jars.