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Where space permits the children’s rooms should be planned so  that they are readily adaptable to the different ages, from babyhood to the teens.
At the crawling and toddling stage it is the floor, and the walls up to about four feet, which are the important areas to the child. The selection of a hygienic and warm floor covering is an important consideration. Woolen pile or felt carpet should be avoided as they give off fluff, and harbour dist which can cause respiratory troubles in children who are still at the mouth breathing stage. Linoleum and plastics are ideal for cleanliness, but can be cold unless the room is well heated. They can be made softer and warmer if under- laid with a good quality felt or similar material. Cotton pile carpet or rugs are also good, as they are warm, shed little fibre and can be washed regularly. It should be laid loose, in sections, for easy lifting and relaying.
It is a good idea to fit hardboard panelling all round the nursery  to a height of four feet. This will prevent damage to plaster or other structural wall surface. The panels can be painted in matt finish in alternating bright hues and dark tones, these areas providing most suitable spaces for drawing in crayons, an important activity for young children.
As the child grows from the “play” to the “hobby” stage the room should be adjusted to its developing character and interests.
Girls generally show interest in the decorative aspects of their rooms at quite an early age and, on the whole, are careful with furniture. On the other hand, the emphasis in the boy’s room will be on practical activities, and the furniture will need to be of a sturdier kind.
A good idea at this stage is to provide a basic unit of furniture consisting of a continuous built- in worktop along the full length of the window wall, with storage and kneehole space below. The worktop can be of 1- inch thick deal planks, with a standard unit- e.g. a cupboard- fitted in below it, or the whole unit, top and storage, could be carpenter – made. The height at which the top is first fitted should be adjusted to the height of the child. Then, if the ends of the worktop are supported on battens screwed to the walls, it can be lifted an inch or two every year or eighteen months, by simply raising the height of the batten supports, until it has reached adult height. The units below may have to be fitted in the first place by removing the standard legs. Later they can be raised, with the worktop, by fitting simple softwood plinths at each stage.
This fitment, then, can provide for a dressing section with a mirror on the wall above it, a desk section for writing and home- work, the remainder being used as a work bench for various activities.
Children and teenagers are happier with their own choice of ornaments and decoration- a painting of his or her own can mean more to a child than an expensive picture by an adult artist; a tennis racket or musical instrument hanging on the wall can be just as decorative as an antique plate, while being much more appropriate.
Another useful and decorative idea for children’s rooms is a large pinboard, made of half inch fibre board, screwed to the wall, on which pictures, posters, badges, cut- out material, anything of visual interest can be arranged in a constantly changing pattern. This kind of display board, or “mobile picture” can become the main decorative feature in the room.
In short, the child’s and teenager’s room should be planned not as a bedroom in which they may also have to work and play, but rather as a special work and playroom, which they use incidentally for sleeping in.
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