A child's bedroom has to do more than any other room in the house: sleep, play, homework, storage for things that change size and shape every year. Freestanding furniture gets replaced three times between nursery and university. Fitted furniture is designed once, with an interior that is reconfigured as the child grows, and it takes the least floor from the smallest room. This guide covers how it is planned, what to include and what it costs.
Children's rooms, in short
- Adjustable interiors: rails and shelves on a drilled system, moved as clothes get longer.
- Low storage first: deep drawers and open cubbies at child height, hanging above for later.
- A desk from the start, sized for a laptop and homework, with a pinboard or shelves above.
- Soft-close hinges and drawers, no protruding handles, rounded edges at head height.
- Wipe-clean super-matt or painted finishes in colours that will not date.
- Wardrobes from £900 per metre including VAT and installation; the desk and bookcase are itemised alongside.
Design for the child they will be
A four-year-old needs drawers and a single low rail; a fourteen-year-old needs double hanging, a long-hanging bay, a mirror and a desk. Fitted furniture bridges the gap with an adjustable interior: rails and shelves sit on a drilled system inside the carcase and move up as the clothes get longer, so the same wardrobe serves both ages. Toy cubbies at floor level become shoe storage; the low shelf becomes a drawer bank. The carcase is drawn for the teenager; the fittings are set for the child.
Storage at the right height
Children use what they can reach. Deep drawers at floor level for toys and games, open cubbies at 400 to 900mm for books and boxes they can put back themselves, and hanging that starts at 1,000mm. Everything above head height is parents' storage: bedding, outgrown clothes waiting for a sibling, the Christmas things. The organising guide applies to small people too.
A desk from the beginning
Homework starts at five and never stops. A fitted desk at 720mm high and 600mm deep, with a drawer for pens and a shelf or pinboard above, uses the wall under the window or the end of the wardrobe run. In a small room the desk can fold or pull out; in a shared room two short desks sit either side of a shelf tower. Build in a socket and a USB point at desk height so chargers stop wandering.
Shared rooms and bunks
Two children in one room need two of everything and a line down the middle. A shelf tower or a wardrobe between two beds gives each side its own bedside and shelf; a bunk or high sleeper with a wardrobe and desk beneath uses the height of the room. Fitted furniture around a bunk is fixed to the wall, which also makes the bunk more solid.
Safety and durability
- Soft-close hinges and drawer runners, so fingers are never trapped.
- Push-to-open or recessed handles at child height; no protruding bars to catch a running child.
- Rounded edges on desk corners and open shelving.
- Everything fixed to the wall, so nothing can tip.
- Super-matt and painted finishes that wipe clean and hide fingerprints; see the finishes guide.
- A 10-year guarantee that outlasts the childhood.
Colours that last
Paint the walls the colour of the moment and keep the furniture in something that survives it: warm white, soft grey, sage, a muted blue, light oak. A single accent, one blue door in a white run, or a lit niche in oak, gives the child something of their own without committing the whole room. See the colour guide.
What children's fitted furniture costs
A compact two-door wardrobe about one metre wide starts from around £900 at Level 3 of our price guide, and a two-metre run from £1,800. A desk, a bookcase and bedsides (from £690) are itemised alongside the wardrobes. All prices include VAT and installation. Browse fitted bedroom furniture or see the price guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is fitted furniture worth it in a child's bedroom?
Yes, if the interior is adjustable. The carcase is drawn for the teenager and the rails and shelves are set for the child and moved as they grow, so the furniture is bought once rather than three times.
How much does a child's fitted bedroom cost?
Wardrobes start from £900 per metre including VAT and installation; a compact two-door wardrobe about one metre wide from around £900, with the desk and bookcase itemised alongside.
What is the safest hardware for children's furniture?
Soft-close hinges and drawer runners, push-to-open or recessed handles at child height, rounded edges on desks and shelves, and everything fixed to the wall so nothing can tip.
What finish is best for a child's wardrobe?
Super-matt vinyl or painted doors in a colour that will not date, such as warm white, soft grey, sage or light oak. Both wipe clean and hide fingerprints.
Explore Metro
Ready to see what your room could hold?
Book a free home design visit. A Metro designer measures the room, brings full-size door and finish samples, and returns a 3D design with an itemised, fixed price within two to three days. No deposit is taken at the visit and there is no obligation. Or see every door style at our Wembley showroom, next to the workshop that makes them.
