Picking out furniture for your child's room can be both fun and exasperating. The trick is to balance the scales somewhere near the middle of fun and practical. Bedroom furniture with themes or colorful motifs may be fun and can add character to your child's room, but if they don't have enough storage or if they can be quickly outgrown, they may not be the right choice.

When buying bedroom furniture or a bedroom set for your child, its wise to look five or even ten years down the road and see if you can picture a more grown up version of your little one still getting use out of it. Not that it's always a necessity for a child to be stuck with the same bed or dresser forever, but having that choice is far better than being forced to replace perfectly usable furniture. Unless you have a little linebacker or power forward on your hands, a twin or double bed could last in to their teens. That is, unless it's carved out of a plastic racecar or looks like something out of the Barbie playhouse. This is especially important when buying for ages 10-12. These "tween" years are the transition period when action figures and dolls are replaced by skateboards and make up.

Storage is always a concern in a child's room. Whether it's clothes, toys, sports equipment, or school stuff, there never seems to be enough drawers and shelves to house everything. There are a few ways to add storage and still save space, however. Raised beds, such as captain's beds, can provide tons of storage with under bunk drawers, while study lofts can do the same and also give your child a built-in desk area for studying. Other options include bookcase headboards, armoires, and media cabinets. A desk with a top hutch unit is also a great way to add storage while not sacrificing floor space.