Creating kids' rooms that reflect the personality of your child — while remaining stylish — is possible. We've got three great rooms to prove it!

Girl's room: Pretty and pink

When you ask most girls what colour they want in their room, they'll say pink. So how to meet their desires... and yours? Well, a good trick is to actually paint the walls a non-pink colour but introduce the girly touches via bedlinen and smaller pieces. This also means that as they outgrow the pink phase all you've have to do is update their accessories. Another good trick is choosing pastel shades but using stronger accent colours, such as red.

Boy's room: Cowboy cool

Boys are, more often than not, busy. So it's good to create a space that has a sense of tranquillity while still remaining playful. That's why in this room stylist Marie Nichols introduced the timber elements through the wall panels, floorboards and with the bedhead. Plywood hints towards a log cabin look, which the boys will love. The overall style and feel was kept lively and interesting with a cowboy and Indians theme. And the teepee is not only a fun place to play but also a great hideaway for toys. The noticeboard is a clever spot to display photos and drawings, while the Ikea kitchen storage rail attached to the wall is perfect for hanging pots filled with pens and crayons.

Shared space: colourful & contained

If you have two children sharing a room there needs to be an overriding sense of unity even if the colour schemes are different. The key is to choose the same tones in your paint scheme, bedlinen and decorating accents. When it comes to a shared space you need lots of storage so opt for pieces that have height. Under-bed sliding drawers can work well, too. When it comes to dividing the shelves, allocate an even number to each child. Placing handy storage boxes on them also helps double up storage options, while keeping the room tidy. Make personalised panels by painting the wall behind the bedheads — it instantly demarcates whose space is whose, and also painting a section of the floorboards visually divides the space and creates a novel "rug" between the beds. Thanks to the choice of colours, the painted boards are harmonious with the whole scheme.

For even more inspiration, get your copy of real living's November 2010 issue.