AS children grow up, you need to update the look of their room; however instead of doing this constantly, once you redecorate from the nursery stage plan to combine good looks, practicality and versatility to create a space that can be easily transformed as a child progresses through every stage to teenage years.

Stick to plain paint colours on the walls, using borders and fabrics to reflect changes, for a low-budget fast-change environment. The first transformation will be quite a simple one, when you change your child's cot for their first real bed.

If you've got a really small toddler, or feel you're taking this step a bit early to move them out of the cot to make room for a new baby, you can make this easier for you and them by spending your budget on a special child-sized bed, perhaps shaped like a car, ship or animal.

This can really help them settle at night: instead of boringly going to bed you can encourage them to cuddle down for a night of dreamtime adventures at the wheel, or with an animal friend.

If you are going for a plain single bed, your child will probably want a duvet cover set with their current favourite character on. Whether this is Power Rangers, Batman, Barbie or My Little Pony, the best advice is to give in.

Character duvet covers don't have to cost the earth. They can often be bought cheaper on market stalls or even secondhand through adverts in the paper as other parents revamp their offspring's bedrooms.

Even if you hate and loathe their favourite, giving in to their request will earn you Brownie points with them as a parent, win approval from their little friends and most importantly of all make them happy and give them memories of a bedroom they loved as their very own space.

But if you thought four-year-olds had opinions, wait until you tackle the next stage; changing the space into an older child's room, particularly a boy's, where decoration can by now mean camouflage walls and mess is the order of the day.

But, with careful planning and negotiation, a solution can be reached. There are some brilliant ideas and products around that will please both you and your child.

As an alternative to carpet at this stage, consider floorboards or a wooden floor with a rug as a stylish as well as a practical option.

This age group needs plenty of space to put up posters and pictures, which change all the time.

A perfect solution is to put up magnetic wallpaper, available in black or a variety of colour finishes including white. Organised storage is essential if everyone is to be happy.

A shelving unit which acts as a partition is an excellent idea, particularly if two children are sharing a room or you want to divide off a quiet area for homework. Large buckets or baskets are perfect for organising clutter.

By now children are used to the idea of using labelled drawers or storage areas for different items, and it's quite fair to insist on some degree of tidiness. If you did your little princess' room in pink, you may need to change the colour when she becomes a tweenie.

Lilac, mauve and pale blue are often popular colours with this age group, as they try to find a way to become more grown-up, while still keeping the childish toys they really can't bear to part with yet.