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9 Steps To Setting Up a Montessori Bedroom

Updated: May 26, 2023 by Kathryn Koehler | Leave a comment

Thanks to the stripped-down simplicity of the Montessori method, setting up a Montessori bedroom is fairly straightforward and relatively effortless. Personal tastes and available space will dictate how your family setups your child’s Montessori bedroom. The nine following steps are more of an outline than a blueprint, intended to ignite your creativity and imagination. Keep reading to learn one way, in nine steps, of setting up a Montessori bedroom.

Key Points of Organizing a Montessori Bedroom

A Montessori bedroom is designed from the child's point of view. In turn, everything should be at the child's height.
Natural light and neutral colors should be a keystone of the set-up.
Everything in the room has a purpose and everything should be open and visual to your child.

Montessori Method: Brief Overview

To comprehend fully the reasoning behind the steps in setting up a Montessori bedroom, it is important to understand the core beliefs of the Montessori lifestyle. Originally conceived as a method of educating young children over 100 years ago by Maria Montessori, her methods and core beliefs have spread throughout the world in the intervening years. Beyond the Montessori classroom, families around the globe are embracing Dr. Montessori’s core beliefs in their homes.

In a nutshell, Montessori believed that children were exceptionally capable of educating themselves, intellectually, as well as functionally. To best serve a child’s growth, it is important for parents to allow them to do the tasks of daily living themselves. (To discover more about the Montessori principles of parenting click here). It follows, therefore, that a Montessori bedroom is set up in a manner that allows children autonomy.

Montessori Bedroom: Physical Space

Chances are the room that is/will be your child’s bedroom has already been determined. However, if there is some flexibility in the space that will be used, incorporating the following features is encouraged. An important thing to note is that if you are moving or changing the rooms in your house, it could be used as a good opportunity to develop and test how a Montessori bedroom works for you and your child.

Physical Space: Natural Light

Natural light fills a Montessori bedroom. The best source of natural light is windows. In the absence of windows, full-spectrum lights are a suitable substitute. Dr. Montessori understood the benefits of natural light. From health benefits to rendering colors more accurately, she felt that natural light was best for children.

If natural light is limited in your home there are still options. To still receive some of the benefits of natural light from artificial sun lamps. According to Medical News Today, artificial sun lamps can be beneficial in replacing natural light for proper sleep cycles.

Full frame photograph of a child’s bedroom. Everything in the bedroom has very muted tones from the light gray floor to the white walls. In the left frame is a wicker basket with additions that make it appear to be a bear. There is a wheat colored blanket there’s a bowl at the top. Behind the wicker basket is a child size table with a stool the table and stool our light would the back left to center of the frame is taken up by a very large window over which is a sheer white curtain. In front of the window is a stuffed rabbit perched on a wicker basket next to the rabbit in the very center of the frame is a small doll house with some indiscernible items in it. Next to the dollhouse is a stuffed giraffe that appears to be about 3 feet tall. The right half of the frame is taken up by a bed on the floor that has a light beige canopy over the head of the bed. The bed itself has three taupe pillows And one pillow that is wheat colored with circles of taupe gold and gray. A stuffed brown rabbit with a gold and checkered body leans against the pillow with the circles. There is a neutral colored blanket over the bed. On the far side of the bed is a wicker stand on which a mirror wrist against the wall and possibly some books. — In addition to the blackout curtains, windows should have sheer or opaque curtains to filter bright, midday light.
©New Africa/Shutterstock.com

Dr. Montessori also understood the role that darkness plays in sleep. If the bedroom has a window or windows, invest in high-quality blackout curtains to ensure your child a good night’s sleep. For that matter, invest in blackout curtains for your own bedroom, if you haven’t already.

Research is determining that Dr. Montessori was right-on in her belief concerning darkness and sleep. Current studies are discovering that even small amounts of artificial light in sleep environments can cause metabolic disruptions as well as chronic illnesses. In addition to the blackout curtains, windows should have sheer or opaque curtains to filter bright, midday light.

Physical Space: Neutral Paint

The impulse to paint a young child’s room with bright colors is understandable. When you ask a young child about their favorite colors, rarely are the answers beige, sage, or cream. However, Dr. Montessori recognized that neutral colors, similar to those found in nature, are calming and centering. Fortunately, the natural world offers a dizzying array of muted, neutral colors.

Allow your child to offer input; even preverbal and nonverbal children are capable of pointing their fingers when given a choice of colors. Young children take pride in and gain confidence through making decisions. An easy way to do this would be to take a field trip to the hardware or paint store. Pick out various paint samples and see what your child reacts the best to under Montessori's color guide.

Full frame photograph of a child’s bedroom. At the back of the left frame is a Little wooden pushcart with green sides. Next to the pushcart is a black and white striped laundry hamper against a large window with a sheer curtain of white and a neutral colored blackout curtain. In front of the curtain in center frame back is a lamp. On the right side of the frame against a very lightly color taupe wall is a low bed with seven pillows, including a white star shaped one. The pillows are all neutral colors. A stuffed penguin and a stuffed elephant are visible among the pillows. The bedspread is black and white stripe. The bed itself is made of blonde wood. In front of the bed is a mat or rug that is white with black to grey circles in various patterns the floor is light. Behind the bed hanging on the wall is a wooden triangle shape with a doll in it some white circles that may be lights in a cloud and a star that appeared to have some lights in them — Dr. Montessori recognized that neutral colors, similar to those found in nature, are calming and centering.
©New Africa/Shutterstock.com

Montessori Bedroom: Furnishings

Like every other aspect of the Montessori lifestyle, Montessori furniture is simple and functional.
You are no doubt, familiar with the concept that form follows function. The phrase, coined by architect Louis H. Sullivan in 1896, couldn't be more evident than in the design of Montessori furniture. Designed to be accessible to even the youngest children, Montessori bedroom furniture is no exception.

Montessori Bedroom: Low Bed

A low bed that a child can easily get in and out of without assistance, is a core piece of furniture in a Montessori bedroom. Montessori beds come in many different styles. Choose the one that best suits your family. If practical, allow your child to have input into the style of bed they prefer. Best practice would suggest eliminating unsuitable choices, for factors such as cost or availability, prior to including your child in the discussions.

A photograph of a child’s bedroom. On the left side of the frame there are A dress in a shirt visible hanging from a rod near a white brick wall. Next to the clothes hanger is a bedside table that is mostly white with a piece of blue and it’s vase in the front. Above the desk is days of the week hanger with pockets. There is also a wooden lamp with a charcoal gray shade on it. Next to the table is a very low bed made from natural wood on the bed or some pillows and one of the pillows peers to be a panda bear at the end of the bed is a beige blanket with fringe. On the far side of the bed is a wardrobe that is white and consists of two cubes (L) four drawers(R). Next to the wardrobe is a little wooden sling chair with a gray stuffed rabbit sitting in it. There is a natural jute rug on the floor beside the bed in the front of the frame on with a letter puzzle has been abandoned. The backdrop of the room is a large window with a sheer white curtain that is partially open exposing green trees. — A low bed that a child can easily get in and out of without assistance, is a core piece of furniture in a Montessori bedroom.
©New Africa/Shutterstock.com

Montessori Bedroom: Open Wardrobe

Like early 20th-century homes, Montessori bedrooms do not have closets. In place of a closet, Montessori bedrooms have open wardrobes. If your child’s bedroom has a closet, it doesn't have to remain empty. Use it to store clothing that is out of season or awaiting a growth spurt. For the clothing that is in rotation, however, the open wardrobe is primo. Without the doors or drawers of traditional dressers, open wardrobes are infinitely more accessible to young children.
Hanging clothes hang from a simple wooden or metal rod. The rod should be at an appropriate child-friendly height, usually between 3-3.5 feet from the floor. The wooden or metal rod is either a stand-alone model or incorporated into a larger unit with open shelves.

A light skin a little male presenting child with short blonde hair is visible in the left frame of the photo. He is wearing a long-sleeved burgundy polkadot button front shirt. In his hands in front of him he is holding a blue polkadot shirt on a wooden hanger. Behind him is an white open closet with a silver metal rod upon which many other clothes hang. Most of the clothes in the closet appear to be what are traditionally thought of as female presenting. From left to right there is a seafoam green down vest. The next two items of clothing are obscured by the little boy’s head. To the right of his head or long sleeve orange yellow and blue shirts. There is a magenta fancy cocktail dress next to the blue shirt. Then there is a space in the clothing. From left to right the next group of clothing is a long sleeve yellow shirt a red polkadot button front shirt a short sleeve blue shirt a long sleeve blue shirt very light blue long sleeve shirt a coral color some thing that’s obscured by a long sleeve blue heather sweater. To the right of the blue heather sweater or pink light pink coral white short sleeve shirts and a yellow long sleeve shirt a light blue short sleeve shirt and a pink polkadot romper — Hanging clothes hang from a simple wooden or metal rod.
©Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com

Open shelving is appropriate for t-shirts, shorts, jeans, and sweats. Baskets or fabric cubes are splendid for keeping socks and underwear organized. The organization of your child’s wardrobe will reflect personal tastes and specific challenges. Some families group clothing by article, having individual baskets, fabric cubes, or shelves for tops, bottoms, socks, and underwear. In this system, children learn to dress themselves by choosing an article of clothing from each basket/fabric cube/shelf.

A light skinned little girl with honey blonde long hair in side ponytails held with black elastics, as well as a blue headband, is seen in the left frame. She is facing right frame. She is wearing a short sleeved light pink T-shirt. Her right arm and hand is visible in the center front frame. She is holding a purple probably shirt in her right hand pulling it from a gray and white fabric insert that contains four sections which all have clothes in them. The insert is part of a white wooden open wardrobe. There are similar inserts above and below the one the little girl has pulled out. Above the top insert is just a shelf that has four pieces of clothing visible they appear to be folded shirts. The top shirt on the left side of this cube is orange below it is a light blue shirt and below that is a gray shirt; to the right of those shirts is something black on top of a light sage green shirt. There appears to be more to the wardrobe behind the girl however she obscures it. — The organization of your child’s wardrobe will reflect personal tastes and specific challenges.
©AlesiaKan/Shutterstock.com

Other families employ a days-of-the-week system, in which clothes are organized by placing outfits, consisting of tops, bottoms, undies, and socks in individual baskets. In this system, the child simply dresses themselves from the contents of a single container. Time will help determine which system works best for your family. As with the bed, when practical, allow your child to have input regarding the style choices and organization.

Montessori Bedroom: Full-Length Mirror

A full-length mirror is an important component of a Montessori bedroom. Little folks who are just learning to dress themselves benefit immeasurably from visual cues. The best visual cues are the real-life ones provided by their image in the full-length mirror. Full-length mirrors can be freestanding or attached to a wall or door.

A light-skinned toddler Is visible in the bottom left frame sitting on a natural wooden stool. The toddler is wearing a red sundress with white polkadots. The toddler is facing away from the cameras looking in a full-length natural wood mirror. The right half of the frame Contains a simple wooden wardrobe that consist of a wooden rod that is about 3 feet long on which several small toddler size clothes are hanging. The clothes are organized in colors from (L-R) white to red to blue to yellow. There is a hamper that is primarily white with a gray chevron pattern on the left side of the wardrobe. Two hats are next to the hamper. The room is completely white including the walls in the floor. Two small green plants in white pots can be seen in the reflection of the mirror. — A full-length mirror is an important component of a Montessori bedroom.
©Ellona Kritskaya/Shutterstock.com

Montessori Bedroom: Hamper

Placing a hamper in your child’s bedroom solidifies the concept of a place for everything; everything in its place, introduced with the Montessori wardrobe. Having a specific vessel, in which dirty clothes are deposited, instills this concept and resulting behavior in children. At least until the teenage years, and then all bets are off. Canvas or mesh hampers are good choices.

Photograph of a white mesh clothes hamper with black trim. The hamper is full of cloth/clothing of a discernible type from the bottom to the top there is some light beige cloth on top of which is some sage green royal blue there’s some maroon cough and then a lot of gold cloth and then hanging out of the hamper is a bath towel that is wheat colored or light yellow. Photograph is sit against white isolate. — Placing a hamper in your child’s bedroom solidifies the concept of a place for everything; everything in its place.
©Michael C. Gray/Shutterstock.com

Once a child is tall enough to reach the controls of the washing machine and dryer they are capable of doing their own laundry. Some children are even capable of doing their laundry when they can reach the controls while standing on a sturdy wooden stool. Even toddlers are capable of folding and putting away their clothes. Some assistance may initially be required, however, given time they will be able to perform these tasks independently.

Montessori Bedroom: The Activity Basket

Montessori bedrooms should be associated with only two functions: sleeping and dressing. The lion’s share of books, toys, puzzles, and electronics should be kept in a separate space. However, if you, a night owl, birthed a lark, having an activity basket in the bedroom will allow you a few extra, precious moments of sleep. Even if you're a lark yourself, you might value a moment to yourself, prior to going full mommy mode.

In the left-to-center frame a wicker basket containing uppercase alphabet letters that are red yellow and green. Next to the basket in the right center frame are three pieces of chalk yellow red and green. The yellow piece of chalk is long and appears not to have been used, while the red and green pieces are about a quarter of the size of the yellow stick. Background is a textured light green surface. — A well-stocked activity basket will include a few books, a puzzle, or a few art supplies.
©DaViDa S/Shutterstock.com

Stock the activity basket with a few items to occupy your child for appropriate amounts of time, which will vary, age-dependent. Very young children will gain independence and confidence when allowed brief intervals in which they must entertain themselves. Maria Montessori recognized that independent children are much easier than dependent children to parent in the long run. Her philosophy aligns well with the notion of preparing the child for the road and not the road for the child. A well-stocked activity basket will include a few books, a puzzle, or a few art supplies. Contents should be rotated occasionally, according to your child’s interests.

Montessori Bedroom: Rollable Mat

Especially if your child’s bedroom has hardwood or tile floors, or even if it doesn’t, having a rolling mat in the activity basket is a fab idea. In the intervals that they will be expected to entertain themselves in their bedroom, having a mat on which to play or work a puzzle creates a boundary while providing warmth and comfort.

A young girl is seated on a rug center frame the rug is striped with one large white stripe followed by an orangey brown stripe that is not as wide, and then a pink stripe followed by another orangey brown stripe. The pink stripe is a little bit wider than the orangey brown stripes but only about half as wide as the white stripe. The orangey brown stripes are about 1/3 the size of the white stripes. The pattern repeats four times on the small rug. The rug is on carpet that is tan and wheat colored. The young girl is looking down her focus is on her hands which are dropping some colorful manipulatives onto the small rug. They are red yellow blue and green. They are about the size of a quarter, but they are not round. The little girl has on a long sleeve gray shirt with white lace running the length of both sleeves. She is wearing indigo denim jeans. The little girl is the focus of the picture although there are other people in the frame they are out of focus. There are also other rugs visible in the frame. One behind the girl is striped with light blue and green with the light blue stripes being larger than the green ones. A woman with long blonde hair is partially visible on the right side of the frame. — Having a mat on which to play or work a puzzle creates a boundary while providing warmth and comfort.
©Natalia Lebedinskaia/Shutterstock.com

Montessori Bedroom: Chid-Sized Rocking Chair

Incorporating a child-sized rocking chair in a Montessori bedroom gives a child a comfortable and comforting place to relax. Rocking chairs have a soothing effect on cranky children. Research has determined that the simple act of rocking improves circulation and releases endorphins. Studies of insomnia have determined that rocking results in better sleep.

A photograph of a light-skinned little girl in a sleeveless sundress that is either black or navy with white outlines of flowers on it and a polkadot belt is visible sitting in a child-sized wooden rocking chair on a jute of sisal rug. She is barefoot. In her lap is a white book that is open but appears to have blank pages. At her right foot on a rug, four books are haphazardly stacked. Against white isolate background — Rocking chairs have a soothing effect on cranky children.
©glenda/Shutterstock.com

Placing a rocking chair in your child's bedroom will have long-term effects on their health and well-being. You can pair early reading or other sit-down activities to aid in your child's learning habits and focus. Pairing a calming rocking chair with a learning experience could help in partnering learning with a calm feeling.

As you start the process of transforming an existing bedroom into a Montessori bedroom, or if you're starting from scratch, the above guidelines should help. Whether you choose to incorporate all of the above suggestions, or only a few, you and your child will reap the benefits a Montessori bedroom provides.