Go for reusable décor items

Those colorful dinosaurs are awfully cute. But now your son is into Spiderman and other super heroes. No wait, he's moved on to football players. Next thing you know, he's in high school and only cares about music and movies.

No problem, just don't make any of these themes part of the permanent decor of your kid's room. There are plenty of temporary decorations that can mirror his interest du jour, such as printed rugs and bedding, or art for the walls.

Walls might present the best opportunity for creativity. There are many possibilities from soft colorful and washable wall hangings to canvas artwork that can be rolled up and stored for future use.

New York designer Jamie Gibbs is a fan of vinyl peel-and-stick wall decals that can be marked up, washed and repositioned. They are inexpensive. You can purchase a package of five circles for about $10.

Another way to let kids express themselves is on a chalkboard or whiteboard. They can be quite large -- taking up almost an entire wall. They can last well through the teenage years.

A huge corkboard or bulletin board also lets kids express themselves, whether it's to display their own artwork or posters of basketball players. High schoolers can use it to post class schedules, homework assignments or even deadline dates for college applications.