Teddy bears are too tame. Sailing boats have been done to death. No, when it comes to decorating your children’s walls ‘retro’ is the buzzword, as designers raid the archives to produce bold stylish designs that pay homage to all things 20th century. So it’s goodbye to bunnies and fairies and hello to robots, skateboarders or VW camper vans.

Stickers are one of the easiest ways to add contemporary flair to children’s spaces. Some of the best come from Rockett St George (online or mail order) where wall ‘tattoos’ range from pre-war cars to enchanted trees. Another good source is Supernice in Columbia Road which offers stickers from hip LA label Blik. Motifs include robots, space invaders, giant flowers and bold, black and white designs designed to fixate newborns. US artist Keith Haring has even designed a range of breakdancers for pre-teeners. Sticky Ups is another company with a huge range, including fun number stickers.

Supernice’s owner Louise Sandor, formerly a buyer at Selfridges, says: ‘Parents are looking for flexibility. Children grow up so fast now and they don’t want to spend a lot of money re-decorating. Stickers are ideal: you can move them without ruining walls and all you need is a smooth surface be it floors, walls, windows or doors.’ Another Supernice bestseller comes from Dutch company Inke whose magical safari animal silhouettes are cut from vintage 1960s’ and 70s’ wall papers. They come with paste and brush but if DIY is not your thing ask your builder to put them up instead.

For older children, Ivy Décor has crowns and elegant bird stickers. Italian company Sofarsonear’s Japanese style flowers and foliage bring romance to plain white walls. For a surreal touch, try framing stickers with an antique picture frame (try Ebay or the Lacy Gallery, Westbourne Grove in London). The effect works best with monochrome designs. London designer Jenny Wilkinson has given the traditional border a child-friendly twist too. Her stylish ‘wallpaper-by-numbers’ designs featuring spacemen and fantastical creatures come with colour palettes so you can colour them in. If you’re butterfingers with a brush, the graphic prints look great untouched too.

Murals are also having a renaissance. Thanks to digital imagery, today’s wall art is more sophisticated than the jungle and fairy-strewn creations of decades past. Mandy Colliss of bespoke muralists Funky Little Darlings, who describes the company’s style as ‘contemporary with retro references’ says; ‘Parents like to get involved. We’re currently working on a ‘surfer’ mural and the boy’s father has insisted that he wants a VW van, a soft top Beetle and Quiksilver reference. We try to take those requests and put it in to a design that can grow with a child – we aim for a five-year shelf life. We’ll often add characters, based on the child, within the picture.’

At some point in their pre-teens, every little girl will demand a pink, fairy-themed room. If your budget won’t stretch to the custom-made, then opt for paint. Finding the perfect pink can be tricky but Bang on the Door’s mix and match paint range of girlie pinks, purples and blues is almost foolproof. The boy’s range of blues and reds is a safe bet too and there’s a good range of special effects: fairydust glitter and chalkboard paints. Not quite the minimal chic you were dreaming of but lots of fun.

Aspring artists will also enjoy Crayola’s paints in vivid paintbox hues. You can use their chalkboard range in green, denim or black to cover walls and doors, then get the chalk out and start scribbling your own murals. There are also heat sensor paints which change colour when touched and glow in the dark finishes. The fluorescents come in eye-smarting greens or yellows: perfect for 1980s’ revivalists. Kids Modern is an online portal which is devoted to the world of design for kids.

Kids Modern - www.kidsmodern.com

Rockett St George - www.rockettstgeorge.co.uk

Sticky Ups - www.stickyups.com

Hidden Art - www.hiddenartshop.com

Inke vintage wallpaper silhouettes - www.supernice.co.uk

Funky Little Darlings - www.funkylittledarlings.co.uk