I have always been a big fan of getting input from kids of all ages when setting out to redecorate their rooms. Children have very specific tastes and are happiest when they can submerge themselves in their favourite pastimes, be it superheroes, sports heroes, music icons or fashion trends.
As they grow, it鈥檚 natural that their ideas about what鈥檚 totally important to them changes as surely as day becomes night. A little bedroom decorating is called for to keep up with the times.
A friend of mine asked for my help with the task of revising her 14-year-old daughter Anna鈥檚 room. Her daughter was very 鈥榟ands-on鈥� and wanted to make it all happen. Colour came first and I wasn鈥檛 surprised to hear that she was all about purple.
There are many glorious shades of purple, from the softest lilac to mauve, so rather than have a solid colour that would be too dominant, we chose to apply a blend of shades to the walls. The base coat is pale pink. Yipes, she said, but that was just for starters. I chose lavender and lilac pearlescent latex paint and we washed them randomly over the pink base coat with rollers and while still wet, the surface was rubbed gently with a soft cloth to remove any brush strokes and blend the shades. She was impressed as she saw the shimmer of her chosen colour emerge.
Next, it was time to add some custom features to her room. Purple sheers were hung at the window and Anna and her friends made flower strings to hang in front. Anna is a crafter so off we went to the craft store and found silk string, drinking straws for spacers and small flowers and leaves. String is threaded through a straw, then a decorative flower is attached with thin wire, then another straw This opens up lots of options for making strings using beads, shells, ribbons and bows, or miniatures. The decorated strings measured the length of the sheers and were hung from cup hooks attached to a white dowel the width of the window.
Moving around the room, Anna looked at her old bed lamp with some disgust. That was easy to remedy with a new purple shade and some craft shop flowers to glue on.
Once you embark on a theme room, the ideas start to flow. The walls can be adorned with custom frames, again decorated with crafty items. And clothing doesn鈥檛 always have to be delegated to a closet. If you have a budding fashionista, why not utilize a portable coat rack? Display outfits, hats and belts in the open with a shoe rack underneath for dress-up sandals as well as the ubiquitous running shoes.
Open shelving allows for displays of everything from necessities to trivia. All fun, and not so difficult to change up when the time has come for the next stage.
Share in the progress as your child discovers how to surround themselves with what makes them happy. You might learn something; I know I have.
Written by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Please email decorating questions to [email protected]. Follow Debbie at instagram.com/debbie_travis, facebook.com/thedebbietravis, debbietravis.com
