Lions And Tigers And Bears, Oh My!
by Francesca Prudhomme
http://www.qtfurniture.com
When I was 10, Mother asked me what I wanted my bedroom to
look like. "A zoo," I said. Soon my bedspread was a jungle
scene, the carpet was deep green and there were posters of
animals all over my wall. My sister wanted everything in
pinks and lace. So she got white crocheted doilies on a
round pink tablecloth for the bedside table. Pale pink
walls, a frilly bedspread and dolls in pretty pink dresses
decorated her room.
My older brother wanted something like an old British
library. Dark wood desks and bookshelves, a tasteful
reading lamp and some dark wood trim gave it a library-
like feel.
Being creative can be even cheaper than serious, dull
decorating. Who wants white walls anyway? Make it
practical. Make it fun. And let the children know they can
participate.
Even the 5 year old knows something about what they like.
You know, Sponge Bob Squarepants or Bugs Bunny. It doesn't
take much to add some fun to the room. Do big or expensive
things more neutrally to support the theme. Buy shelf
decorations, bedspreads and rugs that you can change
later. Then you're not stuck with Sponge Bob for the 15 year
old. You can inexpensively exchange him for Britney Spears
when it's time.
This way most of the room can last 5 to 10 years or more
if you think ahead and plan paint and carpet to last a long
time. A twin bed is fine for a 5 year old, and when they're
15, it's still quite comfortable. Unless you just love to
paint, don't plaster Cinderella on the wall. Get a poster
instead. You can change what's on the shelves and the
walls very easily.
Let the teenagers help with decorating. Even Britney
Spears posters will lose their appeal if they make the new
girlfriend jealous when the child is 16. Be prepared to
change the decorations without having to buy new
furniture. Show them how they can have what they
want now and still have something new when they get
tired of this.
Support their interests with the room decorations. Your
son loves to grow things? Give him plant lights and sprouting
trays and some good clay pots on the windowsill. You never
know. He might grow up to be an ecology major or a
botanist. If your daughter is playing the piano and you
have the space, go ahead and put the music in her room.
She's more likely to practice when she can close the door
and concentrate than when she has to be out in the living
room where her brother's cute friends can tease her too
much and distract her.
Fill in the blanks once you've found a theme. Shop online
for shelf knickknacks, lamps, sheets, posters and books
that match the theme. Soon the children's rooms will be
playful comfortable spaces that they helped to create. They
will talk about that room to their children and help them
to find their own themes when they become parents.
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