Clear Creek Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 My middle child (10 yo.) is very interested in interior design - in her words, it is her "most favorite hobby ever." She has free reign to redecorate (using what we have) and rearrange the furniture in the three kid's bedrooms, and she does it quite often. I would like to get her books or something for Christmas to give her ideas and help her learn the basics of interior design...nothing textbookish (she hates anything that looks like it might be related to school), but something informative and inspiring. I once noticed some interior design books on a shelf when I was a child; that is as close as I ever got to the whole idea. :tongue_smilie: I am as non-creative as it gets, I hate crafts, and I have no love for interior design (I move in to a home, put furniture into its spot, and never move it again except to vacuum behind it). My daughter is the exact opposite of me; she loves design, color, art, fashion, textures, fabric, etc. and I would love to feed that, but I have no. freaking. clue. Please. Somebody help me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Use empty cardboard boxes to make a mock-up house. Buy her some cellophane paper so that she can layer on as pretend paint. Make some fake furniture. Let her have a torchlight to cover with cellophane to change the color of the light source. Lowes and Home Depot have some good books. B&N too. Go look then request from your library the titles she like. (ETA: library Dewey classification 720-747) My boys love Extreme Home Makeover TV series for the interior design and architecture aspects. We watched on Internet. ETA: We also go to model homes of new development and critique the interior design and architecture. We are house shopping though. You can also see photos of model homes online and sometimes walkthrough videos too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erin Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Dollhouse! I played with mine well into college. I never had people or anything, it was for designing and redesigning living spaces. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 I happened to see this when I was poking around for house architecture books for kids the other day (we're doing a unit about houses). There are also lots of furniture placement kits with stickers out there that could be good. Though I think the dollhouse idea is probably the best one... http://www.amazon.com/Doodle-Design-DREAM-ROOMS-Dover/dp/0486484394/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414326604&sr=1-1&keywords=interior+design Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paceofnature Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 I have been looking for something similar for my 13yo and found that K12 has a high school Fashion and Interior Design class. Although the class is a bit advanced for her, maybe you could get some ideas from the course outline and objectives found here http://www.k12.com/courses/scope-sequence/fashion-interior-design-elective-oth018#.VE0bMvnF-So Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemom Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Are you close to a local community college? They often have non-credit courses that are interior design related. You may be able to find some used interior design books. Here is the book I picked up used that our CC uses: http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Todays-Home-Luann-Nissen/dp/0030554926/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414343966&sr=8-1&keywords=inside+today%27s+home Here is another one: http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Window-Fashions-Charles-Randall/dp/1890379123/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414344059&sr=8-1&keywords=the+encyclopedia+of+window+fashions Every spring and fall our town has a Parade of Homes show which is all new construction. Most of the homes are professionally decorated. Maybe you have something similar in your area where she can get some ideas. HGTV & DIY network are a great place to learn. I have never checked but I bet they may even have some designing apps. I think you can find some free home design software online that would allow her to play with room decorations. In fact, I know there is an app for this but I can't remember the name. Tell friends and family that she likes to design. Most people are very appreciative for any help/suggestions that they can get with help even picking paint colors. Does she have any friends who want something different? Can she help them design a new room? ETA: Do you have a sewing machine? Can you pick up some inexpensive material at Walmart and let her make whatever she wants. Valances are pretty quick and easy. Need any new curtains for the kitchen?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clear Creek Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 Use empty cardboard boxes to make a mock-up house. Buy her some cellophane paper so that she can layer on as pretend paint. Make some fake furniture. Let her have a torchlight to cover with cellophane to change the color of the light source. She already does this. She only has two at the moment; though one is a boot box so it is a duplex. :tongue_smilie: She uses construction paper decorated with paint or markers for wallpaper; the cellophane for paint is an excellent idea. Lowes and Home Depot have some good books. B&N too. Go look then request from your library the titles she like. (ETA: library Dewey classification 720-747) I didn't think to check at Lowe's and Home Depot! I looked at Amazon and got overwhelmed so I stopped looking, lol. My boys love Extreme Home Makeover TV series for the interior design and architecture aspects. We watched on Internet. ETA: We also go to model homes of new development and critique the interior design and architecture. We are house shopping though. You can also see photos of model homes online and sometimes walkthrough videos too. Good ideas, thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clear Creek Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 Dollhouse! I played with mine well into college. I never had people or anything, it was for designing and redesigning living spaces. :) She had a barbie dollhouse (a huge one, that was taller than her) for five years. She preferred to take the furniture out and make houses elsewhere; the predecorated rooms stifled her creativity, I guess. So we got rid of the dollhouse and kept the furniture (though she prefers to make it herself now out of cardboard, fabric, etc.). Sigh. I could have saved myself $80 if I had known she only wanted the furniture. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erin Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Check into a wooden scale model type (they dont need to be expensive!) It might not be the space-limitation itself so much as all that colored plastic... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Here's a class from currclick: http://www.currclick.com/product/93123/Interior-Design-SP15?term=interior&filters=0_22100_0_0_0_0_0_0_0 It looks like she's not quite old enough, but maybe later on?? http://www.hearthsong.com/arts-and-crafts-ages-9-12/interior-design-studio-kit.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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