DD's moving to a new bedroom...decorating ideas needed

[caedmyn]

My 13 YO is moving to a different bedroom and wants her new room to be more "decorated".  3 of my boys will be gone for the weekend so I'll have a few hours (maybe 3-4 hrs as I'll still have my 1 YO and 2.5 YO) to try to do something to/do shopping for the new room.  Mostly we'll need to work with/around what she already has, with maybe some new ideas for the walls or accent pieces.  Fortunately she likes the dark wood furniture she already has and the paneling in the new room.  I *might* have time to do a little bit of painting in the new room--not the whole room certainly, but maybe an accent wall or some paint stenciling.  

I'll attach a few pictures of her old room w/current furniture, the new room, and pictures of the bookshelf and desk she wants in the new room.  Probably overkill on the furniture, but anyway.  Excuse the mess...this is how her room usually looks.  She is very much a messy and a hoarder.

She loves horses and cats and aqua and turquoise.  She has a big canvas horse print that will need to be hung in the new room, and I have another canvas horse print that could go in there.  She loves putting pages from magazines on the walls.  Maybe there's a way to arrange them so they look more intentional and less random?  Oh, and we have some mirrored doors that will go on the closet in the new room also.

ETA: she wants a How to Train Your Dragon theme.  Idk how that could work without buying a whole bunch of new stuff.

 

Edited July 25, 2019 by caedmyn

[caedmyn]

First 2 pics are her current room (the bookcase door won't move with her), then the bookshelf she wants, next 2 are the new room, and last is the desk she wants to move in there.  I didn't pick up anything before taking pics, sorry!

The nightstand she currently has is a match to her dresser.  

Edited July 25, 2019 by caedmyn

[prairiewindmomma]

I would aim her towards doing less of a theme in terms of decorating (let the dragon stuff be posters, not themed bedding, etc.). I like the turquoise color with all of the wood you’ve got going on.

It looks like the room could use some additional lighting. I would consider hanging white Christmas lights (or the larger bulbed lights from the garden section) and doing the clothesline hangar idea.

I would set her desk up for study with a lamp, and put some shelving up so she can keep things out of the hands of younger siblings. For my kids who are organizationally impaired we have a set of bins that have high sides and that are labeled on a shelf. For my girls, one is for hair stuff (brush, conditioning spray, bows, etc.), one is for art supplies (journals, special colored pencils that aren’t shared), etc., one is for stuffies, etc. We all have allergies so everything has to be picked up weekly to vacuum, dust, wash bedding, etc so it’s easier to dump stuff into labeled bins. (It took like 6 months to make picking up automatic and fight/drama free but well worth it, imo.)

I wouldn’t paint in the time you have. You’ve got too much wood to work around and edging is time consuming.

Think texture also—with all of that hard wood you want some metal or glass or soft stuff....hence my suggestion for lights, lamp, etc. Does she have her own trash can?

[Storygirl]

Instead of painting, since you have limited time, look at stick on wallpaper. It comes in pre-cut shapes, so you could get something like turquoise circles and add them to the non-paneled wall. Target carries things like this, or look on Amazon and have it delivered to your door. You can also get cork board in squares; buy four or six or whatever will fit in the wall space where she would like to hang things, and hang them up in a square pattern (two on top, two on bottom). Sometimes you can also find a coordinating chalkboard or white board square, and you can also find cute pushpins. I've seen these at Target, Hobby Lobby, and office supply stores. You could probably find it at Bed Bath and Beyond, as well. With dorm room purchases at a high point now, I would expect BB&B to have a bunch of coordinating things on display right now. 

You can also buy a string with decorative clothes pins attached. Put one or two across the paneled wall and let her clip the magazine pictures up that way, instead of the bulletin board idea. Oops -- Plum already suggested this, but maybe it's worth saying twice 😃. I like this idea for the paneled wall, because sometimes it is hard to hang like a picture on paneling.

I also suggest some curtains -- again, you can find them fairly inexpensively at Target or BB&B. Long panel curtains would soften up the look of the room.

[happi duck]

You might find a fleece throw with HTTYD.  These can be spread on top of the regular bedding.  Pillowcases (or sheets) can also easily "theme" a room.

A large bulletin board could have a themed piece of fabric as a background and could give a specific spot for magazine pages.

Also, fabric can be put on walls with liquid starch.  You might find HTTYD themed panels.

[Pen]

https://www.target.com/p/how-to-train-your-dragon-3-twin-sheet-set/-/A-75662766

and command hooks or tabs or other removable ways to put whatever magazine pages, personal art, posters she wants on walls

and take the couple hours to make things look neat and tidy and easy to use

[Pen]

Turquoise or aqua sheets could be hung on walls and or from that top bar of desk faster than painting. 

And the look and color could be changed with sheets easier than if walls are painted. 

Also you could start finding picture frames bit by bit at yard sales etc and painting them turquoise and getting her favorite pictures into them for a more finished “decorated” look

[Pen]

 

3 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I would set her desk up for study with a lamp, and put some shelving up so she can keep things out of the hands of younger siblings. For my kids who are organizationally impaired we have a set of bins that have high sides and that are labeled on a shelf. For my girls, one is for hair stuff (brush, conditioning spray, bows, etc.), one is for art supplies (journals, special colored pencils that aren’t shared), etc., one is for stuffies, etc. We all have allergies so everything has to be picked up weekly to vacuum, dust, wash bedding, etc so it’s easier to dump stuff into labeled bins. (It took like 6 months to make picking up automatic and fight/drama free but well worth it, imo.)

 

👍 good use of time!  Great ideas!

3 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Does she have her own trash can?

 

And if not, maybe it could have a httyd theme

[kbutton]

4 hours ago, caedmyn said:

My 13 YO is moving to a different bedroom and wants her new room to be more "decorated".  

Excuse the mess...this is how her room usually looks.  She is very much a messy and a hoarder.

She loves horses and cats and aqua and turquoise.  She has a big canvas horse print that will need to be hung in the new room, and I have another canvas horse print that could go in there.  She loves putting pages from magazines on the walls.  Maybe there's a way to arrange them so they look more intentional and less random?  Oh, and we have some mirrored doors that will go on the closet in the new room also.

ETA: she wants a How to Train Your Dragon theme.  Idk how that could work without buying a whole bunch of new stuff.

I think she is going to outgrow the How to Train Your Dragon stuff pretty quickly at her age unless she's doing something more generic (not licensed character) with dragons or dragons + horses. I remember at a slightly younger age being excited to finally have the chance for a bedroom theme, and then outgrowing it quickly. But I couldn't really say so after asking for it for so long...I think my parents tried to help me see it, but didn't ask in a way that made sense to me at the time. Anyhow...

I like the ideas floated for extra lighting, curtains, etc. 

I am not sure on the painting, unless you can edge without having to tape the trim (some people are lucky like that!). 

I think the mirrored doors are going to help a LOT. The string idea for pictures is great. If you don't like that idea or find that you don't have a spot for that, I suggest "confining" the pictures to one area, such as a bulletin board, the upper part of the desk, the outside of the desk (maybe even a side that you don't readily see from the doorway), or one closet door. Or get a horse calendar. Or maybe get a super easy to take apart frame or two that she can swap out pictures easily whenever she wants to do so.

What about painting/staining/refinishing the bookcases to contrast with the other woodwork? I am a big fan of unpainted wood, but you have plenty of wood to go around. Whatever you do, the desk could be a very cute nook.

In the original room, are the bookshelves covered entirely with her stuff? If so, is some going into the closet? I am concerned about where it would all relocate to--that's a lot of shelf space to replicate.

Honestly, for a "messy," her stuff looks pretty good. Not to say that it can't bother you, but it's better than it could be! 

[kbutton]

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Better-Homes-Gardens-Float-Picture-Frame-Black-Set-of-2/10404222?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227000014906&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40925144192&wl4=aud-566049426865:pla-78858323672&wl5=9015622&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=10404222&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInPmm6IHR4wIVDb7ACh26wAGNEAQYASABEgL1dvD_BwE

Sometimes this style of frame has edges that slide on and off easily, and because the picture is sandwiched between layers, there isn't a lot of fancy mounting to get it to work. If centering a picture each time would be difficult for her, she can lightly tape a picture onto the back (maybe with a small piece of folded painter's tape).

Edited: This style might be better. It's front loading. I have some this style, and they are acrylic--the clear panel pops in and out. You can put paper backing in there if the pictures are not always the same size. I often have to do this and use some not so sticky tape to get things centered. But the frame is easy to handle.   https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-8x10-Format-Picture-Frame-Set-of-6/10404226?athcpid=10404226&athpgid=athenaItemPage&athcgid=null&athznid=PWVAV&athieid=v0&athstid=CS020&athguid=d55bade6-e69-16c2b0991f894a&athena=true

 

Edited July 25, 2019 by kbutton
Additional information

[Heathermomster]

You could buy some HTTYD art from ETSY.  Target sells cool picture frames.  Maybe purchase a nice curtain rod and hang a crinkly white sheer.  Maybe purchase a pretty lamp and shade and focus on a duvet, dust ruffle, and soft lap blanket w/foldable fluffy saucer chair.

 

 

[Pen]

Even if she gets tired of it, with toddlers, some kid could probably use  HTTYD sheets just as sheets if you got a set and she was then done with that life phase and  ready for, I dunno, flowers or something, in not too long. 

Bedding can be a pretty easy, usually not too expensive, way to change a decor theme with a big area devoted to the theme—and where the items still have a practical use even when they become a hand me down. 

I’d prefer cotton sheets but didn’t see HTTYD in cotton.  

Edited July 26, 2019 by Pen

[KathyBC]

My dd and her friends are really into tapestries right now. Most are kind of hippy/boho, which may not work for you or your dd, but they are an inexpensive and quick way to decorate if you can find one you like.

ETA: Hey, a HTTYD tapestry! https://www.amazon.com/TRE-ONE-Tapestry-Decoration-Apartment/dp/B07RP5WJ99?th=1

Edited July 26, 2019 by KathyBC

[Katy]

I'd paint the walls Sherwin Williams Sea Salt, which is subtle rather than a bright color.  I'd get something like this for small pictures and this for tacking magazine cutouts to the wall.

Then I'd add these decals to the wall.  And if there's room in the budget for bedding I'd probably stick to something neutral but add a blanket in her chosen theme, since she will outgrow it in a year or two.

And I'd add some led lights for fun.

ETA: Actually if it were me I'd probably paint the paneling off-white too, but it doesn't sound like that will work for your family.

Edited July 26, 2019 by Katy

[alisoncooks]

My 11 and 13 yo DDs are still into HTTYD. 🙂 But I agree with going for a more neutral room and accenting with a dragon artwork or throw or stuffed animal (or all of the above!) And turquoise would look great with dragon blacks and whites. 

For displaying papers/art, how about those wires that you then clip with a clothespin? Similar to this? https://www.amazon.com/Childrens-Projects-Display-Stainless-Hanging/dp/B078KRH6H6/ref=asc_df_B078KRH6H6/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241986889561&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14951549446276202836&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9009619&hvtargid=pla-402921482281&psc=1

[ktgrok]

You can cover cork boards with cheap turquoise fabric and hang them. I like the idea of the clothespin thing to hang stuff. Turquoise bedspread and some accent color throw pillows or a fleece throw on top. If she has any storage bins you can spray paint them (even plastic ones!) whatever color you want. Fast and easy. Actually, i might just grab a can of spray paint and paint a few random things 🙂

[Harriet Vane]

Curious to know how the room turned out?

If you are still taking suggestions, here's my two cents:

--I like the idea of painting the wood paneling white or cream. A different option might be to hang light-colored posters or a large tapestry on that wall to lighten it.

--You mentioned stenciling. Another option for the wood paneling is to stencil something neutral in white or cream on it.

--Paint the other walls a very pale turquoise.

--For her beloved dragon theme, add a throw and a few posters. Vinyl wall clings are easily found on Etsy and really cool, too. Easy to switch out later.

--Our little one has two wires strung on her walls. She uses plastic clips to hang art and photos and stuff. Extremely versatile, and she takes real pleasure in choosing what to display.

[alisoncooks]

Gah, I didn't even realize this was a zombie thread. But I, too, would love to know how it turned out! 😁

[BusyMom5]

Fairy lights!  One of my Dds has an entire wall curtain of them behind her daybed.  Also string wire criss-crossed to hang whatever shes interested in at the moment- pics, posters, even small stuffed animals.  I'd focus on whatever she wants over the bed and make that a focal point.