Emily's Room Makeover - the real story

As many of you know, for Christmas my daughter Emily wanted to give her room a makeover.  This all started when she graduated from a twin bed to a double bed which happened within a few days of  a visit to the new Ikea store in Charlotte, NC sometime this past summer.

Emily is 15 and is a big fan of Pottery Barn Teen.  She had seen black, white and purple bedding in a catalog that came in the mail and fell in love with it.  She loves purple.  She loves black and white graphic images and she loves the "teen" look of this bedding.  I, however, had a different idea in mind.  As with any interior design job you have to meet the client's needs and I had two "clients".  The first was Emily with her style and desire for a very cool room.  The second client was my husband, Scott, the one paying for this makeover.  He, of course, wanted to keep me on a tight leash knowing my tendancy to want high end items.  This makeover was a challenge in more ways than one!

Scott and I had agreed that we didn't want to replace the flooring upstairs with more carpet.  He and I both prefer fiber free options.  We decided on laminate.  It is a scratch resistant surface that should hold up beautifully to teens and pets.  The room needed a new paint job.  We asked Emily to pick a purple that she would like to use.  We then chose a lighter shade of that color for the walls knowing we could bring the darker shade in with accents.

Emily had seen a desk at Ikea that was black glass with a clear floral pattern stenciled in.  We used that desk as the inspiriation piece for the rest of the room.  While I was at Ikea, I saw a black and white fabric that looked like it was designed by the same person that created the pattern on the desk.  This became the canopy and bedskirt. 

I had seen wooden wall cut-outs in an online design project and I knew that I wanted to incorporate that into the room.  I drew branches loosely based on the pattern in the fabric and my dad cut them out with his jigsaw.  God bless him.  We then painted them the dark purple Emily had chosen.  We added rope light to the branches so that they would cast a soft, moody glow on the walls.  What is not shown in the pictures is a canvas of the Eifel Tower that hangs on a dark purple cut-out that highlights the art.  My mom, bless her heart, sewed the bedskirt, canopy and all the pillows on the bed.

Emily didn't want any of her old furniture in her new room.  As a matter of fact, she didn't want anything but a desk and a bed because she wanted her room to feel spacious.  I knew she would need a night stand, so we repurposed a cube that had served elsewhere in the house for storage.  We added a base and the small size, 22 inches, makes the perfect compact night stand, just enough for a new lucite lamp, a book and a place to put a glass of water at night.

Some art by a local artist and a bookshelf above the desk to house Emily's favorite books finish out the desk area.  The windows were treated with a stripe on stripe sheer in white that softens the window and breaks up the light purple wall.

My two "clients" loved the result.  My daughter is thrilled and already has invited friends over to "sleepover" in her new room.  My husband was happy because I achieved what Emily wanted at a price he had specified. 

A friend of my commented that the room was very clutter free and that Emily would likely add her own touches.  It was as if she read my mind!  I purposefully did not add picutres, desk accessories and decorative items because I knew that Emily would want to put her own mark on the room and that is just what I want her to do, only then will it be perfect!

Pretty boxes for favors...

The favor boxes featured above were found at http://www.squidoo.com/.  These little boxes are great for addding a festive touch to a dining table.  They are great tucked into a table top display, nestled into greenery and ornaments.  They are even terrific for wrapping small gifts.  My mother has a tradition of getting special Christmas ornaments for all of the children in her life.  She gives them one each year, from birth, so that when the time comes for them to leave home, they have a lovely start on their own tree.

Christmas Make Over of My Teen's Room

The Ikea store in Charlotte has become my daughter's idea of heaven.  When we visited there this past summer, she announced that for Christmas she wanted a room make-over! Fast forward six months later and guess what my husband and I are doing today?  You guessed it!  We are beginning the paint and transformation process.  My daughter has asked for black and white and grape purple (!) as her color scheme.  Now you know, that as a designer and homeowner, I am not going for grape walls so we are using the grape color as an accent for the room.  Because my daughter might read this post, I am going to remain vague on the whole plan, but, stay tuned as I will post photo's just after the big reveal on Christmas morning.  I am posting photos that will give hints as to some of the things to come...

For mothers out there that are considering re-doing your teen's room, here are some things to keep in mind.  Purchase items that will work for dorm rooms or first apartments and on those items, invest in good quality.  Determine one major impact element.  An amazing headboard, a mural, graphic elements, or a large piece of art can add the punch that teens look for in a  room.  Use their favorite color in accents if it is especially strong or bright.  Chose bedding that is washable and not so expensive that you mind changing it out when they grow tired of it. Duvet covers are a practical choice.  Consider re-purposing furntiure you already own.  A coat of paint and new pulls can transform a chest of drawers from infant to adult.  Finally, lighting is a big issue for most teen rooms.  Again this is a place to play and invest.  I am using a very long term stradegy for a lamp on the night stand, investing in a quality piece that she can take into her first apartment.  For fun, I found a paper floor lantern at Ikea that was inexpensive and adds a funky element to the room.  This one, I will be happy if it lasts until college!

So have fun with your teen room make-over and stay tuned for pictures from mine!

By Design Interiors: Seasonal Decorating in Adult and Kid Zones#links

By Design Interiors: Seasonal Decorating in Adult and Kid Zones#links

Seasonal Decorating in Adult and Kid Zones

Those of us with children know just how easy it is for the Christmas decorating to become very child oriented.  As parents, w want our children to see Christmas as a magical time and we decorate accordingly.  Often after a couple of years, we Mom's look around and wonder where we are represented in the home!  It's time to look at options to keep the kids happy and to recognize that adults live in the home too!

Personally, I designate zones in my Christmas decore.  The kitchen and family room are the kid friendly areas.  The living room, foyer and dining room - in my case, office - are designed for the adult aesthetic.  Take a look at the pictures here for beautiful ideas for you to implement in your own zones.  Happy Decorating!