All About Her: A Room She Can Call Her Own

She's fourteen, going on thirty! There are things she likes, and things she hates. What she likes may be everything you hate; and what she hates might be everything you like. She's eclectic. You, on the other hand, are whimsical. Can the both of you ever agree on what to do with her room? Yes you can! You can help her to create her own space, with the freedom to choose her own style.

Of course like everything else in life, even the freedom to decorate her room will have limitations. Let her know what you can and cannot permit. There are family boundaries and available budget limitations that should be considered. Everything else, such as style, texture, and color scheme can be left to her imagination.

Choosing a Color-Scheme

Today is a brilliant world where vibrant color radiates from every corner of every store, and the sky is the limit! Plaids and flowers are not only complementary, they are essential. Bohemian or retro, today is the day to mix and un-match. Encourage her to test the limits of color and pattern; in floor covering, bed covering, color combinations, and accent pieces. Go for comfort; include colorful pillows, bedspread and comforter, plush and smooth, rug, headboard, and lamp. Don't forget a study area.

Take an "if you could choose anything" tour through several home decor catalogs. Give her the freedom to choose her three top main color and top five accent color choices, for instance. For kid-friendly seating when her friends gather in her room, choose bean-bags, in soft faux-suede, with colors that range from flame to marigold to royal blue. Shaggy faux fur is also very popular. Or if her first love is shiny vinyl, perhaps she would prefer an inflatable loveseat with matching chairs, in colors like magenta, green, purple or blue.

The Finishing Touch

Accent rugs, window treatments, and lighting need not be expensive. "Diverse and whimsical" are here to stay. Inexpensive touch lamps for atmosphere are available in every style, from butterflies to tortoises for the nature lover. And for reading, full spectrum lighting has become the new affordable protection for the eyes.

Allow her to choose the decor that she loves best, a safe endeavor when you can help her celebrate her own sense of style. Then when her friends come over and throw themselves onto her colorful, comfy beanbags, or colorful, inflatable seating, she will remember that it was you who gave her the freedom to express herself in the room she can call her own.