Inevitably it happens. Children grow older and become teenagers; they start to crave their independence and as a stepping stone to achieving this, their bedrooms morph from just a place to sleep at night to more of a sanctuary -- a place to spend time alone, do homework and hang out with friends.
"I was ready for a bedroom makeover," explains Julia Tops, who turns 13 in two weeks.
Julia and her mother moved from Virginia eight years ago and purchased a partially furnished home on nearly 30 hectares south of Spruce Meadows, Alta.
"I'd inherited all of the furniture from the girl who lived in the house before me and in eight years I had never changed my room. I wanted it to be my own space," says Julia, adding that some of the furnishings, such as the poofy lampshades, really weren't to her taste.
An accomplished equestrian show jumper, Julia spends weeks and sometimes months away from home on the international show jumping circuit, so when she comes home she is thrilled to spend time in her room, just hanging out with her beloved dogs (she has seven of them).
"I think that it is really important that kids have a choice in the colours and the look of their room," she says. "If you don't put your own energy and thoughts into your room, you don't really ever feel comfortable, and your room is the place that you should feel the most comfortable."
Poofy lampshades aside, the bones of Julia's room were fantastic. The design esthetic included a fireplace, a lovely window offering unfettered views of the Rockies, a large ensuite and a walk-in closet.
Julia spent close to a year going through design magazines and deciding on the changes she wanted to make. But from the get-go she knew she wanted to play up her room with lots of colour so she experimented with sample paint swatches.
"I went through 15 different shades of blue before I found the perfect one," she recalls.
But she didn't just choose blue; she chose a kaleidoscope of colours, from aqua to sky blue to teal -- 13 colours in all. And, the final result looks fabulous.
Julia also spent hours sorting through her treasures, keeping only those things that still resonated with her. "I have a snow globe collection that I started when I was five and I kept it because I really like it, and I kept on display my first trophy that I ever won."
Once things were sorted, Julia's mom instigated a shopping trek through IKEA. "It's so much fun there. It took us five hours to walk through the store. I had a list of things that I absolutely needed, like a dresser, a night stand and a table to put my hairbrush and straightening iron on and then when I was there, I found some other stuff, like a really cool lamp."
She finished the room with some colourful throw rugs from Walmart.
Julia shares a few words of wisdom for teens thinking of redecorating: "You have to make sure before you start that you are willing to spend the time on it, because it is not just going to happen in a week."
Was all the time and effort worth it?
"Definitely," says Julia, smiling happily while cuddling her teacup chihuahua Blossom and cosying up on her new bed. "I'm in heaven. It now feels like my space and I love it."
-- Postmedia News
From kid to cool
The following design tips are from local designer Lori Andrews of Lori Andrews Interiors (the10centdesigner.com):
Listen to your child's opinion. Usually a teen interested in helping to decorate her bedroom is open to learning more about what is available in a design context.
Have your teen thumb through design magazines to get an idea of what he likes. You can then source similar items within your budget from places such as IKEA, eBay and Kijiji.
Remove the clutter. Help your child go through items and decide what is important to them at this time in her life.
Buy a good mattress.
Accent pieces are key. Bring in lots of colour and create extra seating for friends using bean bag chairs.
Use inexpensive rugs that can be replaced if they get soiled.
Add focus lighting. In addition to a single overhead fixture, add bedside lamps, desk lamps and a floor lamp so the teen can control the lighting.
Keep technology to a minimum.
If your teen insists on designing the room, and you're not sure how it will come together, consider calling a local designer and booking a two-hour consultation.
