Decorate a Young Girl's Room

Whether you are a parent looking for a clear method to create a personalized space for your daughter, or a daughter looking for a way to convince your parents to let you redecorate, this guide will teach you how to easily and effectively decorate a young girl's room.

Steps

Make a plan

  1. Understand the room. Is it just a bedroom, or does it double as a playroom? How much space is there to work with, both in terms of floor space and wall space? How many windows are there? What are the dimensions of the closet and any furniture you plan to keep? Using a notepad, a tape measure, and a critical eye, all of these questions can be quickly answered to form a rock-solid starting point for redecoration. Good home decor starts with a clear sense of purpose and an eye on working within limits, rather than indulging every fantasy.
  2. Maximize the space. Now that the dimensions and the purpose of the room have been established, find ways to free up as much space as possible. Extra space opens up extra redecorating options. Even the simple emptiness of empty space its own reward, as empty, temporarily used space is easier to keep organized than cluttered, permanently occupied space.
    • Closet space can be maximized with hanging organizers and specially designed closet shelving to create more room in the main part of the bedroom. Anything currently boxed inside the closet can be moved to the garage or another storage area, freeing up the bedroom closet for clothes, sports equipment, and other regularly-used items.
    • As girls grow, their furniture may become impractically small. Anticipate what size of furniture will be useful over the next few years and take into account the extra space you will need.
    • Striking a parent-daughter deal to get rid of (or permanently store) old toys, clothing, and other items in exchange for redecoration can open up quite a lot of space. Consider staging a garage sale after decorating to move gently used items on to new homes and make a bit of money at the same time. A charity thrift store or clothing drive donation pile is a great way to empty out a chest of drawers or overstuffed closet. Round up everything that is broken or irreparably damaged and toss it for good. Anything you can't bear to part with but no longer use can be boxed up and stored elsewhere.
  3. Find a theme. With a notepad full of dimensions and a streamlined bedroom, the time to imagine and dream has come. Begin with general ideas about what the room will look like. It is useful to start a scrapbook with pictures and notes describing your ideas or hopes for the room. Your job is to settle on a theme and then decide how to make it work on a budget.
    • Themes can be very specific, or simple and general. Either way, don't limit your thinking to standard motifs alone. For every girl who wants a pink and lacy room or a fairy princess room, there is a girl who would rather do a rainbow room or a zoo room instead. Everyone involved in the redecoration should be encouraged to give input. The goal is to find a balance between a theme that the girl will enjoy, and a theme that the parents can live with in terms of time and money spent.
    • Not every theme has to be clear-cut or unified by subject. Consider using a two or three-tone approach utilizing favorite colors, or an approach that emphasizes handsome, useful furnishings rather than decorative objects. Go window shopping together at thrift stores and imagine how the various items you see might guide the theme or tone of the room. Keep short descriptions or photos of interesting items in your scrapbook for reference.
    • Think outside the box. There are an astonishing number of redecorating ideas in magazines like Martha Stewart Living and online at websites such as HGTV.com. Many of these ideas are quite clever and can be easily customized to fit any theme:
      • Instead of putting a poster on a blank wall, why not put a cluster of smaller pictures and mirrors in cheap, ornate frames? The frames can be quickly repainted to match the theme of the room.
      • New pillowcases and other cloth elements can be chosen in specific patterns to gently contrast with the walls and ceiling, making both elements pop a bit more.
      • Hidden organizers, such as under-the-bed storage and door-hanging pockets, create a quieter, more open environment, while bright and obvious options like a painted cubby shelf or multicolored chest of drawers create a bright and kinetic space.

Prepare to redecorate

  1. Shop for the basics. Wall, ceiling, window, and floor elements should come first, if any of them are being changed. Take a trip to the paint store together and look at paint chips. Talk to the workers there about room painting and purchase enough paint to do the job right, plus rollers, pans, edging tape, and anything else that will be necessary for your plan. Acquire curtains, drapes, and other such background elements. They will be useful for visualizing how furnishings will look in the newly decorated room.
  2. Acquire your elements. Anything that can be pre-purchased should be purchased now. If new furniture is in order, make sure there is space to store it until it can be placed. Decorative items, including items that are currently in the room and will be re-used in the new room, can be kept together in boxes or bags. Do as much as possible as soon as possible to avoid letting the redecoration process drag on and become a source of stress.
    • The weekend before you plan to redecorate is an ideal time for this part of the process. Make a shopping day of it. Be sure to plan breaks so that you don't get tired. A few hours in the morning followed by a few hours in the afternoon is a good way to divide up the time, and it also allows you to divide up the trips by location or item size so that you don't get too overwhelmed.
    • Make any necessary modifications to the items you will be using. Picture frames and wooden furniture purchased on a Saturday can be painted and otherwise decorated on a Sunday. This is a great family project in and of itself, and a chance for everyone to show off their creative selves. Gluing seashells, glitter, or other theme-appropriate elements to some of the objects is a good way to personalize them. Leopard spots or clouds can be made by pressing a brush with black or white paint to a background of gold or sky blue paint, respectively. A flick of the thumb can spatter shiny metallic paint across a dark background for a bright, exciting effect. Drawer knobs can be replaced with a little work and simple hand tools. Have fun and try whatever suits your fancy.
  3. Finish making space. Clean the room thoroughly a few days before you plan to decorate it, including closet space and the space underneath the bed. Everything that does not have a clear place should be set aside, along with everything else that was set aside before cleaning began (see section 1, step 2 above). Make final decisions on what to sell, what to donate, what to store, and what to trash. Box up anything you will keep but not use, and move it to the garage or another storage space. Leave only furniture, clothes, and regularly-used books and toys in the bedroom.
    • Keep laundry up-to-date until the day of the redecoration. When that day comes, it will be easy to focus on redecorating since all the preparation was finished beforehand.
    • This period is also a good time to begin developing a regular schedule for cleaning the room, if one has not already been established.

Redecorate

  1. Start in the morning by emptying out the room. Clothes, toys, books, and any furniture that will return to the room should be set aside indoors. Whatever furniture is left should be set aside to be sold or donated. Plan to get rid of it as soon as possible to avoid creating clutter in the garage or workroom. Thoroughly vacuum the room afterward.
    • If you have no way to transport furniture donations yourself, consider asking a family friend to drop by the next day to help move it out, or renting a truck to haul it away.
    • If you plan to sell off any furniture, post advertisements for it in the evening after the redecorating is done. That way, people will be able to take it away as soon as possible without disrupting the redecoration process.
    • Don't forget to take down window coverings if you plan to replace them. It will make the job of painting the room simpler.
  2. Paint the room. There are a number of basic options for painting a room. The most common method is to open up a can of paint, pour some into the tray, and begin rolling it onto the walls. Aside from the standard practice of painting every wall the same color, one wall can be painted a darker shade than the other three to add depth, or edges and molding can be painted a different color to help make the walls pop. There are other options for painting a room as well; just remember that the more complicated the process, the longer it will take. Generally speaking, a simple approach is best. Remember to open any windows in the room in order to keep it ventilated, and remember to strip off borders with tape to ensure clean lines. Let the paint dry afterwards.
  3. Install other foundational elements. If you began work in the morning, the paint should be dry enough to continue working before the evening arrives. Once the time is right, make any room accessory changes you have planned. This is the time to install new curtains, drapes, or mini blinds, as well as light fixture shades, ceiling hooks, door handles, and anything else that will go behind the rest of the decorations.
  4. Move the furniture in. Generally speaking, a bed is the centerpiece of any bedroom, so start with that. Move the mattress around and decide on a place for it, then bring in the frame and box spring and put it all together. Bring in the rest of the furniture one piece at a time and build up the room's layout gradually. Drawers and bookshelves should remain empty at this stage so that they can be moved easily as the room begins to fill out. This is also the time to place closet organizers and new hangers in the closet, if you purchased any. Beanbags may be comfortable and relaxing to lay or sit on so it may be a good furniture for your room.
  5. Add decorations. Start with the walls and door. Any pictures, mirrors, cork-boards, or other elements that will be attached to them should be put up now. Help each other hold up items side by side to see how they will look together before hanging them. Use a level to ensure that every element is hanging evenly. Once the walls and door have been decorated, add hanging elements and items that will sit on top of shelves or other furniture. Again, work together and spend plenty of time trying different arrangements until everything looks just right.You may want to buy some silhouette stickers to paste on your wall.
  6. Fill in the gaps. Return drawers to dressers, and then return clothes to their drawers. (Take time to fold and organize them first.) Put shoes, dresses, and occasional-wear clothes in the closet.Organize your clothes by season then by color. Return books and other shelf items to their shelves, and return toys to their drawers, boxes, or chests. Stereos, TVs, and other electronic equipment should next. Finally, make the bed and add any other accent items, such as throw pillows, that go on top of everything else.
  7. The next day is the day for hauling junk and donations away from the house. If a yard sale is in order, have it planned for the next morning as well. With all the extra items out of the house or safely in storage, your redecoration will finally be complete. The longer you wait before taking this final step, the more your donations and yard sale items will start to resemble just another pile of junk.

Tips

  • It is often a good idea to have a laundry hamper and trash can in the room to help keep things neat. Try putting a hamper in the bottom of the closet and a small trash can beside a desk or bed.
  • Don't overdo the furniture. Redecorating is an exercise in restraint and simplification as much as it is an exercise in creative expression. Too much furniture gets in the way of the overall look of the room. Only use what is needed to make a comfortable and useful space with room for a few good friends.
  • If you are redecorating on a tight budget, try doing basic elements (such as paint) first, and then adding decorative items over time as they become feasible. Think of it as an occasional treat that will slowly define the room over time, rather than a slow march towards a definite goal.
  • Keep everything tidy and neat. Well-organized drawers and shelves are easy to maintain with a few minutes of daily clean-up. A clean room is a beautiful room.
  • Always keep a clean work space. Don't overwhelm yourself; if your workspace is too cluttered it gets confusing. Whatever you see right when you start, that needs to be thrown out, do it.
  • If you have a mess get it all out start by painting the furniture and then clothing and finally toys and shoes.

Warnings

  • Be very careful when you are painting, as paint could damage the carpet. If new carpeting is a part of the plan, paint the room before putting in the new carpet so there's no risk of getting paint on it. Otherwise, cover the ground with plastic sheeting or newspaper before you begin.

Things You'll Need

  • A scrapbook for ideas
  • A notebook for measurements and lists
  • Painting supplies (paint, rollers, trays, tape, protective floor covering)
  • Craft supplies (replacement knobs, decorating supplies, craft tools)
  • Hand tools, including a hammer, fasteners, screwdrivers, and a level
  • Furniture, accessories, and decorations
  • A full weekend
  • A clear plan
  • A budget

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Sources

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