"Mom, I want a waterbed, with a black leather frame, black spread, and posters everywhere!"

Okay -- it’s time for Anna’s room. She’s our teenager who wants a waterbed with a black leather frame, black bedspread and her posters everywhere. Let’s assume Anna is Amy and Adam’s big sister and the main color scheme of their home is the same sage green/terra cotta/plum. The wall to wall carpeting is the same light sage green throughout the home. I would be inclined to let Anna have the black bedspread and posters she wants in her room. If we were in the market for a new bed, I’d give her the waterbed, too!

Let’s very simply paint Anna’s walls a light to mid-sage green and with a feather duster, dabble some terra cotta and purple paint on her walls. This is very easy, and Anna can do this herself to create her own masterpiece. I would use a ready-made black bedding ensemble with black shams and bedskirt. I would throw big chunky accent pillows on the bed in purples, sage greens and terra cotta/rust colors. The window treatment will be a simple purple scarf swag fastened to the corners and draped with lengths of braided rope trim in sage green, terra cotta and black. Anna's desk chair seat will be covered in the same purple material we are using for the swag.

We will frame Anna’s posters as inexpensively as possible in black and hang wherever she wants them. The furniture could be whatever she already has along with the waterbed and black leather/vinyl headboard. A couple of beanbag chairs in purple could be added for hanging out, a small black table between them for glasses, books, etc. I would add a wild floral arrangement in purples, terra cotta, etc. or maybe painted bamboo sticks in a vase for added interest and color. You can see, we are letting Anna have the color black and posters she wants in her room, but are bridging her room with the overall color scheme of the home. Let’s check for the eight steps to a beautiful room/home.

Flooring - light sage green carpet

Walls - painted light sage green with dabbled terra cotta and purple paint

Furniture - waterbed with black leather/vinyl headboard, dresser, desk etc.

Window treatments/Bedding ensemble/Accent pillows - Black ready-made bedding ensemble with accent pillows in purple, terra cotta, sage green, mixed with black and white stripe and polka dot

Lighting - practical and decorative

Artwork - Anna’s posters framed in black

Accessories - Anna’s treasures or possibly some items that work with the theme of posters (for example: movie posters will provide lots of opportunities for theme accessories etc.)

Floral/Greenery - floral arrangement and greenery as needed to fill void spaces

Hopefully you are beginning to understand how to compromise your children’s decorating request with your overall color scheme, personal taste and budget. It’s not always easy, nor do we always provide them with every request, but it is certainly possible to decorate their rooms in colors and themes that reflect their personality and interest in a manner appropriate for your home. Use your imagination in the children’s rooms. Look for a theme or interest that provides the inspiration for the room and do your best to bridge the colors you have chosen to decorate the rest of your home into their rooms.

In my opinion children’s rooms are the most fun and easiest rooms in the house to decorate. I sure hope this article has encouraged you to face any obstacles you might perceive in decorating these rooms. If all else fails -- remember -- "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." A perfect example of this are my two sons. Both of them are color blind so the bright, primary colors are the ones that are the clearest and seen the best. I have always tried to decorate their rooms with the colors they liked and could see well, regardless of my homes color scheme. I suppose the bottom line and the reason for sharing this story is to simply say, "Don’t worry too much about your children’s rooms. Do the best you can with the resources available and remember, life goes on."

Happy Decorating

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