Painting is one of the least expensive and easiest means of redecorating. Anyone can use a roller or a paintbrush, and the finished project feels like a completely new room. If you are in the business of painting your little girl’s bedroom, here are a few tips to make the job easier, to make it last longer, and to make it as feminine and as pretty as possible.
Before painting any room, always prepare the walls and trim first. Clean everything, wiping it down with a damp cloth and allowing it to dry completely. Then carefully put painting tape along any borders: ceiling, floor, trim, windows, outlets, etc. Drop cloths or newspaper should be spread out along the floor from the edge of the walls – preferably covering the entire room, or at least several feet out from each wall. The prepping is the least enjoyable part of a painting project, but it is essential for a clean finish.
Current Bedroom Trends
Tweens are not little girls anymore (or at least that’s what they tell us). They aren’t quite teens yet, either. They have generally outgrown their “Barbie comforters”, and no longer want their PlaySchool Kitchen taking up half the wall in their bedroom. Instead they may want posters of their favorite boy “idols” and pictures of the “hot” guys in whatever band their friends are “all listening to”. Mom and Dad may not be quite ready for their tweens to start being teens. So what do you do?
Planning a Makeover
A remodeling project with your 9 to 12-year-old daughter can be a great time to get to know more about her. Believe it or not, it can also be a great way to help her get to know more about herself. Take some time to talk about style, from modern to romantic, trendy to traditional, your tween will have fun discovering what constitutes her “favorite look”. Great ideas for helping her do this might include:
Team up to make a “Shoe Box Room.” Make or buy model furniture to use in the room. Decorate with paint, wallpaper, etc… If it doesn’t turn out the way you thought, you’re not out too much expense, and you’ve still had some quality time together. (Plus, it’s easier to redo a shoe box room, than an entire bedroom.)
Do a couple of swatch-boards together. Staple fabric swatches from furnishings, draperies and carpet, plus paint samples, and any textures you plan to use to the board. If something doesn’t look or feel right, now’s the time to find something better. Doing more than one swatch board gives your tween the chance to see how different things “go together” and consider different decorating options, before narrowing it down to the one she really wants.
Before painting any room, always prepare the walls and trim first. Clean everything, wiping it down with a damp cloth and allowing it to dry completely. Then carefully put painting tape along any borders: ceiling, floor, trim, windows, outlets, etc. Drop cloths or newspaper should be spread out along the floor from the edge of the walls – preferably covering the entire room, or at least several feet out from each wall. The prepping is the least enjoyable part of a painting project, but it is essential for a clean finish.
Tweens are not little girls anymore (or at least that’s what they tell us). They aren’t quite teens yet, either. They have generally outgrown their “Barbie comforters”, and no longer want their PlaySchool Kitchen taking up half the wall in their bedroom. Instead they may want posters of their favorite boy “idols” and pictures of the “hot” guys in whatever band their friends are “all listening to”. Mom and Dad may not be quite ready for their tweens to start being teens. So what do you do?
Planning a Makeover
A remodeling project with your 9 to 12-year-old daughter can be a great time to get to know more about her. Believe it or not, it can also be a great way to help her get to know more about herself. Take some time to talk about style, from modern to romantic, trendy to traditional, your tween will have fun discovering what constitutes her “favorite look”. Great ideas for helping her do this might include:
Team up to make a “Shoe Box Room.” Make or buy model furniture to use in the room. Decorate with paint, wallpaper, etc… If it doesn’t turn out the way you thought, you’re not out too much expense, and you’ve still had some quality time together. (Plus, it’s easier to redo a shoe box room, than an entire bedroom.)
Do a couple of swatch-boards together. Staple fabric swatches from furnishings, draperies and carpet, plus paint samples, and any textures you plan to use to the board. If something doesn’t look or feel right, now’s the time to find something better. Doing more than one swatch board gives your tween the chance to see how different things “go together” and consider different decorating options, before narrowing it down to the one she really wants.
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