Redecorating Inspiration from Toddler to Tween

No more little girl mural. 
See the LOVE?

Everyone said it would happen.  I just didn't think it would happen to MY little girl.  But she is growing up and I don't know how to control (er I mean stop) it.  The first part of this transition came when we went clothes shopping.  Her eyes would roll every time I showed her the matchy-match outfits off the racks. 

But then she wanted me to redo her room.  The room I did when she was 4 1/2 years old with the painted horse and rainbow mural she loved,  along with the poorly painted ceramic class projects, stuffed animals and pictures of her in cute costumes hanging on all her walls.  "Mom, these are so babyish.  I don't want them in my room anymore!"  (A tear just dropped as I typed that comment.) 

Hesitantly I agreed to change her room.  When I asked her what she wanted she exclaimed, "ZEBRA and turquoise!" ...then my eyes rolled to the back of my head.    The inspiration came from the zebra sheet set in the Pottery Barn Teen Catalog. However, I ended getting the bedding at HomeGoods for a third of the cost.  Here is the new bedding. 

We did over thirty things to upgrade her room from a toddler to a tween's room.  You can view the transformation and some ideas in the 30daysof facebook fan page album.  

I did manage to paint over the horse mural above.  It was the last thing I did and I cried like a baby.  Luckily I remembered to take a picture and incorporated it into the new room as a screen saver on her computer. 

Here's how you can get started with your room transformation

1. Find the inspiration from a magazine
2. Pack up all baby things in boxes 

3. Choose your bedding (this will set the tone for the room) Be prepared to be BOLD and stick with the color.
4. Choose paint swatches and samples.  Test out on walls to make sure it looks good in light.

5. Prepare the room for painting.  Use Blue Tape for the edges and ceilings and plastic for floors.

6. Paint walls with the first coat.
7. Build new furniture.  We added a board in the nook of her corner for a desk.  ($60 vs. $300 for something we didn't really like)
8. Add painting textures - We painted a chalkboard tree and zebra stripes using different sheens of paint. She can write whatever she wants on the branches as she grows. (see album with ideas)

9. Add decals - we used Owl Mirrored Decals from Target
10. Find new furniture - Be patient with this one and use the Craigs List app for great deals. We found an armoire, side table and giant mirror for under $200.

11. Find Posters of their favorite celebrities, shows, causes, bands, etc.

12. Get Pillows, Blankets, Rugs
13. Make custom artwork - Blow up big pics, make collages, or jewel some wooden letters to spell out their name.

14, 15, 16  Reorganize Collections - Repainted the keychain holder and displayed the trophies above on a shelf in a graphic design shape. Also redid the shadow box of all her baby stuff and replaced it with her favorite shells instead. (cried)

17. Organize the desk area - get bookshelves, storage containers, filing cabinets

18. Lighting - choose a desk lamp and or ceiling lamp.  I say keep these neutral at the base to go with any decor.

19. Electronics - alarm clocks, computer, keyboard, stereo (NO TV though)

20. Paint Old Furniture or replace hardware to make more modern

21. Organize a Clothing System 

22. Mirror - Every girl needs a full length mirror.  

23. Retreat Area - Find a corner of the room to place a chair so she can read and relax.

24. Jewelry Station - I used a bulletin board to hang her necklaces and found a cute jewelry box for everything else.

25. Calendars - have some kind of calendar scheduler in the room.  These MTWTHF dots are adorable.

26. Drapery - Hang blinds, drapes, or beads to accentuate the windows

27. Ceilings - Don't forget to look up.  Write messages in invisible glow in the dark ink for when she goes to sleep at night. 

28. Add a Pet - Birds, Lizards, Hamsters, Snakes are a way to add life to any bedroom.  

30. Floral Arrangements - plants, trees and flowers look great in any room.  Real is always best but you can also get creative with artificial manazanita branches and eliminate #24 - jewelry station.

This will be a room she will be in until she graduates from school.  I believe every child deserves his/her own space and it should be a reflection as to who they are and inspire them to dream about who they want to become.   

Did this inspire you?  How many times do you redo your kids rooms.  Don't forget to check out the album for the details and inspiration.

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