Georgie and Ruthie are now 13, and they’ll be starting high school in the fall.
Because they’re beginning a NEW, REALLY IMPORTANT phase of life, the girls have announced that they need (not want, mind you — need) “new rooms.”
Didn’t we just do this? Didn’t we just buy a little loveseat to go under Ruthie’s loft bed and paint one of Georgie’s walls grass green?
Wait. Now that I think about it, that was, what…about 3 years ago? That would make sense: they would have been transitioning from elementary school to that NEW, REALLY IMPORTANT stage of life known as Middle School. Right.
Truth be told, they should have “new” rooms now. Their needs have changed. For example, each daughter had a really tiny desk (the adorable, super versatile Micke from Ikea).
But neither twin ever really used it. Georgie would like a bigger desk for homework, and she’ll use the tiny Micke as a vanity table.
Ruthie, whose bedroom is microscopic by comparison, barely had room for the Micke, so she definitely doesn’t have room for anything larger. But that’s ok: she reads on her sofa, and she uses a computer in my office for homework. When she needs to spread out, she works in the dining room.
So what’s a style-conscious parent to do when your kids’ rooms need to transition from baby to toddler, or from kid to middle schooler, or from tween to teen?
The answer is simpler than you might think: treat your children’s rooms the way you’d treat any other room in your house. In other words —
1. Don’t spend too much on the things that will be outgrown (or destroyed) quickly.
In a kid’s bedroom, this could be a loft bed, a tiny desk, or a cutesy bookcase.
Unless you have multiple kids or younger cousins nearby, it just doesn’t make sense to spend a lot on “baby furniture.” Maybe I’m just jealous, though: twins = no possibility of hand-me-downs!
2. Invest in items that have staying power and can survive a transition or two.
I almost always think it’s smart to spend money on window treatments, for example. The hardware won’t sag or pull out of your plaster walls (with the right installer, that is). Drapes will glide open and closed smoothly. Inside-mount Roman Shades will fit your windows perfectly. And don’t get me started on the zillions of fabric and other options when you go custom.
If you fear color or pattern (in which case, call me immediately), high-quality, neutral window treatments will last for years. This, for example, is the custom, semi-translucent grassy roller shade we installed in our former guest bedroom:
Kinda boring, but perfectly serviceable. The room is north-facing and on the third floor, so we only needed minimal privacy and light control.
When the room became Ruthie’s…
…the shade still worked. There’s enough fun stuff going on that you don’t need the window treatment to make a design statement. Would ill-fitting lavender curtains have survived 13 years and several room transitions? I doubt it. So in this case, a custom window treatment was worth the investment.
Other items in the “staying power, worth investing in” category are a fabulous rug, a beautiful antique bed frame, and a cushy upholstered chair. You can make any of these items feel age-appropriate with a new wall color and bedding — which are relatively minor in the budgetary scheme of things.
And finally:
3. Bring in something meaningful and special — artwork, a quirky piece of furniture from another part of the house — to make the room one-of-a-kind.
In the picture above, the wall hanging came from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival when I worked at SI many, many years ago. I wasn’t even married when I bought it. I just thought it was fun, and I knew I’d use it someday. (I also think it was around $14!)
I hope this is helpful, Gentle Readers. Life changes constantly, and our needs change along with it. Kids’ bedrooms should reflect where they are right now…and maybe where they hope to be in just a little while.
Annie Elliott | bossy color is a design firm based in Washington, DC. Annie’s design work and decorating insights have appeared in such publications as Better Homes & Gardens, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bethesda Magazine, and Washingtonian Magazine.