by Gillian Sand

Created on: April 17, 2008

Your girl's bedroom should reflect her personality, likes, and favorite colors! You also want to provide an environment that is stimulating enough for fun and creativity, yet calming enough to create a sense of peace and relaxation for for good sleep. Get your girl involved with the decorating plans. Even if she is young, she can be part of choosing colors and themes that make her feel good! Then together you can create a space that is both fun and relaxing for your girl to play, rest, learn, and grow in!

Color: First, let her pick the color scheme! If she picks a striking, bright or bold color like hot pink, consider painting one wall in this color, since bright colors are energizing, but may not be best for a good night's sleep. Pain the other wall an white or neutral color. Another way to bring in your girl's favorite color is with accents. Use pillows, comforters, curtains and her own artwork in a frame to bring her favorite color into the scheme.

De-clutter: Any decorating plan should include good organizational options. Having a designated place for everything can help her tidy up. A cluttered room can be stressful, so can a closet stuffed full of clothes, and toys and memorabilia. Baskets or plastic bins with colored lids in closets make for attractive storage and a way to organize. If your girl is young, then open, circular, soft baskets on the floor for toys, trucks, dolls and things that are in easy reach are a great solution. If she is a teenager, and you want to her to be organized, then no amount of organizing baskets and boxes will help if she prefers her clothes strewn over the bed, but you can try! Make special shelving to cluster collections, trophies and photographs to avoid having those scattered all over the room.

Lighting: Light is often overlooked, but is one of the most important parts of decorating. Light can be beautiful, soft, bright, harsh, too dim, or just right. Provide several types of lighting options. Does she have a good bright, adjustable reading lamp? These come in clamp-on styles that she can have right next to her bed, or as adjustable sconces for the wall, or a stand-up type for the night stand. Good reading light is important. Does she want a night-light? Sometimes the soft glow of a dim light helps kids fall asleep and feel safe if they awaken in the night. Good overhead light too, not to bright, is key to making the room inviting. Ceiling canister lights are great for shedding a clean, clear light throughout the whole room.

Themes: Depending on the age of your girl, the range of themes to choose from for decorating are vast! Be creative. What does she love? Is she a soccer player? Does she love princesses? What about animals? Murals are a fun way to bring her favorite things right into her room! Paint a castle on the wall, or a zebra, or a blue sky to bring the outdoors in. If you don't want to paint images, try a simple motif based on her favorite things! My daughter loved kittens when she was young. We made a stencil to look like cat paws, and painted them all around the walls like 'kitty tracks' and she really enjoyed that.

Now that you have the look and feel designed, be sure to add stimulating, inspiring objects. A globe, for example is pretty and fun to spin around, and a great learning too. How about a constellation of glowing stars on the ceiling? Plenty of books, and games and dress-up clothes if she's young will help her learn to entertain herself with things other than t.v. or internet. Most of all, be free with letting her help design her space, and helping you make her room a place she can be proud of, and one that makes her feel as special as she is!

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