Design Question
Hello, My daughter is 15 and very unhappy with her room right now. She would like a total makeover, but I simply don’t have the extra cash to buy new furniture or even used. The furniture she has in her bedroom right now is still perfectly good, it’s just hand-me-downs and while I can sympathize, I don’t really know what to do about it. I’ve been trying to wait it out and see if she will just forget about it, but so far no such luck. Do you have any ideas as to how to make a room look better without spending hardly any money? I’d appreciate any help you could give me. Thanks
Design Answer
At that age they are very fashion/current trend conscious, and especially for a teen (to an extent, it applies to all of us), it’s REALLY important to have a space she can call her own and that she likes the way it looks and feels. You might be butting heads at the moment. But why not “join forces” and turn a less-than-ideal situation into a mother-daughter project where you can both help each other? By including your daughter in the “solution” you’ll be able to transform her room into a place that you both can be proud of.
If you haven’t done so already, explain that regarding the household budget, there are priorities and unfortunately new (or new to your daughter) bedroom furniture is not on the list.
If she baby-sits or has an allowance or some other source of income, ask her how much she is willing to contribute to the redecorating project. Match it if you can.
The following are some suggestions as to how you and your daughter can do a bedroom makeover without having to spend too much money:
- One of the cheapest ways to help your daughter make the space her own is to paint. See if someone you know has painted recently; maybe they’d be willing to give you whatever was leftover.
- Pick a theme – a bedroom with hand-me-down bedroom furniture can be mismatched and feel cluttered or unorganized. A theme based on a favorite color, hobby or talent will give the room some cohesiveness.
- If the bedroom furniture pieces are different colors, consider re-staining or painting the furniture in the room all one color. Ditto for hardware – see if the door and/or drawer handles can be replaced so that all the case goods in the room, even though they might be different styles and colors (if you decide not to paint them) will be visually connected to each other.
- Excluding the furniture, have your daughter make a list of what she would like in the room – inexpensive things (look for bargains) such as new picture frames, new bedding or a lamp can have a positive impact on the room’s overall décor.
Good luck with your mother-daughter redecorating project!
Keep sending me your design questions, and especially if you’re asking for advice regarding wall color, tips on rearranging a specific room etc., include pictures if you can.
