Goin' Green

December 3, 2009 3:07 PM

Redecorate my daughter's room! My daughter is turning 9 soon and for her birthday we want to redecorate her room.

She mentioned she'd like an animal/environmental type decorated room. She's been on a "go green" kick and wants to save the whales and asked why we don't have a recycling bin in the house.

Any decorating ideas to incorporate this interest? Budget friendly is lovely. She's not really aware of "green" materials, so giving her a bamboo floor isn't going to wow her as much as a poster of a whale (although we could explain the flooring and she'd be pleased).

What cool stuff can you come up with?

posted by Sassyfras to Home & Garden (14 answers total)

My daughter (also 9) just got a new look for her room with giant wall stickers. It makes a huge difference and she's thrilled. In her case, we covered a wall with branches, birds and blossoms. For your enviro-kid, you might consider letting her live in the rain forest or some other wild habitat with giant wild animal wall stickers like these.
posted by fullofragerie at 3:11 PM on December 3, 2009

This is ridiculously obvious, but...plants! This also provides an opportunity to teach responsibility (if she doesn't take care of it, it'll die).
posted by AlisonM at 3:14 PM on December 3, 2009 [1 favorite]

Not sure if she's gonna outgrow this soon, but when I have a kid I'm gonna have someone paint the room in the style of the kenya flash video:

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/kenya

Maybe make it less cartoonish if you think she might be too old for this in a year?
posted by KateHasQuestions at 3:35 PM on December 3, 2009 [1 favorite]

Is there anyway you could install some sort of hanging chair in her room? If I was nine, that's what I would flip out about. And still would. It wouldn't be something that she would outgrow in a year. Plus, it's sort of tree-house-y.

She could curl up in it and read nature books!

I'm thinking of SkyChair, specifically, but I don't know how environmentally friendly that particular company is.
posted by mmmbacon at 4:02 PM on December 3, 2009

Are you artistically inclined, or do you have friends who are? If I recall my own childhood correctly, nothing is as impressive as giant wall murals--I'd paint an underwater scene, right there on the wall, and then paint the ceiling to look like a cloudy-dotted, sunny sky (and then stick on those glow-in-the-dark stars, so that when she turns out her lights she'll get a "night sky" overhead).
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 4:12 PM on December 3, 2009

Are you absolutely wedded to this being a total surprise? she may really be into the idea of offering her own input. The ideas you're getting in here are great ones, but letting her chime in makes sure she'll like it (and maybe she'll have heard of some other ideas too).

Plants around the hanging chair sounds cool, though.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:58 PM on December 3, 2009 [2 favorites]

Wall murals seconded -- I think this one is pretty awesome. My GF gave me an awesome handmade log pillow that I love to death. Plants are also excellent, these curtains are cool, and chalkboard paint is great on the back of a door. Additionally, you might supply the instructions, time and supplies for , and a few make-your-own projects (using recycled cardboard, textiles, what-have-you).
posted by mr. remy at 4:59 PM on December 3, 2009

Response by poster: She's pretty aware that a room redecoration is in the works. I've even asked her how she wants it decorated. She told me she wants animals and environment type stuff. So, it's not a surprise . . . but she's not privy to when we're actually going to do this - although she's probably figured out that her birthday is coming up and we are hounding her for room decor ideas.

We're thinking of putting a little recycling center in there (or at the least getting a small recycling garbage can) so she can feel good about getting recycling done. I also thought of getting a big stencil or something of the recycling arrows and painting that on her walls.

She's trying to start a "Go Green" club at school and spends most of her time picking up and cleaning up the playground at recess.

She loves wolves and told me she wants to save the whales.

Cool ideas so far! I like the SkyChair idea. And plants!!
posted by Sassyfras at 5:05 PM on December 3, 2009

Response by poster: mr. remy - those wall murals are beautiful! she'd love that!
posted by Sassyfras at 5:07 PM on December 3, 2009

to make up for the unbelievably terrible grammar in my last sentence, i humbly suggest you purchase a wall cling -- wolf design is one of the lower-right options.
posted by mr. remy at 5:08 PM on December 3, 2009

I redecorated my daughter's room when she was 10. She said she was done with the princess/fairy-tale theme and wanted something more mature (but not boring!). We painted over the pink walls with a cornflower blue and found a refinished white 4-poster bed on Craig's List. But the crowning touch was a canvas print of a zebra purchased from Ikea. This link really doesn't do justice to the impact of this print. It's very large and has almost a 3-D effect. She loves it!
posted by kbar1 at 10:16 PM on December 3, 2009

If you do paint, I heartily recommend Safecoat.
posted by LuckySeven~ at 10:17 PM on December 3, 2009

Not really a decorating idea, but what about having some sort of mini player system (CDs) hooked up, even if its not too elaborate, so she can listen to natural sounds. They have all kinds of natural recordings available, some are geared to whales and dolphins, etc..

Wallpaper is good too.
posted by Taurid at 11:14 PM on December 3, 2009

A low, or no VOC paint if you are painting.
posted by csmason at 8:23 AM on December 4, 2009