My 13-year-old daughter wanted to design her own minimalist bedroom, and she knew exactly what she wanted. She asked for paint – charcoal and white, and a new night table. She invited a couple friends over for a painting slumber party, and arranged to get a new queen sized bed from a neighbor who was changing things up . When the box containing her ready-to-assemble night table arrived, she lugged it into the house and assembled it all by herself.
This is her room, her design, and her story. My role was to stay out of the way. I’m sharing her project with you, not as the designer, but as a proud mom with a camera.
Minimalist Bedroom: Before & After
Her room was a blank canvas when we bought this as-is house. It needed a window replaced, we refinished the floor, took down the wall paper and painted. Here are a few before and after photos:
Office in the Closet
One of the coolest things she did was to convert a closet into a mini office, helping to keep the minimalist bedroom vibe in her room. Because this room has two closets, it made perfect sense!
The key was to have a quad outlet installed in the closet. We used a simple halogen light under the shelf and a stool that slides nicely underneath.
The repurposed desk was sized for the closet and fastened to the wall. She painted it black, and we added a glass top for a smooth and durable writing surface that also reflects light.
She has a sizeable dresser (from HomeGoods) and subscribes to the KonMari method of folding. Therefore, she doesn’t need much hanging space in the smaller closet. She was even able to slide in an organizational caddy to help keep the minimalist bedroom clear of clutter. She has a better handle on the concept of “capsule wardrobe” than I do.
Artwork
Her interests (if you could not yet figure it) are (in random order) dogs, New York City, and Broadway shows. She displays her signed playbills in a simple frame (nice pop of color).
She selected her artwork from vendors at Bryant Park during our last trip to NYC.
She found two wooden plaques from a charming artisan at Bryant Park – EWBA (which stands for Everything Will Be Amazing).
It took her over an hour to pick out her favorite, but well worth the effort! I think this one below says it all..
What I love about this room…
This room is all her. By allowing her to run this project completely herself, she gained confidence, learned new skills, and now has a place in this world that is truly her own (well, the dogs think it’s for them).
Happily Ever After…
I’ve learned a lot from watching her create her own unique space. It’s amazing what kids can do when you believe they can do it and get out of the way.
After all, everyone deserves a place that does not suck.