Prowling around the New York Times website last week, this headline caught my eye: “Go to Your Room (and Decorate).” The piece, which featured an interview with Elizabeth Foy Larsen, author of Unbored: The Essential Field Guide to Serious Fun, delves into a specific chapter in her book, which specifically suggests letting your kids decorate their own spaces as a way to let them express their creativity, and yes, pull them out of boredom.
I obviously have no kids of my own, but the title made me think about how I liked to decorate my room when I was a kid, and how thankful I am that my mom didn’t force floral Laura Ashley sets on me. Instead, at various points in my childhood, I had an inflatable chair (in silver), an entire wall covered floor to ceiling with tear out sheets from Abercrombie & Fitch catalogs (my friends all loved coming over to ogle the male models and argue over who was hotter), a water bed (how I managed to swing that one I’ll never know), and even glow-in-the-dark stars all over the ceiling (with an accompanying black light). My room was never especially cohesive, but at different points in my childhood and teenage years, it was certainly a reflection of where I was at the time.
Did you get to decorate your own room when you were a kid? Did your parents try to give input, and did you enjoy the process? What items do you still remember getting (and loving!) for your room, even if you’d never buy them again today (um, hello, an inflatable chair).
{Image Credits: Photos of Elizabeth Foy Larsen’s home, taken by Ryann Ford for the New York Times. The bedrooms were all decorated by her sons! Also, pretty sure the chandelier in the dining area was inspired by Nichole’s post from a while ago…you can see my own tutorial on a smaller scale here.}
