My daughter is 13 and wants a rainforest themed bedroom. I can not find anything other than stuff for nurseries. She doesn't want that. She wants it realistic looking. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Pick up a good photographic book on the rain-forest from your library. Or check out artists that do paintings of the subject. I have seen jigsaw puzzles with that kind of design as well.

Once you have something to start with pick a colour for the walls. You can use a green or any of the bright, exotic colours of the flowers. Have your daughter make the choice as it will be her living with it.

Then use a projector to put the pattern on the focus wall (usually the wall the head of the bed rests on).

Using the projected image, draw the designs you have chosen from your source material on the wall with chalk. Do not use pencil as it will bleed through most colours.

Then using good acrylic craft paints and appropriate sized brushes paint the design in.

Remember you will have the head of the bed obscuring some of the design so do not put in too much effort in that area.

As for the rest of the decor. White wicker or bamboo look furniture will give the room a "tropical" feel.

Linens and window coverings can be in the same colour family of the walls or if you have used green for the walls, you may want to try one of the exotic colours here.

Get your daughter involved, not just in the colour and image choices, but in the painting too. It will give her a sense of ownership, give you two a bit of extra "bonding" time and she will know just how much work is involved and might be less inclined to want to change it in a year.