Bedroom Decoration

RED BEDDING is HOT THIS FALL

2010-10-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

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People, let me tell you that red bedding is hot this fall! Those of you with a tendency towards cool colors may be skeptical and wondering what would make me say (read: scream) such a thing. I can answer that question in one word: catalogs.

This morning I drug my sorry self into the kitchen as usual pinning my hopes for the day on a nice, hot cup of coffee with just a pinch of cinnamon. The java came through as planned and while I was sipping and savoring the aroma that had been missing in my morning since last fall, I thumbed through a few of my favorite catalogs that had been piling up as of late.

As bleary as I was, I spotted the trend even before the caffiene had a chance to kick in. In each and every one of the catalogs I saw red bedding. There was red and black plaid bedding, striped bedding and perhaps my personal favorite was featured in the Pottery Barn catalog, red bedding that had pictures of cardinals on it, which are my favorite birds especially in winter. Their bright red feathers add color to an otherwise bleak landscape.

Zebra bedding is still one of the most popular girls bedding sets but the zebra print and hot pink color combination that was so popular last spring and summer is dressed for the season at hand with scarlet red satin, silk or taffeta fabrics and red and black damask bedding collections have a glow all their own. Yes, dear reader, to say that red bedding is hot this fall may very well be an understatement. To be so obvious that I can spot it before my second cup of coffee, you really can't doubt that it's a trend.

FANCY BEDROOMS

2010-10-12T05:56:00.000-07:00

In the past 3 months I have not decorated any fancy bedrooms to speak of. To be clear, what I call "fancy" might be referred to as a luxury bedroom by those who prefer to maintain a level of sophistication in their vocabulary. I know the economy has taken a hit and custom made furniture and girls bedding are probably last on the list of people doing their best to make mortgage payments on those high end homes bought in the heat of the moment.

But thinking of the past, I can remember working on some luxury bedroom designs that were not any more expensive than decorating a room with IKEA style decor (modern look and sleek contemporary finish). There was one project in particular where the homeowner used a solid walnut tester bed as the centerpiece for her teen girl's bedroom that was breathtakingly beautiful. I expected the young girl to reject the antique bed as looking "old fashioned" but I was pleasantly surprised when she was on board with the decision.

It was not that she was such a fan of ornate furniture and fancy bedrooms as she liked the sense of history and place that the bedroom furniture gave to her space. She said that she enjoyed being surrounded with pieces that had been in her family for generations. Her only request was that the comforter set, curtains and wall paint color were light and bright to offset the dark finish of the elaborately carved wood.

TRENDS

In my last few projects, not only were girls leaning toward platform beds and a minimal amount of bedroom furniture, the materials were not that important. A few years ago, if the bedroom set was not real wood, nobody wanted it. And now I find that buying solid wood is not important. Several of my clients ordered custom made furniture and called a master carpenter that built the furniture based on their specifications. Needless to say that we had to wait a long time for the furniture to arrive.

Lately things have really changed; nobody has either the money or the time to hire custom woodworkers. Either they use the furniture they already have in place or buy imported furniture with a contemporary look, bright colors and maintenance-free finishes. I suppose that the time it takes to maintain great-grandma's intricately carved wooden furniture is more than busy, professional people want to deal with since money to hire cleaning help is tight.

THE APPEAL OF IMPORTED PLATFORM BEDS and FURNITURE

I'm all for buying imported furniture for first apartments, dorm rooms and kids' bedrooms. The stuff is cheap and can be easily dismantled, packed in boxes and then re-assembled with little effort. Plus, the pieces require a minimum amount of floor space giving the illusion that the bedrooms are larger than they actually are.

Ok, I get it that low maintenance furniture has its place. But I really miss decorating those fancy bedrooms with luxurious fabrics and decorations even if they were dust catchers.

Are Microfiber Sheets Comfortable

2010-10-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

I got a phone call from a client asking me, "Are microfiber sheets comfortable?".
She wanted to know because she and her daughter were standing in the bed and bath store having a showdown over a bedding set. Mom was all for buying this girls bedding set but when she read the fabric content and saw the dreaded word "polyester" she was afraid that her daughter wouldn't like the feel of the sheets and that she would be out more money for a set of cotton sheets.

You know I hate to be put on the spot like that because each person has their own preference and to be honest, most teen girls could care less if their sheets are made of polyester or the finest Egyptian cotton. In my experience, if they think the comforter and shams look cool they're fine.

But for those who may want to know in the future are microfiber sheets comfortable or not...here's the skinny so you can make your own decisions and won't have to call me for my opinion.

THE PROS AND CONS OF MICROFIBER SHEETS

THE PROS

The positive characteristics of microfiber sheets are that they:

resist wrinkling
are lightweight
machine washable
are non-allergenic
stain-resistant
cheaper than fine cotton

.

Easy care is a good thing for college dorm bedding perhaps as important as being warm and comfortable in winter. Another mark in the positive column should be of interest to individuals suffering from allergies. It seems that since the microfibers are so small that common allergens like dust mites, pollen grains that cling to sheets made of natural fiber don't hang around and cause problems.

THE CONS

The negatives range from having extreme static cling coming out of the dryer to having a dull look and feeling like plastic. Some consumer reviews say the best way to wash microfiber sheets is to wash them alone. Apparently there were problems when they washed their sheets with towels and other fuzzy, lint producing laundry.

Getting back to the question, "Are Microfiber Sheets Comfortable", my opinion is that allergy sufferers would answer with a resounding, YES and everyone else should open the package and wrap the sheet around your hand and arm for a moment or two and see if they like the way the fabric feels. If you think that the fabric doesn't breathe well or if it feels smother-y on your skin I would spend a few extra dollars and get cotton; it's not that expensive and you may be happier especially in warm summer months.

PARISIAN BEDDING for GIRLS

2010-10-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

$12 off orders over $300 at Overstock.com (electronics and media excluded)

I keep going back to Eiffel Tower bedding and bedroom decor in my search for Parisian bedding for girls over and over again. Why? Well, because if a more sophisticated style of decor exists for a teen girl's bedroom than a Parisian theme with a famous French landmark smack dab in the middle of it...well, I just haven't seen it.

For pre-teens or tweens, a splash of French poodles, rhinestones in shades of pink is PERFECT. I love pink and black in a Paris theme bedroom because this color scheme is so feminine and is quite the fashion for today's diva girl. And we all know that fashion and style is what Paris, France is all about!

So, grab a set of Eiffel tower bedding (or if you are having to work with what you have this photo room divider will take care of what your comforter set doesn't cover) your French poodle and beret and experiment with decorating your French themed bedroom with Parisian bedding for girls.

ZEBRA GIFT IDEAS

2010-09-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

$10 off $250
for New
Customers!
(media and electronics excluded)
These pink and black zebra print floor mats are one of the cutest zebra gift ideas for a teen girl that I've found yet! Such a nice $20 gift is very hard to find and the teens that I know love cute stuff for their cars.

I know it's not close to Christmas but the early bird gets the worm and after decorating a few bedrooms with zebra print bedding (are we ever going to get tired of zebra?) in the last few months, I wanted to pick up a few gifts that would tie into the girls bedroom themes to show my sincere appreciation to my clients.

What I love about overstock.com is their CHEAP shipping prices which are the next best thing to FREE (and yeah, I signed up to get commissions so shoot me for shopping with them, too). I looked all over their site for more cool zebra gift ideas that compared to the pink and black zebra rugs (read: less than $20) but didn't come up with anything OTHER than this cool chair that plan to use in the next bedroom where the girls bedding is black and white and wants some zebra striped accents.

WIN A FREE DORM ROOM MAKEOVER

2010-09-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

HERE'S HOW YOU CAN ENTER TO WIN A FREE DORM ROOM MAKEOVER!

First answer these easy questions:

1.Are you currently in college?
2.Are you tired of those boring, blank walls in your dorm room?
3.Would a cooler dorm room translate into more friends, dates and ever alluring possibility of becoming the most popular student on campus?

If the answer to any of the above questions was in the affirmative (that means yes... how did you manage to get into college if you didn't know that?) you can enter to win a free dorm room makeover is certainly worth the very minimal effort it would take to enter for a chance to win.

From September 8th until September 30th Blik is coming to the rescue of damsels suffering with less than stylish dorm room decor.

How you enter for a chance to win:

1.Go to the link above and tell them which wall graphic (chosen from the list on the contest page) that you like the best and why that particular graphic would work in your dorm room

2.Take a picture of your sadly unstylish dorm room and send it to giveaway "at "whatisblik.com

3.Be sure to include the name of the college you are attending and your name

Blik will select at random 10 winning students to receive their Blik wall graphic of choice to decorate the walls of their dorm room.

Act fast because the contest started on September 8th (sorry I'm late posting it!) and runs till September 30, 2010 so you have about a week to fulfill all the requirements to win a free dorm room makeover! If you win, you might convince your mom to buy you a new set of girls dorm bedding so the whole room will match! and and is open to college students in the U.S. and Canada. Students must be living in a dorm room to win. Winners will be notified by October 8th, 2010.

Status Symbols in America

2010-09-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

I read in an article that the automobile manufacturers are worried that cars are not the Status Symbols in America that they once were. Maybe the economic crisis taught us a few things and status symbols in America have changed even thought all the teen girls that I know still want the cutest bedroom in town.

You might think that this would include a decreased amount of home decorating but I have not seen that trend whatsoever. My date book is still filled, I'm still overwhelmed with the amount of work piled up on my desk and the number of inspiration boards that I need to deliver should be pulling me away from this keyboard as we speak.

What I do see that has changed is that my clients are not afraid to ask for discounts on fabric or to tell me to shop the outlet malls, eBay auctions before jumping into pay full retail. Even the discontinued bedding sets (that I have always believed in but problems selling to style conscious teen girls) are now being considered where once they would have been categorized as "so last season".

Another trend that I see emerging in teen status symbols in America is that knowledge and education are coming to be admired rather than dissed as boring.

Observing their parents feeling a financial pinch has alerted young girls to the fact that knowing a thing or two might be a good thing AND (moms are going to love this one) they are savvy enough to see that those bad boys who skip school are NOT going to be equipped to provide for themselves or a family in the future.

I realize that has nothing to do with shopping for cool teen girls bedding sets, but then again...maybe it does because as a decorator I can tell you that geek bedrooms are in, Baby!

PINK ZEBRA BEDROOM DECOR

2010-09-18T13:27:00.000-07:00

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There's a girl who needs some help choosing pink zebra bedroom decor. Seriously, this teen girl has come up with more pink zebra bedding sets than I've seen in one place...ever!

In fact, she found so many collections that she can't make a decision. She likes the shade of pink in one, the subtlety of the zebra print in another and in a third...well, I can't remember what it was she found appealing in that one. It may have been the tufted, hot pink velvet headboard.

Oddly enough, I think she's going for my least favorite; the zebra print bedding set that had a very girly shade of pink because it is a full size bed in a bag set that comes with everything (except curtains, I didn't see anything mentioned about window treatments) and the other collections had fewer accessories.

I suppose the lighter pink color would be more suited for a girl of her age, but I fell in love with the hot pink zebra bedroom decor...does that make me old because I like teen girls bedding in bold pink rather than pastel?

DORM ROOM RUGS

2010-09-18T07:57:00.000-07:00

I haven't got a problem with guys using carpet remnants as dorm room rugs. Chances are the rug will be covered in dirty laundry and sweaty socks before mom and dad have left the college campus. Isn't that a lovely picture?

But girls who care enough about the decor that they convinced mom to spend a bundle on an expensive set of girls bedding to make the college dorm room more homey tend to take better care of things and in my opinion deserve a better looking and color-coordinated area rug that works with your dorm room bedding and room decorations.

After the first rush of "meet and greets" is over and crisp, cool football weather replaces the sweltering heat of summertime, those cold tile floors make getting up and getting ready for class even less appealing.

My advice is to go in search of a couple of cheap dorm room rugs that can easily be washed because even if you're careful the throw rug will probably be pretty dirty by the end of the first semester.

WHERE TO FIND CHEAP DORM ROOM RUGS

The best plan of action would be to buy several bedside rugs at the same time you buy your dorm bedding to get a good color match. If your bed in a bag comforter set didn't have matching accessories, buzz over to Big Lots and see if you can find an area rug from a discontinued collection that will work to get a huge discount on price. My next stop would be JCPenney or (surprise, surprise) DORM ROOM RUGS.COM!

COCA COLA BEDDING

2010-09-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

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Not only did I want to show you this girl's Coca Cola bedding set, but I wanted to tell you about the brainstorm of decorating ideas that I had when I read about how she decorated her dorm room in a Coca Cola theme. And yes, she also tells us why she chose this style of decor.

She left home taking this comforter set with her to college and after she was there, she decided that she wanted a mini-fridge to keep her soft drinks cold. Well, it would seem that she hit the jackpot and found the perfect compact refrigerator to complement her decor.

She started out complaining that she didn't want a boring black or white personal mini-fridge like the ones she found at her local discount store. She wanted something with more personality and a little more cool factor than just what was inside the appliance. As luck would have it she found the perfect little mini-refrigerator to go with her Coca Cola bedding!

Can you join me here for a great big AHA moment? Why should other girls settle for boring appliances in their dorm rooms when they can cover them with contact paper, decals or even wallpaper? I'm always searching for new and interesting dorm room decorating ideas and I believe that I will be putting this one to work very soon! Can you picture a zebra print mini-fridge or one covered in polka dots in colors to match the teen girls bedding? Decorating what is basically a square block of metal would be so easy to do PLUS it would be cheap to do and it would look so cool!

HOW TO MAKE a BEDROOM LOOK BIGGER

2010-08-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

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I believe that I've posted some tips on how to make a bedroom look bigger or maybe I'm thinking of the time that I decorated a teen girl's bedroom that had NO natural light and the moment I came home and posted ideas for how to brighten a dark room.

Well, if you read my post that I made earlier today before I went out shopping you know that I was craving fall colors. Or at least I thought it was the colors of fall that were on my mind. After being blasted with wind in my face that felt like it was straight out of a blow dryer on HOT, it came to me that open spaces with a cool breeze might just be the ticket to paradise.

After I left the mall, a decorator friend of mine had asked me to drop by to see (read: admire or rave about) a bedroom that she had just finished. When I drove up to the small ranch style home at the address she had given me My thoughts were, "How impressive could this be? The bedroom has got to be very small." I was right that the room was at best 12 feet square and the bedding was a solid color which was not exciting but she had a thing or two to show me about how to make a bedroom look bigger.

She had covered an entire wall (at least above the top of the bed) with a fabulous photographic wall mural that made the wall seem as if it had opened up and that you could literally step into the grove of trees. And guess what! There were my fall colors and I could almost smell the crisp, clean air and feel the leaves under my feet. The teen girls bedding set was nothing outstanding and there were no unique bedroom decorating ideas that jumped out at but in this room nothing more was necessary.

If you want to know how to make a bedroom look bigger the quick and easy way, I highly recommend one of these wall murals because they certainly give the illusion of wide open spaces and effectively fool the eye.

DECORATING THE BEDROOM-IDEAS for FALL

2010-08-21T06:18:00.000-07:00

Today I'm pondering decorating the bedroom. Ideas for fall are on my mind even though the heat index is still 110 and better. I ask you, have I been obsessing over that far too much? Maybe I need to start turning the sound off on the weather channel so that I won't feel like my proverbial cheese may be sliding right off the cracker for feeling the urge to jump in and start bringing (read warm) fall colors into the decor.

Just so you know that I haven’t gone totally whacko...yet even when I decorate with the cool colors that I usually bring out for summer to counteract our scorching temperatures, my house literally screams FALL with the colors we have throughout including the bedrooms and the bathrooms.

Fall is my my favorite time of year to decorate and one of my favorite color combinations is PURPLE and ORANGE! I just love all of the warm colors even though decorating the bedroom and looking at ideas for fall in late August just makes me feel well...hotter.

What about you, are you looking for new girl bedding sets with a warmer look to them in fall colors or do you just keep the same comforter set in place until it becomes threadbare and you're sick to death of it?

SHEER ZEBRA CURTAINS

2010-08-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

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What do you guys think about these sheer zebra curtains? I love the hot pink zebra bedding set and the funky bookcase headboard of the bed...but those curtain panels just don't fit with the decor in the rest of the room.

This is perhaps a perfect example of too much zebra print in a teen girl's bedroom. Maybe if they lost the scarf drape over the curtain rod and did something in white faux fur or made some cool tie backs rather than have them just hanging there like that then that would tie things together? I'm really not sure that would do the trick. Replacing the sheer zebra curtains with beaded curtains was mentioned and I kind of like that idea with this teen girls bedding set. What would you do? Would you keep the scarf or lose it and add accessories to bring the zebra print curtain panels more into line with the comforter set?

COOL COLORS

2010-08-08T13:19:00.000-07:00

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It’s hot as HECK and even though autumn is just a few weeks away, cool colors are STILL on my mind. For one thing, it doesn’t feel like fall to me and my patio thermometer backs me up telling me that my feeling that we’re still smack dab in the middle of summer is right on Target. And when I’m still wearing shorts and sweating like wild, I like to surround myself with cool colors, don’t you?

CHARACTERISTICS of COOL COLORS

Not only is it lovely that shades of blue, violet and green make me think of cool, refreshing ocean water, they are especially useful in decorating a small bedroom because they tend to recede or feel as if they are pulling away from you which make the room seem bigger! Not a bad thing when decorating a dorm room or a small bedroom in an apartment.

It’s so hard to let go of airy colors like turquoise blue and teal green that bring lazy days at the beach to mind or colors that remind me of that visit to the farmers market where I got inspiration to decorate a master bedroom with colors that I pulled from the fruit and vegetables that I saw there.

But even though summer feels as if it’s dragging on and on and on and the heat outside is unbearable I have to grind the gears and shift my decorating focus from breezy and colorful to fall colors. Looking back on the last few month’s inspiration boards it’s easy to see that the season inspired the purchase of more than a few beach bedding sets with fabrics in cool colors that reflect the soft and breezy atmosphere of a cottage at the shore resplendent with cool shades of blue balanced by neutral colors and plenty of texture.

Looking at my notes detailing some teen girl bedroom decorating ideas with pictures, the blue and yellow color scheme of the comforter she chose makes me think of sitting on the porch of a beach cottage, sipping a cold glass of lemonade and enjoying the breezes blowing in from the ocean. If you have any imagination at all you should see why I’m being dragged into decorating for fall kicking and screaming!

Oh well, the first crisp breeze that blows my way will have me out shopping for teen girls bedding sets in earth tones and cool colors will be on my back burner until next spring.

GIRLS DORM BEDDING IDEAS

2010-08-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

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Ok, college kicks off in my area early next week and I'm still looking for girls dorm bedding ideas for two girls' rooms. YIKES! The good news is that they are not divas who are pitching ego-maniacal hissy fits. They just want their dorm rooms to look cool and are willing to wait for the perfect bedding set.

Leave it to me to save the most challenging design project until the last minute. And in case you're wondering why I'm here typing away on my decorating blog rather than in the mall or online looking for comforter sets for these girls I want to tell you that I have a really good excuse.

It's hot and I just don't feel like it right now. Yeah, that might sound lame to you but the heat index here is over 116 and it has left me exhausted. That being said, I saw a cute example of dorm room decor for sorority girls that you might be interested in so take a look and let me know what you think while I'm cooling off and trying to come up with some girls dorm bedding ideas before time runs out on me.

HOW TO CHOOSE COLLEGE DORM BEDDING

2010-07-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

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The summer has flown by with days at the beach a memory, how to choose college dorm bedding is what's on most teen girls' minds these days. With the exodus for college in full swing, for the next few weeks I’ll be up to my eye teeth in dorm room decorating projects.

Actually, after thinking about it just a minute I realize that I've been taking little else in the way of calls requesting decorating consultation since mid-summer and longer. You might be amazed to learn that some girls start bouncing around ideas for decorating dorm rooms right after they returned from spring break vacation. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised at their enthusiasm since this is a teen girl’s first bedroom in her life as an adult and having the perfect set of girls college dorm bedding is very, very important.

As excited as the girls are about getting their rooms decorated, after spending several weeks shopping online and browsing in stores for looking for twin bedding, extra long (xl) twin sheet sets, pillows, and room accessories, I have a tip to share with you that will save you some time AND money thus the title of this post, How to choose college dorm bedding...get it?

Before you rush out to buy your dorm bedding and stuff you should consult with your roommate to see what color and style her comforter set is. It would be a raging disaster if you bought bedding that clashes like crazy with hers. Find out what color your roommate's things are and do your very best to be accommodating if she has already jumped the gun and made her purchase. MAYBE, just maybe you will get lucky and learn that she was waiting to find out what color your bedding set might be and you will get to pick first!

Black and White Animal Print Bedding

2010-07-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

A teen girl asked me this interesting question awhile ago, "How many kinds of black and white animal print bedding are there"? The subject came up when she said she would like an exotic black and white bedroom but did not want zebra print bedding.

It wasn't that she doesn't care for or has something against zebra stripes, she just said that too many of her friends had already bought zebra comforter sets and had decorated their rooms accordingly. She said that she wanted to do something more original and that's when I suggested one of the other animal prints.

It never really occurred to me to sit down and make a list of all the animal print fabrics that are available in black and white. But since she asked and I probably need to write them down for future reference, here we go!

There is giraffe print, cheetah print, leopard print and the aforementioned zebra print. OH and I suppose cow print would fall into this category, too. There may be more but if there are I have never had the pleasure of working with them.

If I can't come up with a set of black and white animal print bedding that will tickle this teen's fancy, I wonder how black and white peacock feather fabrics would do in a set of a teen girls bedding? It just doesn't get much more exotic than a peacock feather even if they are in a monochromatic image.

GOT ANY IDEAS?

2010-07-04T14:52:00.000-07:00

Anybody out there got any ideas or maybe a picture of a room or a favorite set of bedding that you'd like to share?

GOT ANY IDEAS? GO HERE!
and upload your pictures or ask any decorating questions that you may have.

If you've got any ideas about what kind of colors, themes or patterns that teen girls would like to see more of when they go shopping for bedroom sets, this might just be the best way for your voice to be heard.

What do you say? Have you had enough peace sign bedding or zebra bedding or do you just want to see more?

Or would you like to play show and tell and show off your cute bedroom? There's no way to do that on this teen girl bedding and bedroom decor blog but you can use the link above and I promise that we'll all run over there to see what you've done with your room!

BEACH BEDDING SETS for Girls

2010-07-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

SEE MORE BEACH BEDROOM DECOR HERE!

I have a special place in my heart for beach bedding sets for girls and the accompanying decor. So, after finishing up on my client's kitchen decorating project (which went off without a hitch) I offered to give her teen girl's bedroom a mini-makeover when I noticed that she had a really cute set of beach themed bedding smack dab in the middle of a room with absolutely no personality or pizzazz.

The teenage girl's mom was thrilled at my offer and started to produce some matching pillows and bedroom decor that were bought to go with the beach bedding set and were not being used...in fact they were stuffed inside the closet.

My ideas are to buy more pillows, as one beach ball pillow does not make a pretty arrangement even on a twin size bed, and to find a cheap table lamp and replace the existing lamp shade with the one that matches the beach theme quilt.

After she gets over the sticker shock of the more expensive kitchen decorating project, I'm going to suggest that she buy new carpet for her teen's beach themed bedroom (that mud brown color rug is just not doing it) AND a new headboard for the bed and by that time she might want to check into some of the new beach bedding sets for girls that are out by that time and just start from scratch.

PINK AND GREEN PEACE SIGN BEDDING with a TWIST

2010-06-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

SEE MORE PICTURES HERE!

When I found this set, I was a loss of what to call it so I'm calling it the pink and green peace sign bedding with a twist! Because it just seemed to defy being pigeonholed into one single style of bedding. Sure, it qualifies to be classified as pink peace sign bedding, but it's also got lime green leopard print AND your standard zebra print fabric.

Plus, there's the lime green pom-pom fringe on the comforter set's throw pillows and shams. As if all that wild animal and peace sign print fabric weren't enough to throw a tired decorator for a loop; the colorful toucan on the pillow took things in a distinctly tropical direction.

To be sure, this custom teen girls bedding set is not for everybody. For one thing..is it just me or are (even) faux animal skins and peace signs an unusual combination? Oh well, I float through life on the surface and don't dig too deep into the meaning of things so this funky bedding set might just find its way into the teenage girls' tropical bedroom that I'm working on. What do you think about the PINK AND GREEN PEACE SIGN BEDDING with a TWIST? I would really like to know if I'm hitting on something here or do you think it's lame?

Red and Pink Bedding

2010-05-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

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I thought I had just found the perfect set of red and pink bedding for a teenage girl's bedroom that I'm decorating. Take a good look at the pictures...do you see a red and pink comforter set? Well, at first glance I surely did only to take a second look and realize that the actual comforter and shams are white, pink and green. There may be a tiny touch of red in the center of the flowers that you can't see very well, but it may be hot pink.

The point is that the red upholstered headboard of the bed, the red dust ruffle and that funky looking wooly mirror that's hung over the head of the bed fooled me into thinking that I had found THE pink and red bedding set that would solve all my problems.

I wonder if I can convince the young lady to accept this red and pink bedding set and more importantly, convince her mom to pay for a padded red headboard.
The girl's taste in bedroom colors ranges in the warm (ya think?) side of the color wheel thus the request for a hot pink and red room design. In my opinion, the field of white with cool green stems on the flowers are what will make the girls bedding set work.

ISLAND BEDDING

2010-05-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

SEE MORE HERE

A mother wrote to me asking if this set of tropical island bedding was appropriate for decorating a teenage girls bedroom. Frankly, the only thing that hit me was that teens and tweens aren't usually that into floral prints...tropical or otherwise.

Then I opened the second picture that she sent and saw the Hawaiian hula girl and thought, "Well, that's better!" only to read that the Hula girl was the bone of contention because some mean spirited friend made an off color remark about the girl having a thing for chicks because of the island theme bedspread!

How wild and crazy is that? I, personally, adore vintage Hawaiian print fabric and hula girls and don't see a thing wrong with this bedding collection. But the lady is asking for opinions from teens (not decorators) as to whether or not it will scar her daughter's tender psyche if she tells her that she has to keep the comforter set in spite of how against it she has now become.

What do you say? Keep the island bedding set or get rid of it and maybe replace it with one of the tropical Roxy bedding sets in a similar color scheme?

PATRIOTIC BEDDING

2010-05-11T10:59:00.000-07:00

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These star lights are perfect with the patriotic bedding set that I plan to use in a client's red,white and blue bedroom. I like the ones that come wired like Christmas tree or patio lights. They are so, so cool when used in the proper setting. I actually had this string of Ikea star lights stuffed in a box with plans to decorate the patio with them at sometime in the future or maybe find a place that needed a celestial touch during the holidays...and then...

I found a picture of a boy's room on this website that used THESE VERY LIGHTS as part of the wall decorations.

I didn't care for the rest of the bedroom at all and the decorator's ideas certainly didn't fit with my red, white and blue patriotic bedding. But the way that the she put the star lights for the bedroom on display was nothing but pure decorating genius, my friend and I think they will look even more stunning as a pseudo-headboard with the Americana quilt.

The wall in the bedroom in the picture is painted a dusky blue that reminds me of the evening sky just at twilight which is very peaceful and relaxing. But I'm thinking that if you used the star lights for a bedroom with a patriotic theme a navy blue wall would be just as attractive and more representative of the colors in the American flag.

TEEN GIRLS HEART BEDDING

2010-04-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

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What do you think about the bedroom in the picture with the teen girls heart bedding set? I saw a bedroom decorating question regarding this comforter set that got me thinking about how small decorative decisions can take a bedroom's design in one direction or another.

The girl who wrote in said that she loved the polka dot and heart print fabric of the comforter set and the contrasting pattern of the striped bedskirt but didn't like the "dressed up" look of the picture of the bedroom on the bedding set's packaging and wanted to know how to decorate her room in a funky fashion using the girl's heart bedding.

I think I would go for a shabby chic look using a chipped iron bed frame and I would ditch the matching curtains. Just because you buy a bed in a bag doesn't mean you have to use the window treatments. Sell them, toss them or whatever; if you don't like them don't destroy the look of your room just because you feel wasteful. Aluminum foil over the windows is better than buying drapery hardware and taking the time to hang curtains that you hate.

Getting back to the teen girls bedroom design problem, as I said, I would keep the teen girls heart bedding set and decorate the bedroom in a funky, shabby chic style. How do YOU decorate a bedroom when you are after a stylish look but don't want anything fancy?

FUNKY PINK BEDDING

2010-04-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

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A mom I'm working with says she wants her teen girl's bedding to be pink while FUNKY PINK BEDDING is more in line with what's on her daughter's radar. I have a knack for getting in the middle of the battle of wills between teenage girls and their mothers, don't I?

The problem is that moms want to hang onto their baby girls as long as possible which means they want to keep the pastel pink bedroom in tact long after the toddler stage. When tweens and preteen girls are ready to jazz things up a bit the bedroom makeover can get ugly.

My job is to reach a compromise if at all possible and my advice to parents is to let the girls have their funky pink bedding! There are so many bigger (and more important) issues that so long as the lime green and funky pink bedding is tasteful why sweat the small stuff?

How do you like these lime green and pink curtains with the lime green and hot pink bedding in the pictures? I tried all pink as well as all lime green window treatments but I believe the combination of the two colors actually works better with the teen girls bedding. What do you think?

How to Brighten a Dark Room

2010-04-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

Buy Posters at AllPosters.com

The first tip I would share with anyone asking how to brighten a dark room would be to figure out whether the room actually needs lightening or brightening. I learned the hard way that they are not one and the same. You can add more light through natural sources, through adding lamps and light fixture as well as mirrors to reflect and amplify but still have a dull, lifeless bedroom that has no personality. Basically what you have is a well lit room that lacks pizzazz!

What you need to know is how to brighten a dark room without sunlight and running up the electric bill. You can buy a new comforter set choosing bright fabrics and change the wall color to something cheerful if you have the funds for a complete makeover. But if you are looking for less expensive decorating ideas look for ways to rev up the engine of the paint and bedding set that you already have in place.

Bright, energetic artwork is a cheap way to pump life into an otherwise lethargic space. Choosing art prints and accent pieces with movement and bright colors is the key to bringing your bedroom to life. Skip the dark colors, the still life pictures, landscapes and the floral arrangements. Look for prints that have twirling, spinning graphics and a bold splash of color for the best results. Even though light colors will never never brighten up a dark room. Dark colors can make the space seem small and dim.

Dancing prints work well with most teenage girls bedding bedding sets as well as sports prints. Basically, anything that is bright as well as lighthearted should do the trick.

NERD WALL ART

2010-04-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

Find it at scribbleoneverything.com

This decal that a client's daughter presented to me as nerd wall art that she wants as a focal point in her "nerd bedroom" (her words not mine, evidently being nerdy is very cool these days) is a painful reminder that I didn't apply myself when I was in high school. I was not the only teenage girl who memorized the periodic table of elements just long enough to pass chemistry class so I was not an odd duck.

Today nerds are the new "IN CROWD" and this young girl is perhaps the leader of the pack because she is drop dead gorgeous and not your dingy absent minded professor type either! Good looking, high achievers like her have become so trendy that they are developing their own decorating style and nerd decor like this decal and other pieces of nerd wall art are popping up all over the place!

In light of the monochromatic nature of the nerd wall art, I have to find a set of bedding and take her bedroom furniture and the headboard to her bed to be painted with flat black paint to match the periodic table wall poster and decals that she bought at scribbleoneverything.com.

Since I signed on to decorate this young lady's self-proclaimed nerd bedroom I have hopes that I get more jobs working for the intellectual set because I have my eye on some Legend of Zelda bedding that I'm dying to use teen girls bedding set in a gamer bedroom design.

Turquoise and Brown Bedding

2010-03-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

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I love this set of turquoise and brown bedding called Julia that is designed by who else but Roxy bedding! I just had to share it with you in my blog before I’ve even got it delivered to the house where I'm decorating four bedrooms including one turquoise, brown and white bedroom which is now going smoothly after a minor glitch or two.

The teen girl in the family had the idea that she wanted to combine chocolate brown and white damask print fabric with a complementary solid or small patterned turquoise blue fabric (not aqua or Robin's Egg blue, but turquoise!) which would have been pretty but to make it happen would have meant shopping for bedding, curtain and upholstery fabric and then waiting for the seamstress to get around to actually making the items.

This was not a workable plan because of a sister’s wedding that is planned for less than a few weeks away so I pulled this set of white, turquoise and brown bedding out of my little bag of decorating tricks. This brown and blue comforter set is much less formal than what she had mentioned earlier. The brown and white print actually came from one of the tropical collections of Roxy bedding for girls but wonder of wonders, the patterns were not a big deal to her.

The chocolate brown and turquoise bedroom color scheme turned out to be more important so all is well and we will have all the bedrooms decorated in time to have the house looking great for the wedding!

BLACK and WHITE FASHION BEDDING

2010-03-26T13:22:00.000-07:00

Leah called needing help with the purses and shoes theme black and white fashion bedding set that I had recommended to her. I blogged about this set awhile ago and it just knocked her out but it was expensive. Then, when I saw the ensemble go on sale I told her and she got her mom to order it right away!

She was so excited about getting the comfort set that I couldn’t imagine what the problem might be. The bedroom color scheme of hot pink, black and white was pretty straight forward and we had ascertained that there was no need to repaint the bedroom, so what was wrong?

I feared the worst in that I was afraid that the color combination might be TOO simple. This teenage girl loves bold and some might even say wild, colors and the only bright colors in this set came in through the fashion theme graphics of the accent pillows.

After a quick trip to her house to see if I could help her mom avoid shipping the fashion theme bedding set back I was relieved to learn that the young lady’s meltdown was not that big of a deal. She didn’t like the retro look of the pink Cadillac throw pillow that came with the black and white fashion bedding set but her mom loved it.

I have to admit that the inclusion of the vintage car changed the whole complexion of the girl’s bedroom theme from sophisticated to...well, something else. I don't have a think against an Elvis theme bedroom or a rockabilly bedroom but this style would have not been in keeping with this girl's personality and that's where this pink Cadillac design was taking us.

The teen girls bedding set and bedroom decorating ideaswere based on designer purses, high heel shoes and fashion models except for that pink vintage car. Never having noticed it before, it was now bugging me that it threw the black and white fashion bedding set into the realm of rockabilly. This was one time I sided with the teenager of the house.

Tell me, would you vote to keep the pillow or lose it? Or does it really not make much difference in the overall bedroom design?

Beach Theme Bedroom

2010-03-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

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It's time to start thinking about what kind of beach theme bedroom that might appeal to my client's daughter who will be rolling in any minute now and I'm expecting to be summoned and expected to show up with a boatload of girls beach bedroom ideas shortly after her bags hit the floor.

I know it's coming...she's going to be very excited about wherever she spent the last week and that she is going to want to recreate the trip in her beach theme bedroom. Hopefully, I won't have problems finding a comforter set that will suit her. Wouldn't it be great if she wants a vintage Hawaiian beach theme room? That would just be lovely, but somehow I know that's not going to happen.

What is your favorite beach theme bedroom? Most teen girls bedding, bedrooms and decorating ideas for this theme focus on either flip flops or surfboards and I'm worried that style may have run it's course...or has it?

Tommy Bahama Dominique Bedding

2010-03-12T09:31:00.000-08:00

SEE MORE TOMMY BAHAMA BEDDING HERE!

A client had bought her teen girl a set of Tommy Bahama Dominique bedding that she found on sale because her daughter had said that she wanted to decorate her room in a tropical bedroom theme or a beach theme.

When she got it home, the teenage girl said that the blue and white palm tree print fabric looked way too OLD for her. Her mom was very disappointed because she had bought the comforter set on the closeout table at a store that was over a hundred miles away from her house.

She said that she planned to postpone her daughter’s bedroom makeover until she could sell the Tommy Bahama Dominique bedding set in an EBay auction. I asked her if I could take a look at it and I remembered the "Life is One Long Weekend" pillow that I had on hand.

Long story short, I managed to convince her daughter to let me try to give the denim blue and white palm tree comforter a funky look based on that accent pillow! I have my work cut out for me but I think I can manage! Wish me luck and if you have any ideas on how I can decorate the rest of this teen girl’s bedroom please stop back by Teen Girls Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas and share before I get myself into more than I can handle!

TROPICAL BEDDING

2010-03-06T13:56:00.000-08:00

I’m still snuggling up in my bed surrounded by flannel at night, but lately tropical bedding is dancing through my brain like sugarplums. The chill of winter is still in the air so I’m not making my move to lighten things up for spring and summer in my own bedroom just yet.

But it’s a completely different story when it comes to bedroom decorating ideas for my clients. Most of the moms decorating rooms for their teen girls that I have met with recently have homes that are a work in progress yet they are enthusiastically gathering decorative possibilities for tropical bedrooms even though the work is a few months out.

Thankfully, lots of the stores have already rolled out some very cute tropical bedding sets with hibiscus flowers and pretty pink and green color schemes. One thing I’ve noticed is that hot pink seems to be cooling down just a touch. The shade of pink that is taking its place is more of a watermelon color and it looks fantastic with a honey dew melon shade of green as well as lime green. The requests for bold colors will probably pick up later in the year but for now the tropical bedding sets are fresh as an ocean breeze.

Have you picked out your comforter set or got your eye on a bed in a bag set in spring colors? Why don’t you take a minute and tell the visitors at Teen Girls Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas about it?

BALLERINA BEDDING for GIRLS

2010-02-26T16:12:00.000-08:00

I can breathe a sigh of relief that I found this set of ballerina bedding for girls that is anything but wimpy. To give you a little background on that remark (and to let you know why I haven't been forthcoming with any new bedding sets and bedroom decorating ideas lately), a lady across town was building a fabulous home that a friend of mine was contracted to decorate from top to bottom. After much begging, she actually let me go with her one day when she was taking some measurements on the window sizes and the owner and I were introduced.

Long story short, my friend caught the flu and needed me to take the job and finish it which thrilled me to no end because the owner seemed sweet and the home was to die for...and then I met the teen diva in residence. This teenage girl was amazingly certain about what colors she wanted in her room AND that she wanted ballerina bedding for girls that WAS NOT wimpy! How a young girl could be so opinionated at such a young age about bedding was almost scary. But EUREKA!!! I found this set and if (and that's a pretty darn big if) she approves it my work is done.

One trend I see in bedroom decorating ideas is that teen girls bedding in pastels is falling behind bright colors. Wait to see if this holds true through summer before you make plans to follow this fashion trend.

TWEETY BIRD BEDDING SET

2010-02-19T16:57:00.000-08:00

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You might think that the colors in this Tweety Bird bedding set would leave little room for error or give you much choice in choosing curtains, rugs or a wall color for that matter. Anytime you venture out into comforter sets with wild or bright colors like this one, get ready to be bossed around by those same colors.

Fabric that is that bold is not ready to compromise nor is it very forgiving. Your stuff either matches or it doesn't. I can see lots of lime green and possibilities for turquoise blue but I believe that I'd let the yellow of the Tweety Bird bedding set stand alone rather than bringing in lots of Looney Tunes bedroom decorations or bright yellow and orange accent pieces. I'd like to hear your opinions so why please leave your thoughts on this cute girls' bedding set here on Teen Girls Bedding, Bedrooms and Decor. Is it lame or do you love it?

HORSE BEDROOM IDEAS

2010-02-06T12:17:00.000-08:00

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I'm having a difficult time convincing a mom that all girls' horse bedroom ideas do not have to be in pastel colors. If she picks out one more set of pink or purple horse bedding for kids her teen girl's head might just explode..closely followed by my own.

When decorating a horse theme bedroom for a little girl these colors are super. The same goes for a set of carousel horse baby bedding for a baby girl's nursery. But when girls hit their teenage years, they tend to shy away from color schemes that may be associated with their past and reach for something fresh and sassy!

I'm dying to use this set of twin horse bedding set with the red gingham bed skirt in a project. I can think of all sorts of horse bedroom ideas that will really show it off to full potential. And the gingham check inserts on the cowgirl boots are so CUTE! The problem is that I'm not sure that this is tween or teen girls bedding but I'm going to run it by this mom and daughter duo and see if they can reach a compromise.

LAVENDER ZEBRA BEDDING

2010-01-31T10:05:00.000-08:00

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The purple zebra print sets are no longer to be found so will lavender zebra bedding work? From the number of comments that I've been getting from teen girls looking for the set of black and purple zebra bedding set that I posted awhile back (Zebra Bedding with a Twist) it would seem that lots of my visitors waited too long and may have lost out.

I actually located a few sets that drifted through auctions early last month but they are now long gone. Yeah, that's pretty bad news if you had your heart set on it but the good news is that there is a set of deep lavender zebra bedding that is very similar and most importantly available at the time of this post.

Don't blame Tween and Teenage Girl Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas if you mess around and let this one get away from you!

RED LEOPARD BEDDING

2010-01-29T12:23:00.000-08:00

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Tell me is the wild, red leopard bedding set in this picture a pick or a pan? I thought I had had enough with decorating with red early last month. But here I am again, going all out on a color just because of a particular holiday that's just around the corner.

Actually, I believe that I'm more into red bedroom decor at the moment than I was during Christmas and I plan to prove that this warm color has lots to offer no matter how badly your parents don't want you to use too much of it in your room! Stick around and keep an eye on Tween and Teen Girls Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas because I might actually hit on a comforter set that will convince mom and dad that there are worse things than buying their teen girl a set of red leopard bedding.

PURPLE and BLACK ZEBRA COMFORTER

2010-01-22T07:31:00.000-08:00

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When I saw these pillows I thought "What a great way to dress up a purple and black zebra comforter"! Or for that matter, I can imagine a teen girl giving the black and white damask comforter set (that her mom really loved a whole lot more than she ever did) a cool look.

Mixing and matching patterns and colors are what take a bed in a bag set and transform it into something delightful and unique. However, one bad choice in an accent pillow is all it takes to completely tank your decor no matter how stunning the rest of your bedroom decorating ideas may be.

My advice would be to make good use of sets like these pillows where the work has already been done for you! And my hat's off to whomever thought of using black and white damask print with a purple and black zebra comforter set. You should make plans to drop back by Teen Girls Bedding Sets and Bedroom Decorating Ideas to see more ideas like this!

LIME GREEN DAMASK BEDDING

2010-01-17T07:06:00.000-08:00

I knew that I had to show you this pink and lime green damask bedding ensemble by Serena and Lily called Caroline when I saw how unbelievably cheap it's priced when compared to similar girls' bedding sets that I've used in past projects.

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A client's daughter texted me to tell me that she had found some bedding that she loved on a website that I had recommended. I had suggested several places that she might find some girls lime green bedroom ideas and this was at the high end of all the possibilities on the list. This particular site has some scrumptious, stylish bed linens that I usually love working with but I happened to know that this teenage girl's mom is working with a rather tight budget and I was afraid that this young lady had fallen in love with expensive bedding that was out of her price range.

Imagine how pleased I am to see that the pink, white and lime green damask bedding set is perfect for her room and that the comforter set is not the inexpensive bed in a bag that her mom had in mind, it's less than $200 and there is currently a FREE SHIPPING offer. Plus this teen girls' lime green damask bedding set will work just fine with the existing white walls which eliminates the need to re-paint.

RED GINGHAM BEDDING

2010-01-16T10:31:00.000-08:00

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You tell me; is red gingham bedding too country to be cute? Is it too juvenile to be cool for a teenage girl's bedroom? This Ralph Lauren comforter caught my eye and I can't get it off my mind. Frankly, I'm on the fence about red and white checks but I find myself loving it with Valentine's Day just around the corner (in fact I plan to feature more red bedding for girls in the next few weeks in honor of the romantic holiday).

I can see it used to set the tone in a cottage style of decor with a white shabby chic chandelier and painted wood bedroom furniture. In that setting it would not have a country look to it whatsoever.

I'm a big fan of decorating bedrooms with red all winter because it's such a warm and toasty color. But it has to be just the right shade with no orange or rust but lots of blue undertones to cool it down to prevent it from being irritating. This red gingham bedding set may be just perfect to transition a room from warm reds to a fresh and airy room that's ready and waiting for springtime.

If you have an opinion on the Ralph Lauren red gingham bedding set that you see here on Teen Girls Bedding, Bedrooms and Decor drop it in the comment box!

Medieval Bedding Sets

2010-01-07T09:55:00.000-08:00

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I could hardly wait to share the reasons that shopping for medieval bedding sets got on my day planner with you! The day started out with only one mid-morning appointment for a teen girl in her senior year.

The girl's mom made it clear in her initial phone call that her daughter had eclectic tastes and hobbies. In retrospect this announcement probably should have waved a few flags but lots of parents think their teenage girls have odd taste so I just let the statement go in one ear and out the other.

I arrived right on time with a portfolio full of pictures of bedrooms that I have recently had a part in decorating. Spreading the most recent (and well received) designs on the table, it was clear from her expression that the young lady did not want a frilly, feminine bedroom. For that matter nothing she saw in the pictures seemed to suit her so I jumped in and asked her about her hobbies and if she had a particular style of decor or color scheme in mind.

This is where this bedroom decorating consultation became very interesting; I came to find out that this teen girl is interested in broadsword fighting and what she would like to see was pictures of girls' medieval bedrooms and medieval bedding sets.

You could have knocked me over with a feather! I'm all for giving a nod to a girl's personality but what exactly does a medieval bedding set look like? My mind drifted to knights (or in this case maidens) slaying dragons which given the elegant decor in the rest of the family home was not going to work. Then I remembered a bedroom that I decorated with a Ralph Lauren Galahad print medieval bedding set that had complementary patterns with a similar name that one might associate with Knights of the Round table, Guinevere plus one called Aragon and another named Red Velvet.

I had to go digging in my adult bedroom folder to find a picture of the bedding and lucky for me she went crazy for the idea. Thank God that Ralph Lauren chose that name for this gorgeous comforter set! Now, I have to find suitable decorations for the rest of the medieval bedroom that will appeal to this ferocious young girl's decorative taste!

Return to see which of the Teen Girls Medieval Bedding Sets my client wants. Let's see if she prefers the colorful damask like fabric or something right out of Dungeons and Dragons!

Black and White Paisley Bedding Set

2010-01-03T10:03:00.000-08:00

SEE MORE HERE!

I was reminded today that looks can be deceiving. When I saw this black and white paisley bedding set, "damask print" was my first impression. Then I picked up the package to read the details of the fiber content, etc. and WHAMMO; those little amoeba shaped patterns just POPPED out at me.

Actually, to be fair, there are areas of the fabric that have damask print designs but the border of the duvet cover is made up of mirrored pairs of paisleys. Throughout the black and white paisley bedding set you will the solid black color in one area and solid white color on the other end and all reverse to solid white. The solid color fabric of the throw pillows as well as the solid white portion of the fabric of the comforter cover is surrounded by the unique damask paisley print combination. The pillow shams and throw pillows are absolutely divine and I’m so happy that I picked this collection up for a closer look!

How do you think that it would look in a girl's bedroom where the walls are painted a silvery gray? I would appreciate it if you would leave your comments regarding this black and white paisley bedding set before you leave Tween and Teen Girls Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas so that I'll know whether the cheap bed in a bag set or this set would be more in tune with the tastes of my clients.

PURPLE PAISLEY or ZEBRA PRINT BEDDING

2009-12-31T12:32:00.000-08:00

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I just got a bedroom decorating question that had me pondering whether purple paisley or zebra print bedding would be best. By best I mean would the paisley print be just as cool as zebra? I'm really torn here because nobody loves hot pink with zebra print any better than me. But when I decorate a teen girl's room with a set of black and purple bedding, I have to say that the results are pretty satisfying.

Plus, there is the problem of that pesky purple zebra bedding set being sold out right now that by all rights should remove it from the competition. That little issue really complicates matters because I'm sure that some of the girls that visit Tween and Teen Girls Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas will not want to make a decision on whether they want to buy the purple paisley or zebra print bedding until they are sure that the purple zebra comforter is never coming back.

ZEBRA BEDROOM WALL DECORATIONS

2009-12-29T15:10:00.000-08:00

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Still working on the teenage girl's bedroom I blogged about yesterday. Now zebra bedroom wall decorations are on my "to do" list and as luck would have the decorating budget is getting too tight to afford expensive pictures or even large, framed posters.

I thought of these painted canvases with a zebra print background with a large, hot pink peace sign in the middle that I have had my eye on for awhile. They would not work in a zebra theme bedroom where the bedding set primarily consists of zebra print fabric but in this room where the comforter is solid black and only the sheets have a zebra pattern these will be fantastic. If the painting is the right size it may be all the zebra bedroom wall decorations I need for this teen girls bedroom! Hopefully, the black velvet bedding set is going to turn out to be acceptable teenage girls bedding and my bedroom decorating ideas will have saved the day!

BLACK and WHITE TEEN BEDROOM IDEA

2009-12-28T11:17:00.000-08:00

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A dud of a bedding set gave me the inspiration for a black and white bedroom idea. A teenage girl I know was in despair because she didn't get the zebra bedding set that she wanted as a gift. Apparently her grandmother heard "black velvet" and completely blocked out the zebra print part of the description her granddaughter gave of the comforter set that she wanted.

With no receipt and no hope of returning the unwanted set, a set of zebra print flannel sheets saved the day. That's absolutely correct! For less than $20 we gave that black velvet bedding set a personality that a teen girl can relate to!
You don't even need to ask whether the mom of the house approved of my
black and white teen bedroom idea, do you? Oh, and for what it's worth if we had gone with plain cotton sheets rather than flannel the transformation would have been even less expensive!

Come back to Tween and Teenage Girl Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas to see pictures of the black and white bedroom in a few days!

WHERE TO DONATE USED BEDDING

2009-12-27T08:53:00.000-08:00

Got a used bedding set for sale? You might come out better finding out where to donate used bedding. And I’m not just referring to the warm and fuzzy feeling or spiritual lift you get by making a donation. Financially speaking, it might be wiser to donate your used blankets, quilts and comforters than to sell them on Ebay or at your next garage sale.

For one thing there are those pesky seller’s fees that come out of your profit. You have to pay a percentage of your selling price and that’s bad enough but even if your item doesn’t sell there is a listing fee that must be paid.

Another sad fact is that no matter how "gently used" your old comforter may be, chances are that once all the charges are paid that you will be lucky to realize a few cents on the original dollar that you paid unless the collection is still very popular AND has a designer label. Even if you sell it in your own yard with no extra charges, we all know how dismal the prices you get for your used stuff can be.

When you make a donation rather than offer your used bedding for sale you can deduct the amount of the donation from your income taxes. Do the math and you may find that doing something nice for the needy pays off. As far as where to donate used bedding, check with your local emergency services and they probably have some names and numbers of homeless shelters that would love to take your nice, warm bedding off your hands.

If it’s a tax deduction that you’re after, when shopping for where to donate used bedding be sure to ask if they will give you a receipt. Oh, and if you don’t have a used comforter or quilt on hand homeless shelters are happy to take a check or cash donation and that may also help out on your taxes.

Return to Tween and Teen Girls Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas to share your ideas on where to donate bedding that you no longer need.

CHEAP BEDROOM MAKEOVER IDEAS

2009-12-21T11:51:00.000-08:00

My decorating business is getting as many phonecalls asking for cheap bedroom makeover ideas these days as we used to get for projects where the entire room is completely re-decorated. When people are in a financial pinch, they need to make the most of what they have already in place. I'm sure this trend will end when people manage to decrease their credit card balances but for right now, recycling is cool.

For instance if they are shopping for a new comforter set rather than completely paint the bedroom they do their best to find a bedding collection in colors that will work well with their existing wall paint. I have no problem with this at all and kind of look at it as a challenge and have been amazed at the difference in the room's atmosphere without touching another thing!

Another handy little tip in my bag of cheap bedroom makeover ideas is to pick up all decorative accessories like throw pillows or knick knacks and just move them around. You spend no money and everything looks fresh and clean because there's no way that you aren't going to dust the surfaces after they are empty of decorations, is there?

And if rearranging just doesn't do it for you, you might consider replacing some of the artwork on the walls or buying just one or two inexpensive items to give your spirits as well as the decor a lift.

Return to Tween and Teen Girl Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas for more cheap bedroom makeover ideas that will save you money!

Faux Fur Throw Blankets

2009-12-13T10:11:00.000-08:00

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I went shopping today and it's like I've just discovered faux fur throw blankets. What has kept me from getting excited about these inexpensive decorating wonders before is a mystery but you can bet that I am going to be using more of these in my decorating projects in the near future, especially during the chilly months yet to come.

The reason I latched onto this one is not for a bedroom makeover that I'm working on(although it would be fabulous with the right teen girls's bedding set). I'm going to wrap this baby up and give her as a Christmas gift. In fact, I may buy several more for friends or to add to my stash I keep on hand to give as last minute gifts because faux fur throw blankets (Pottery Barn brand will be more expensive but still a bargain) are a great gift idea in the less than $40 or $50 price range.

Return to Tween and Teen Girls Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas to see more great Christmas gift ideas for your friends.

PINK HORSE BEDDING

2009-11-29T12:38:00.000-08:00

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This pink horse bedding will make your teenage girl want to RIDE SALLY RIDE just like the girl in Mustang Sally! I can't count the times that I've struggled with decorating a teenage cowgirl's equestrian theme bedroom simply because she loved horses but didn't want a brown color scheme in her room.

You might think that would be a quick and easy fix but it's not. You see, before I found this set all the pink horse bedding collections were obviously for very young girls of toddler age up to tween age, if that old.

I am absolutely delighted to share this unique horse comforter set that offers some interesting color options to teen girls and am in the process of searching for wall decorations that will complement it. So, return to Tween and Teen Girl Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas to see what I find to match the girl's horse theme bedding set!

WARM BEDDING

2009-11-21T09:23:00.000-08:00

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My flipflops aren't keeping my toes toasty these days! The temps are turning my attention toward warm bedding sets that will do more than make my clients' bedrooms look scrumptiously cool and keep them from being freezing cold in the bargain. After all, what good is a prize winning color scheme when your fingers and toes are blue?

It's time to pack the lightweight comforter sets and coverlets in the zippered storage bags and shop for bed sets that will keep us warm and cozy while looking our best. And I'm very happy to report that there are some very cute, warm bedding sets for girls that will get the job done without sacrificing the same style of the fun and funky bedding sets that we bought last spring.

Velvet bedding is something that I like because the colors are so rich and the fabrics are so elegant. Teen girls can't complain that velvet comforters are old-fashioned any more because I'm seeing zebra print velvet bedding sets and burn out patterns that are anything but dated.

Another way to warm up that is not expensive at all is to invest in a down comforter and make a duvet cover out of fabric that will match your spring and summer bedding set. A couple of yards of fabric is all that it will take to keep from having to do a complete bedroom makeover every season. And with proper care, your down filled comforter will last a very long time and can be used over and over again. And when it comes to warm bedding it would be very hard to beat high quality down.

Return to Tween and Teen Girls Warm Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas to get tips on buying warm and cozy comforter sets for less than $100!

TEA DYED QUILTS

2009-11-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

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I spent a large portion of my consultation yesterdy sorting through tea dyed quilts! The appointment was to present decorating ideas for two teen girls’ log cabin style bedroom at a mountain hunting lodge. The view alone was (almost) enough to make me tear up my invoice!

The vacation home had been in the family for decades if the style of the log home and the number of trophy deer and moose displayed on the walls was any indication. I have never visited this client’s town home so I’m not privy to the details of the decor they had in place in their primary residence but this rustic cabin was filled with traditional mementoes of ancestors including the tea dyed quilts that I mentioned.

Knowing ahead of time that I would be decorating the log cabin theme bedroom, I pulled out pictures of rustic bedding and bedrooms that I had decorated with bedding sets and room decorations in warm shades of brown, rust and hunter green. I could tell that the girls and their mom liked my rustic decorating ideas and sure enough I got the job.

At the close of the consultation, I commented on how lovely their hunting cabin was already and the lady said that her mother used to quilt to pass the time while the men were hunting and opened up an old fashioned trunk filled with tea dyed postage stamp quilts, pinwheel quilts and plain old patchwork quilts that were absolutely stunning.

My plans are to incorporate these beautiful quilts and use them as either part of my log cabin bedroom’s bedding or as room decorations. The tea dyed quilts are simply too beautiful to be kept in a trunk so check back to see their new location!

Return to Tween and Teen Girls Tea Dyed Quilts, Bedding Sets and Bedroom Decorating Ideas to see more examples of comforter sets suitable for rustic bedrooms.

NEW MOON BEDDING SETS

2009-11-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

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Teenage girls I know can’t wait until the official, licensed New Moon bedding set appears on the shelves of the bed and bath stores. For some of them that are anxiously awaiting this arrival (if one is even in the works, has anybody heard?) it will be a second chance to decorate their bedrooms with comforters and decorations either with pictures of their favorite vampire lovers, Edward Cullen and Bella or bedding and décor inspired by the movie.

I wonder if the producers and marketing team of the movie after seeing what a smash hit Bella’s purple comforter set was with teenage girls will pull a similar marketing ploy. Will we see them discreetly implying that Bella had a bedroom makeover between films and give teens a peek at her New Moon bedding set? Or will the release of the movie just increase the hunt for Bella’s bedding from Twilight?

Return to Teen Girls Twilight New Moon Bedding and Comforter Sets to find more on room decorations for Edward and Bella fans.

Black and Lime Green Bedding

2009-11-15T09:41:00.000-08:00

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A teen girl has asked for black and lime green bedding and when I asked her what kind of print or style she might be interested in, she just told me to surprise her and that she would probably like anything that I came up with. Usually I am pretty good at reading my client's personality or can pick up ideas from how her current bedroom is decorated unless she has indicated that she wants a complete change in style of decor. I have even sneaked a peek inside her closet to check out the colors she likes to wear to get ideas. But this young girl's taste is so eclectic that I can't get any clear direction.

So, I'm going to ask my visitors to tell me what they think about the black and lime green bedding in the picture. Is a set of zebra bedding the way to go or do I need to keep looking? Return to Tween and Teenage Girl Bedding and Bedroom Decorating Ideas to see how this opinion poll turns out.

Anthropologie Savannah Iris Bedding

2009-11-14T09:05:00.000-08:00

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Don't let the name of the Anthropologie Savannah Iris Bedding set fool you. The colors and pattern on the cover of this comforter is anything but something that you would find in Granny's backyard flower garden. I can only say that the old southern town in Georgia that this collection is named after must be much more fun and exciting than I ever imagined if the designer named this set after Savannah Georgia.

I happened up on this set searching for Hawaiian bedding that has a tropical floral print with large hibiscus flowers. But after seeing the Anthropologie Savannah Iris Bedding I'm very tempted to ditch that idea and see what I can do with the large, colorful print of this fabric. Before I jump in and start decorating I need for someone to email me and let me know if Iris grow in Hawaiian islands!