Wallnutz

We have talked about decorating for a child, teenager, and college student. Our last step in this series is decorating your new home, a grown up space.
Elegant and Unique
Now, you’ve moved into the working world. You can do what you want and decorate how you please. Your tastes have matured, but you still want fresh and modern design. These ideas will infuse your desire to be adult and independent while still keeping things hip and fun.
Color
If you have a new place that you can paint, I’m sure that you’re itching to paint something! Colors affect the light in a room, feeling of depth, mood, and character. First, inspect the amount of light that you have in the room. If it is dimly lit and small, you probably want to keep the main color light to medium in hue. Too dark will make it feel cavernous, but maybe you like that feeling. If you have a lot of light, a darker color will absorb some of the light and make the room feel cozier and less sterile. Light colors can work in a bright room depending on the mood that you want to evoke. A common technique is using an accent color or Wallpaper on one wall or area. This is especially helpful if you want to affect the depth of your room. Painting a wall darker will make it feel farther away, and painting the other walls a lighter hue of the same color will give you the sense of depth that you want. If you have any architectural elements that you would like to highlight, use the accent color to make them pop. This could be a recessed wall or the fireplace. Just make sure that whatever you are accenting is something that you want to draw attention to. Don’t paint an accent color on a wall with a lot switches, thermostat, and vents. Instead keep the wall color white or neutral and draw attention to focal points.
Choose your colors based on the mood and style that you are trying to evoke. Often, picking a favorite painting or pillow to pull colors from is the easiest way to choose colors. Pick out one lighter or neutral color from the inspiration piece, and use a richer or darker color as your accent. You can also use those colors to pick out fabrics for drapery, furniture, rugs, and bedding.
Style
Now that you have your palette you can infuse your style. Are you into contemporary designs that offer a new, clean and casual space, or maybe you like mid-century modern for its curves and simplicity? Whatever your style, you can make it your own with accessories, art and personal mementos. To add edge to your space and create interest think about installations like our Power Pole Wall Sticker or the Branches Wall Sticker for a more nature-inspired touch. You can step up your home’s look and functionality with a Rococo Chalkboard or an easy-to-use Wall Planner. Make it easy for yourself to stay organized, and you will have more time to enjoy yourself.
To add some warmth, our HollyWood planks are a modern spin on retro wood paneling, and it’s a lot easier to take down when you want to change or move. Creating interests and a focal point in a room can make you feel grounded and allows you to settle and enjoy your space. Also, consider using removable stickers like our Damask or Cherry Blossom on tables, lamps, and even windows. It’s a great way to customize your furniture or provide a little privacy.
Making a home
Remember to pay attention what you are drawn to because when you love everything in your space, it will feel like home.

We have touched on the subjects of decorating for a child and teenager. Our next step in the evolution of room décor is decorating a dorm room or first apartment.
Temporary Spaces
So this is the big leap away from home, you get to decide how to decorate and possibly incorporate with a roommate. Most dorms and apartments have policies about not painting the walls and about not putting holes in the walls, etc. Here are a few tips to get you started on a design that you can take with you.
Color
Since painting is probably not an option, lets explore alternative ways to add color to a space. Consider all of the fabrics that you can incorporate into a room:  bedding, pillows, curtains, and furniture. If you are able to coordinate with your roommate prior to moving in, find out what colors they like and dislike and if they already have bedding and colors that they will bring into the space. If you have furniture that you are bringing to the space decide if you like the fabric or if you want to recover it. Shop for your bedding first, because often it will lead you to a color combination that you can work from. Then, you can find coordinating pillows, throws, slipcovers and curtains.
Function and Form
Once you have the fabrics and furniture, you will be able to move onto accessories, art, and tools such as Calendars and Chalkboards. Consider having a message center for each roommate so that you can leave each other notes and reminders. These Chalkboard Decals make keeping informed fun, easy, and removable! The Know What I’m Saying write and erase speech bubble decal is a cute and funny alternative, too. Another great way to remember and share events is to have a Wall Calendar. Our calendar and interactive wall decals are so easy to use because you can write with any kind of marker and still be able to wipe it clean. No more looking for the dry erase marker!
A great way to personalize your space is with photos. Think of bringing pictures that you love and adding more as you make new friends and share fun memories. These Frames Stickers will make it so easy to change photos, add new ones, and take it all with you when you leave with no nails or holes in the wall. You can also check out these Wall Pockets Stickers. Think of all the things that you can put in them: homework, invitations, cds, notes, etc. It’s a fun way to stay organized and keep your desk clean.
Now, you can also add more decorative elements to make your space unique and reflect your personality. Wall Sticker Murals are a great way to express your style with modern shapes or themes that interest you. Check out Shop by Theme for all the categories, or check out our Teens / College Spaces for more inspiration and ideas.
Staying Flexible
Just remember that you can have a space that feels like you no matter the restrictions and that it can move with you wherever you go!
Next time, we’ll talk about decorating your first home.

We are discussing how to evolve décor as a person moves from child to teenager to college student to adult. In this article, we will explore decorating a teen’s room.
Decisions and Indecision
So your son or daughter has grown out of their room. Everyone knows that adolescence is a very transitional time and can therefore make it hard to decide anything too permanent. Not to worry. There are lots of ways to tackle decorating for the ever-changing teenager. The most important part is to involve them as much as they want or are willing to be involved. We’ll explore a few ideas here.
Color
If the room is a neutral color or they like the color, then you have a great starting point. Think and talk about colors that they find soothing or that help them focus or that give them energy, depending on their needs. If you are in total disagreement about the color the room should be, try to compromise by painting one wall the color that they like as an accent wall, or suggest that you could get curtains or bedding in the color. Another way to infuse color is with Hip Wallpaper. You can even use wallpaper to line the inside of a closet to give them a reason to be able to see the back wall! After you choose a color, choose one or two accent colors that compliment it. Flickr is an online photo website that has a search tool. If you type in the color, it will bring up any photos that have that color in their description. The internet is a great source for color combinations. You can also look to fabric for inspiration. Check out what bedding has your color in it and see what other colors are in the design. You can also use nature as inspiration. It always gets color combinations right. Flowers and birds are great color inspirations. Of course, your teen may also want to look at clothing, magazines, or their favorite websites for inspiration. After you have the colors, you can incorporate them in more ways than just paint. Check out these Murals and Vinyl Wall Decals for Teens. Pillows are also a great way to add pops of color to any room. You’re on your way to a great room for your teen!
Theme
Choosing a theme can be more about the design than about one particular interest; although, you may have a teen that is very interested in one thing such as a sport, music, or a certain collection. These interests can help you make the room more personal. As discussed in the Child’s Room article, sports fans can go all out and decorate according to the theme of their sport. Consider painting stripes in their team colors and/or adding a Sudden Shadow Removable Image of their favorite sport. If they play the sport, be sure to include a place for photos, medals and trophies. You can use the corner of the room to create a tiered trophy stand with multiple shelves, or add a
For the musician or music fan, choose album art as wall décor and either frame the art or use these Frame Stickers to make it easy to change and move around the room. No holes in the walls! If they love to rock, check out some of our Rock Star decals for inspiration. For the composer and musician, try out Sheet Music Interactive Decal and let them express themselves through music and try out different scores.
Sometimes a favorite collection can inspire a theme, Use the opportunity to display the collection and integrate it into the room. If your teen has a collection they love, then this will give them an opportunity to enjoy it. Consider creating a shelf for the collection or if it is large, you can extend the shelf around the perimeter of the room about one foot from the ceiling. Base your measurements on the height of the tallest piece in the collection. Paint the shelf to match your color theme. See if you can enhance their collection by searching for décor that fits the Theme of their collection online.
Teenagers have lots of varied interests, and these are just a few. Check out our Teens / College Spaces for more inspiration and ideas.
Staying Flexible
Remember that during this transition a teen’s interests and likes and dislikes may change, often. Use these tips as a jumping off point, but stay in touch with their desires. By using Removable Décor, you give them the opportunity to change their mind without a complete overhaul.
Next time, we’ll talk about decorating a college student’s dorm or apartment.