DIY Network

Teen Girl's Bedroom Teen Girl's Bedroom From "Weekend Decorating" episode WDC-213

Figure A

Kids grow up fast, and the teenage daughter of this homeowner has outgrown her bedroom. The room is a very bright and youthful, but it has become too young and childish for an older teen. In order to make her happy, the space has been turned into a room with Old World atmosphere. It's now a little bit more sophisticated but incorporates a funky, bohemian charm that's perfect for a teenager.With its bright-green walls and mismatched furniture and art (figure A), the 10x10 room was perfect for a young teenage girl, but the soft bohemian look is better suited to the personality of a maturing young woman. The art is unusual, and the furniture has been minimized. The result: a timeworn look that is a perfect teenage sanctuary.

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On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 having the greatest degree of difficulty, this room makeover is considered a solid level-2 project, due to the antique staining that was done to the wallpaper, doors and millwork. Some prep work was done in advance, and the remainder of the work will take eight hours to complete, spread over two days. The cost for materials and accessories was $700, and since this project takes place over a weekend, it is very important to be organized with your time.

The key to starting any project in design is to figure out your floor plan (figure B); today's computer design programs take the hassle out of physically moving furniture around to find the perfect placement (figure C). For this room the original furniture was kept and tweaked slightly, and a nightstand, chair and ottoman were added to round out the space.

Figure B

Figure C

Materials

Shelves (3)
Sconces (2)
Decorative knobs
Wallpaper
Wallpaper remover
Stain
Paint
Painting supplies
Tape
Utility knife
Drop cloth
Level
Wiping cloths
Toothbrush
Fabric
Scissors
Hooks
Hammer
Ladder
Safety glasses
Rubber gloves
Rug
Chair and footstool
Picture frame
Spray paint

Advance Preparation

1. Hang new wallpaper (figure D).

2. Apply a cream-colored base coat to the dresser.

Wall Transformation

The new wallpaper has a small pattern and reflects an Old World charm. The paper also has a slight shadow in the pattern. But since this room is about aged things, the paper needs a more aged feel (figure E), so it is glazed with a wood stain. To do this you need a "paper" paper, to allow the glaze to soak into the paper; wallpapers with vinyl backing won't accept the glaze correctly.

Figure D

Figure E

Steps:

1. Tape off areas of the walls and borders where you don't want stain.

2. Use a coated drop cloth to prevent stain drips from soaking through the fabric.

3. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the stain.

4. Practice the staining technique on a sample of the wallpaper before applying to the walls. Here, Golden tried both a dragging brush and a stippling brush (figure F) on a wallpaper sample and decided they didn't create the desired "aged" look. She opted to rag on the stain.

5. Dip a rag in the stain, then rub it softly over the paper. The key is to keep the stain from looking perfectly even on all the wall surfaces. The result should look like age, life and atmosphere have weathered the walls. Stain in a random pattern, and since the corners of a room don't see as much light as the walls, they should be slightly darker, adding to the aged effect.

6. Don't oversaturate the walls on the first coat. It's always easier to add more stain if you want darker walls.

7. Change out the rags periodically since they quickly become saturated with stain.

8. If you apply too much stain to an area, wipe off the excess immediately to keep the glaze from becoming sticky.

9. Apply to the doors and trim the same way and wipe off the excess (figure G). Reapply the stain if you prefer a darker shade.

10. Keep the stain stirred so it doesn't settle and become darker as it is applied.

Figure F

Figure G