I've been inspired to join the blogging world! I'm taking Sandra of Canyon Wren Cottage at www.hillcountryheaven.blogspot.com/ up on her "Mission Impossible" challenge to create a preteen/tween room on a $1000 budget using online or catalog sources. Her challenge spiked my interest because my 11 year daughter and I are currently planning a redo of her little girl room that she has had since age 6 . She wants a new look for her room because she is entering middle school this year. Right now her room theme is flowers/butterflies with lavender walls, a bright pink comforter with flowers and a headboard that I picked up at an antique store and painted white with flowers on it. She doesn't understand why I ever decorated her room that way because she claims that she never would have picked the lavender walls......I guess I had a lot more power when she was 6! Anyway, she is ready for a funky room that fits her fun and silly personality so although it's still a work in progress, we have had a lot of fun picking out things together and planning the room this summer.
I have to admit right upfront that I'm cheating a bit on this challenge because I'm short on internet surfing time right now with my my son and daughter both starting their soccer seasons and school starting on Monday. So, instead of purchasing everything needed for a tween room, I'm going to tell you what we are doing. My daughter has some existing pieces that will work with her new room such as a desk, bookcase and table lamps.
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As a starting point, we looked online and at many stores for the "perfect comforter". We ordered this full-size comforter from the Linens & Things website which was $95 with a 20% coupon and free shipping. It is a nice microfiber fabric with a chocolate background with brightly colored large polka-dots. My daughter absolutely fell in love with it as soon as she saw it. The great thing about this set is that it came with two polka dot shams, two decorative pillows, the pink fleece throw, two lime colored bath towels and the polka dot rug.
We'll also be ordering the aqua (actually Lagoon) colored sheets and bedskirt instead of the lime color that is shown on the photo. Cost for sheets and bedskirt from Linens 'n Things will be $39.99 for sheets and $24.99 for the bedskirt.
The window treatments for two windows will be either the Lagoon colored or plain white panels from LNT - 4 panels at $14.99 apiece. We are going to try to find some polka-dot grosgrain ribbon that coordinates with the comforter to use to embellish the window panels. Any ideas for other window treatments are welcome!
We're painting the walls in the color Apple 4 -- this is by Laura Ashley paints available at Lowes. I wish I could attach a paint chip but the color is basically the same as the apple green polka dot on the comforter. I'm also considering Apple 3, which is a slightly lighter version, but my daughter really wants Apple 4 which we also have in our laundry room....it's really green! I would estimate the cost of paint at about $50 for 2 gallons of paint.
Furniture will be the full size version of this bed which costs $279 and nightstand which is $119 from jcpenney.com. I like the Pottery Barn look at a much lower price! My 
daughter already has a desk and bookcase. Her walk-in closet is where she stores all of her clothing so she doesn't need a dresser.
Here's a cute chair I found on jcpenney.com -- a bargain at only $19. I would get the bright pink one for this room although my DD already has a similar pink chair.
For her bathroom, we purchased this new shower curtain for $19.99 from bedbathandbeyond.com to replace the current flower and butterfly shower curtain. The bathroom walls are already painted bright bubblegum pink (or Pepto-bismol pink!) that actually match the pink in the shower curtain although you can't tell from the photo. Also, the comforter set came with two lime colored towels that will work nicely in the bathroom.
The total cost for this room is $707 before tax. I didn't add in shipping costs because I'm usually able to find free shipping codes on the internet which is a big savings. I always look for either free shipping or discount codes before I purchase anything online. Although I didn't have time to search for lighting, artwork and accessories, there is $293 left over in the budget to purchase some fun accessories for this room.
I can't wait to put this room together for my daughter.....it's so much fun to see your child take an interest in expressing her own unique personality in her personal space! I know that all of you other decorators out there in cyberspace may have some comments and suggestions for this room, so go ahead and let me know what you think or if you have any alternate suggestions on our choices! Thanks for letting me share our summer project with you. I'll post photos of the real finished project as soon as it's complete. And a big thanks to Sandra/TX for inspiring me to start a blog!
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