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Polka Dots and Daydreams
August 21, 2008
By Mary Forsell, Contributing Editor
 It started with a watercolor "study" that my 7-year-old daughter,
Elizabeth, did in art class. I don't think it was an assignment—just something
she whipped up while daydreaming about her room. Basically, it was her vision of
what her room should look like. For years she'd been sulking because it was
painted yellow. She went through the expected, "I want a pink and purple room"
phase, which I ignored because I knew it would pass. But when she came home with
this study—orange walls, multicolored polka dots, and white and red horizontal
lines slicing through the center, how could I ignore it?
The painting that started it
all.
My husband and I agreed. We gave her a choice: She could either go with a
basic roller paint job as a base, or do something more mottled, aged, imperfect,
and glazelike. She went with the latter. We went to the store and got the
materials. I cleared the room. There was no excuse for further procrastination.
With brushes in hand, we started. I almost wimped out. I didn't want this bright
orange thing to happen. But I followed Elizabeth's lead, glopping on the
acrylic, going thick, adding texture. You had to just let go and let it happen.
The artist at work,
expressing her vision.
Here’s how we did it: On a paint tray, add water to the deep end and place a
big glob of yellow and red acrylic adjacent to each other on the high end, about
2 tablespoons each. With a wet brush take a little bit of red and orange and use
the tray like a palette to mix it. Apply to wall in broad strokes. Keep wetting
your brush and mixing the paint. Let dry. Add polka dots freehand or with a
stencil. Then mask out stripes and paint.
A colorful corner.
Now she wants to add images of monkeys to the ceiling. Stay
tuned...
*Update*
Elizabeth and her sister, Anna, survey the polka-dotted terrain from the loft bed.
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What an energizing palette. How fun to be an
interior designer at such a young age.
Posted By: http://theholidayqueen.blogspot.com/
I just read this with my 8 year old
granddaughter. She thinks this is a wild
idea and would be fun. She especially likes
the monkey idea for the ceiling. We will
stayed tuned!
Posted By: Grandma D and Emma
And we are just left hanging. I would have
liked to see it without the painters tape
still on the walls. Good for you to let her
do something like this to her room! My dd
has pink walls, a mural on one wall and
lavendar bubbles and a wavy water type lower
section for the rest of the walls. You just
have to let that imagination out once in
awhile.
Posted By: Tanya
WOW! You certainly went bold. I hope she
doesn't tire too soon. But, then I really
don't consider paint an easy fix. No matter
what the experts say. I felt pretty daring
when we painted a wall in my daughter's room
a rather bright blue and stuck a big
pasteboard rainbow on it.
Posted By: carol
Let her do it ! Being young myself, I was
always painting, decorating the rooms in my
home with my parents encouragement and I
have developed my own technique because I
had the freedom to. (I now draw 3-D, along
with painting and crafting, sewing,etc.).
What a great age to start developing !! My
daughter Rachelle Lynn Everson passed away
at the age 18 (car accident 11/8/1994, she
had a dream and I had premonitions of it
happening before it did) and everyone that
knew her said she loved life, because I gave
her the freedom to, and would do anything to
have her here with me now. Your daughter is
only home for a short while before she goes
out on her own, and you will wish these
years back. PS go to:
www.warwickadvertiser.com (under Business
Notebook, Paul Hipsman Traveling BBQ).
Posted By: Rachelleinheaven@yahoo.com.sg
I'm glad you let your daughter have the room
she wanted!! Her creativity was encouraged
in a positive way and she will long after
this ceases to be her taste how her Mom
helped her. Some things we can't let
children do, but this is one that gives them
much more than just a colorful room. When
she gets older and perhaps changes her mind
a gallon or two of paint will erase the polk-
a-dot room, but the smiles will be in her
heart until she is very, very old. GOOD FOR
YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND!!!!!
Posted By: Billie Lindley
I rememeber my daughter's many color phases,
and we did it all, even black. Though she
went from black to light pink for the next
phase, many coats of paint...but for a
couple of gallons of paint for each phase,
it let her be herself in her room. So mom,
let her express...that is so important! So
let her at it!! And fun with the monkeys!
Posted By: Brenda Wampler
I was allowed to paint my room when I was
younger but there were restrictions> I grew
up in artistic family my mother is a fine
artist(portraits and such). I found clever
ways to get around the restrictions by using
fabric and afterwards there wasno priming to
do. My children wanted to paint walls black
and thank goodness this to passed. I am all
for giving a child freedom, but this seems
extreme.My husband gave my grandsons an air
brush and let them paint in the garage.The
boys were only 4 and 5 at the time. We framed
two of their best pictures and gave them as
presents to their parents. I guess it is all
what you are comfortable with.I am an artist
and have my own business .
Posted By: PamelaL201@aol.com
Oh how fun.. what a sweet idea, and what
awesome parents you are to let your daughter
get creative!! Thanks for sharing.
Posted By: April
This brought back memories of a drawing I
did of what I wanted my room to be--some 40
years ago--and presented to my parents.
Daisy wallpaper (daisies were in)...turn my
closet into a desk area. It got nixed
quickly. Sniff Sniff... I applaud you!
Posted By: Peggy Guthrie
I am so glad that you let her paint her room
the way she wanted it. She will remember
this forever. Not only did you send
encourage her creativity but you made her
feel respected and let her know that her
opinion matters. Good for you in letting her
be the person she wants to be.
Posted By: Kimberly
I love how it turned out! I just might have
to let my daughter paint her room! :)
Posted By: Lani Robertson
How wonderful & inspiring! This little girl
will go far in many creative ways! My grand-
daughter was only 3 when she painted
butterflies & dragonflies on her walls, with
a little help from me. She's proud of her
artwork & loves her room! Too many children
live in boring spaces!
Good for you for letting your daughter fix
up the room she wanted. I put my foot down
on the camoflage look my son wanted along
with the black wall. Don't know if that
upset him or not. I should ask!! Of
course, that was in the 90's when he was in
high school. Monkeys on the ceiling! Now
that, to me, would be frightening! I will
check back to see the final outcome!
Posted By: Judy B.
Oh, I think it's such a wonderful idea!
Kids should have a space to call their own
and definitely be a part of the process.
What a great mom you are!
Posted By: Jillian Haupt
I'm sure Randy Pausch (The Last Lecture) is
smiling down on you from heaven...he
attributes his parents letting him paint is
own room, to his life long pursuit, and
achievement of, his dreams...
Posted By: M Whitten
Love it! And love the monkey idea!!
Posted By: Bluemoon
Wow......I think I want a room like that......
I have never been a monkey person.......but I am doing a
wallhanging from a picture that my grandson send and I
am adding MONKEY's to it.....I purchased some of the
fantastic sock monkey fabric.. and although his original
crayon pic was a neighborhood.....it will have trees-polka
dots (the coordinating fabrics have dots!) and when
finished the rod that holds it will have antique wooden
monkeys handcarved in China hanging from each end.....I
think on one of the walls she should have a tree so the
monkeys have somewhere to climb up from...!!!!!!and
maybe you want to check out the fabric.....
and as a soon to be 61 year old great-grandma.....I think
she is setting herself up for a JOURNEY of a creative life
and IMAGINATION that all children should be free to
have.......
Posted By: Mary Eva Hart-Mumper
Great idea! Way back in the 50's my parents
let me pick out the colors for my
bedroom...I chose pink and gray everywhere
and I loved it. I can still see it in my
mind, and it's a comfortable feeling to
remember it. Your little girl won't forget
when she's 65 either. Good for you!
Posted By: Linda
Let her paint as she wants it. Then take
pictures of it and document it. Later when
she wants other colores, do the same. It
will be easier to change, when she has her
photos to look back on. She'll begin to
see some progress in her artistic room. Who
knows where her artistic bent will lead!
Posted By: Dolores Petersen
What a wonderful, creative, and enterprising
young lady you have, and I think you must be
a very good and understanding Mother.
Congratulations to you both! So what if she
does tire of it quickly? It's only paint,
and the next procedure will have more
thought and planning, so will probably be
even better. Way to go, Elizabeth!!
Posted By: feohara@netzero.com (81 years old)
I love it! I didn't give up my decorating
control until my second DD was 12 and wanted
a huge bulletin board. I gave her an entire
wall and her Dad put one up for her. She
filled it with wonderful things for years.
Long after she left home, I'd spend time
looking at it and reminescing about her and
all of the items of her teen years.
Posted By: Marci
love your book- its the only one i allow
myself to get in the mail. for the room- it
s beautiful! so artfully done for a 7 yr old
little girl! & keep on doing it, you're so
good at it! teri f.
I love this. I wish I'd been encouraged to
do this when I was young but we lived in
military housing and most of the houses
weren't ours. I'm getting ready to retire
and am newly married at the age of 60. We
are painting our home - my husband's
father's house - with wonderful bright
colors and we love the results. Our kitchen
will be red and black - my husband's
favorite colors - he's the cook. My bedroom
in lime green and my work room will be a
lucious shade of purple. Our bathroom is
old time green with black accents and we
painted the walls black. It has been so
much fun to do and looks fabulous. I can't
wait to move in and enjoy it everyday.
Posted By: Bonnie Artvenus47
The world needs more parents like you!!!!
Your daughter has a wonderfull imagination.
I take my hat off to you for having
incredible patience. Some day she will have
children of her own, and she will take all
of life's lessons that you have taught her,
and you can sit back as the Grandmother, and
say I remember when........
Posted by: Ann Cannizzaro
My daughter was 15 or 16 she painted her
room different shades of purple squares on
all 4 walls. All bedding coordinated with it.
Stars on the ceiling that glowed. Paper
hanging lights. She had a lot of fun.
Posted By: Becky
I love your interesting articles and have to
have a wonderful staff with great talent and
lots of artistic ability. I loved reading
about your staff. thank you !!!
Posted By: Pat Warren, Sun Lakes CC, CA
That is so awesome that your daughter is
allowed to show her creative side so young!
Everyone is right, she will remember this
(and more to come) when she is older and
what a great memory to have!!
We were only allowed pastels in our little
room, but when something dinged the wall, a
whole rainbow of colors was shown, as the
house dated to the 1800s. Everything from
dark greens to red, it was fun to see all
the colors even if my parents didn't have
the same ideas of people years ago. I wonder
what color the little room is now? House
still standing and lived in. But I live so
far away...
Posted By: Karen
I love what your daughter painted and what a
great thing that you let her pursue her
creativity in her room. As a young girl from
age 8 or 9 on, my mom use to let me
rearrange the furniture in our house and it
always looked better and more refreshed. I
would rake the shag carpet as a final
touch and it always ended up looking great.
To this day, I rearrange, decorate, design,
and find myself drawn to many creative
adventures. Thank you to my mom for letting
it all unfold....good for you and your
husband too! What a wonderful gift you have
given your daughter, and through the years
you will see how this gift will unfold in
her life.
Posted By: Kathy Boyett, La Crescenta, CA
I am working on getting photos online! Sorry
I lost my camera with photos of the final
product! Mary
So sorry no photos of final product! I agree
the painter's tape doesn't do it justice! I
lost my camera with them and am trying to
find it.
Posted By: Mary Forsell
Congratulations Elizabeth.....you are a very
young interior designer....next thing you
know you will be illustrating childrens
books...whatever your passion let it be your
true self....& I love your name...it's my
daughter's also passed down after her g-
ma..she just designed two tuscan style vases
in ceramics class for my birthday this
passed april....inspiring...and we just took
her off to college last saturday....enjoy
your special talent Elizabeth!!!
Posted By: brunswick mom of two teenagers!
That's fantastic that parents empower their
kids with resources and the latitude to
experiment. -Lisa
Posted By: http://www.ecstewart.com
When our son was younger and the Phoenix
Suns team was in the playoff finals, our
whole block was Suns crazy. He painted his
room Phoenix Suns orange and decaled the
windows to the street. He has posters,
cards, etc. all over the room. He loved
being in there.
We always allowed our children their space
growing up. It was their individual room to
be done as they saw fit. Kilz covers up
everything when you are ready to start over.
Of course, their space meant they cleaned
it, they vacuumed it, they did their
laundry. It didn't come free of charge.
Today they are both artistic adults and
learned to be very responsible in the
process.
Posted By: Arizona Mom With Awesome Kids
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