Pre-Teen Dressing Table Transformation…
After Photos
This week I arrived at a regular clients home and her 11 year old daughter was in need of help! She would prefer not to use her full name so we’ll refer to her as “S” in honour of her favourite animal.
Overwhelmed by her bedroom, she didn’t know where to start and as we all know, these things don’t always go smoothly when Mum or Dad try to help. So S nabbed her Mums organising session and was keen to transform the space with me.
The family had already discussed adding a mirror to the space and S had a beautiful vision for a grown up style dressing table with make up, hair accessories and jewellery all in one space. Less sharing the bathroom with her little brother!
As usual I was keen to get stuck into things & forgot to take a before photo with this one. All three levels of the space were full of an assortment of items from artworks, to jewellery, Christmas cards, stuffed toys, etc, piled up high and falling off.
We went through every item and decided where it needed to go. This involved discussing:
donations
recyclables
items for the rubbish
what belonged elsewhere in the home?
what she needed more time to decide about?
what items added to or took away from her grown up ideas for the area?
some in depth conversations about the purpose of creating art & if the memory lives in the item or in the experience she holds in her head & heart. (This one is particularly difficult for creative children)
discussions about this being a working space, not a finished product. She can bring new items in and remove old items as her interests and
She was very dedicated to the process, quite decisive and committed to her vision for the space. She kept the things that were most important to her, and by discarding the rest, she was able to honour these special items which hold a place on the top shelf.
We finished it off with a mirror which was purchased for the space plus a variety of items in the home so the cost was low compared to if we had purchased everything new.
I adore it when children can see their hard work paying off, when they realise they CAN make fantastic decisions & they’re no longer overwhelmed by their space. A little support from someone who isn’t their parent can be the push they need to spark change!
Do you or your children find their bedrooms or play spaces overwhelming?
Does it end in tears every time you try to get them to let go of an item?
Touch base to chat about how I can help be a circuit breaker for your family and tackle these spaces with your kids.
