Re-decorating ?

How about having the room painted a neutral color, one that goes with both of their ideas. Then have one side decorated with accents of what one of them likes and the other side with accents of what he/she likes. I know it won't all match or go together but at least it will give them the individuality that they all need. As far as the 11 year old, have her discuss with you what she desires to have in her room and both of ya'll meet in the middle. Have fun with it. :)

I'd just take them someplace like Target and have them pick out bedding. Then stop by Home Depot and have them pick a paint color that goes with that bedding. You can get them lamps and rugs in fun colors too.

One of my friends just had this same dilemma with her kids when they moved into a much smaller home. With three girls sharing one room, and two boys sharing the other, she decided to paint both rooms a neutral color. She gave the kids options between 3 paint chips that she picked out ahead of time. One was an icy blue (which the girls chose), one was a tan, and one was a sage-y green (which the boys chose). She let the kids choose the paint color, got plain colored bedding to match, with no patterns, and then they could choose their own throw pillows for their beds. If they wanted a particular pattern or color, they could be creative with that. Then she let all of the kids have one wall in each room (the one their bed was against) to put their artwork on the wall. She framed the art in matching frames that she got cheap at Hobby Lobby, so there was some continuity. It sounds confusing, but it wound up looking really cool in both rooms. They don't have a "theme", but each child has their personality represented.

Good Luck!!!

Not sure the designer in me could give my kids that much free reign. Sounds like a recipe for hodge podge. Maybe treat your kids like i treat my clients. Put together two or three schemes and let them choose one look in its entirety. Find other ways of making them feel a part of it while at the same time maintaing coherence. Find options that they choose that you have already determined work. For example, if the colors are white and pink, give them the option to paint white and pink stripes, white and pink polka dots or a white and pink two tone wall. Give them choices that make sense instead of letting them do it from the ground up. But thats just me, because I need my house to look a certain way. Perhaps you'd prefer your kids express themselves even if the end result is less than fabulous.

Is there an IKEA close to you? They have great colorful and complementing bedding and decorating items.

I love 2txtots' idea! If I had this situation, I think I'd try to go for the more neutral/matching theme and let them pick small accents (or framed artwork) to match each of their personalities. I think 11 is a good age to give her some freedom. Let her pick paint samples at the store (or bring home the booklet) and have her think about it for a while. You can also browse the internet & books for ideas.

Right now all of our rooms are plain off-white--I can't wait to start painting and personalizing our spaces (we just moved in 3 months ago and had a lot of maintenance/repairs to do first)!!

Good luck!

Total freedom, why not.

Just try to remind her that her taste will change, so don't go too crazy with any one theme.

Can't speak to how you will work out the disagreements, though.

I really like A.K.C.'s answer. Another idea (one of my co-worker's did this), is you could let the oldest choose the color on the top half of the room, and the youngest choose the bottom color of the room. I think my co-worker had a simple border going around the middle too.

For your 11 year old, I'd let her choose from a few that both of you agree on. My aunt let her son (my cousin) paint his own room when he was about that age, and he made it jet black. Even the ceiling. Then the bedding, furniture, etc. I was always a little creeped out by it.

Have fun!

Let them come up with some colors they like that complement each other and then you can help them to pick out bedding and accessories that are appropriate. You can pick out a paint color that complements the whole look.

It depends on what kind of decorating you are talking about. My boys are now 12 and 9 they share a room and they picked their own theme for the beding. I did not require it match. And then we just got posters for the walls of stuff they like. One side is the oldest stuff and the other is the youngest. With the 11 year old just give her what stipulations you have and let her have fun!!!

Good Luck and God Bless

I have four. THis is what we have done. Not saying this is for everyone.

My oldest at 14 wanted black, I nixed that one but said OK to the granite paint in grey. So the bottom was granite grey and the top a lighter grey with a wolf border and wolf curtains. North woods themed pictures and accessories. It was a nice room.
THE downfall--we had to sand all that granite paint off and paint it neutral to sell the house.

The girls, same house with the wolf room. I came up with this great idea of painting a mural on the whole room. So it was a meadow, with a house and barn and picket fence. We had a cow pasture, sheep, strawberries. A weeping willow and an apple tree, I hung apple ornaments from the tree and a hummingbird feeder from the willow. One of the walls it had more of a foresty feel, more trees. So we got dancing bear wallies.

THe baby, I painted the room white. The border was a chunky dumptruck/car/firetruck border. THat went into the middle. I painted the window ledge like a street, Behr actually has a color asphalt, it had a yellow line down the middle and a stop line. His matchbox cars could fit on it. Under the border I ran one of his trucks through the asphalt paint and on the wall.

We've mioved twice from that house.
2nd house we got to paint, the girls had each wall a different pastel color.
My baby, he was 5-9 had a tan wall with a fish border and I painted plaid stripes underneath.
My oldest moved out before we painted anything in his room.
One of the girls took it over and turned it purple.

THis house my 13 yo daughter painted hers kelly green with white trim. She has white foam daisies running along the top.
Her sister's is the same purple.
The baby is now 10 and we are doing a forest mural starting this week.

Tell the kids what you do not want--no black, no fuschia, kelly green is beautiful when I shut her door.
Take them to Lowe's and let them see all the colors.
Pick a few everyone likes and take it home.
Buy a few cans of samples, these are $3 ish from Lowe's.
Let each child have two walls.
Let each child have half a wall, oldest gets the top, younger the bottom
Let one child pick the room, the other the accent and run a line or pattern with the accent color.
Paint it neutral and let each have their own style of bedding.

Or go all out, it really is fun to see a room be transformed into a dream world for them. I find blank walls begging for embellishments.

Hi, Dancer:
Decide on the colors of both rooms for the girls and boys that you want.
Have 2 choices for each room.
Give the girls a choice of the two colors
and the boys a choice of the two colors.

They will need to agree on one of the colors.
Good luck.
D.