When Heather’s family moved into their 1915-built house in Toronto, she was five years old. Now that Heather’s turning 13 in May, it was time for a bedroom overhaul. And it was inspired by a trip to New York City. “We had a girls’ trip last year,” says Heather’s mom, Leslie. “Heather and I went to New York City and met up with my sister and her daughter. We had a wonderful time.” The inspiration for Heather’s new room came from a stop at the American fashion and decor chain Anthropologie. “I loved the whole antique feeling,” says Heather. “I wanted an iron headboard because I saw one in Anthropologie, but they didn’t ship to Canada at the time, so I started looking for the bed.”

The quest for the iron bed led Heather and Leslie to Flik and Company, a home-decor store in Toronto, and into the sphere of designer and owner Stephan Howard. “When Heather told me her favourite store was Anthropologie, from that point on it was easy.” Stephan channelled his signature blend of old and modern with a touch of whimsy into a room for Heather that was feminine (without being too precious), sophisticated (without being fussy) and appropriate for a 13-year-old girl (without being juvenile). “People sometimes make the mistake of designing a room solely for the age the child is now,” says Stephan. “It’s great to have a fun, active room for a five-year-old, but it should also be something that will grow with them. I wanted something that Heather could grow into through her teenage years, and even as a young woman.”

When planning a bedroom makeover, Stephan suggests that daily tasks be front of mind. How much time do they spend doing homework in there? Or reading? Make sure there are areas to accommodate their interests and needs. And use accessories to fuel future goals and aspirations. The sewing form and its bright red boa, for example, feed into Heather’s dreams. “I love sketching designs for clothing,” says Heather. “I was given a sewing machine for Christmas, and have started learning how to use it. I also love to sing and act and hope to be on Broadway some day.”

“I think kids should have input on the basics — colour, needs — but aesthetically, I think parents should take the lead,” advises Stephan. “Children need an opportunity to express themselves in their own space — as they are the ones living in it. But parents need to keep a little more control.”

When Heather’s younger brothers, Thor, 11, and Michael, 9, saw the results of her new room, it ignited their own bedroom makeover fever. “Her room was tidy, nice and very cool,” say the boys. Thor and Michael had less of a specific direction for their room (they really wanted green walls, as it’s their favourite colour), so Stephan took the lead. “He asked us about what the boys were interested in,” says Leslie. “As a family, we love to travel, and went to Costa Rica last year. It was an adventure vacation where we did the zip lines and trekked through the jungle, and it made quite an impression on the boys.” Stephan took the travel theme as a jumping-off point. “I did safari meets industrial in their room,” he says. “We wanted whimsy and fun, but also comfort and learning. The beds kind of set the tone as almost camp-like, and the zebra rug became the fun and set the safari tone.” A point of interest is the hospital gurney suspended from the ceiling, but Stephan assures that it has never seen real action. “It was a prop from a movie,”
he explains. “So no dead people were carried on it. That was something I was actually worried about.” Storage for the boys’ collection of Lego, Playmobil figures and hockey cards was created by a large black architect’s cabinet, complete with a hidden locked compartment.

When the room was finished, the boys were both thrilled with the results, though there was one central disagreement. “We argued over who got the bed closest to the mounted kudu head,” explains Thor. “I won that one, and in exchange, I gave Mikey the key to the locked drawer in the cabinet.”

The beauty of the new rooms has delivered an added bonus: the kids are keener to keep their rooms clean. “I love the feeling of it being nice and clean, so I try to make sure it’s tidy,” says Heather.

Take a closer look at the two classic yet modern bedroom makeovers.