Part Two of Two on Malia and Sasha’s Redecorating Choices

Malia Obama, the elder of President Obama’s offspring, seems a lovely, serious, and complex ten-year-old.  Though not so flamboyant as her delightful younger sister Sasha, Malia is captivating in her own right, drawing us in with those thoughtful, intelligent eyes.  Clearly a beauty physically, Malia gives us the sense that she’s at least as beautiful on the inside as well.

And in the single video interview we’ve had of these adorable kids, Malia was the one to say re-decorating her room was a favorite activity.  Do we have your permission then, Malia, to imagine how you’re now going about this challenge at the White House?

The issue is much more complicated for this older child than it was for Sasha, partly because Malia’s just about ready to be making all her own decisions on such things, and imposition of authority (i.e., parents or designers) will only cause heartache.

The photos of Malia during the past few years show a child maturing quickly; one who listens with rapt attention, loves with all her heart, and ponders deeply in candid moments.  She likes to play soccer and dance, and unless you completely missed the Inauguration, you know photography is another of Malia’s passions.  So her bedroom will surely be filled with the ‘stuff’ pertaining to these interests, as well as all her other involvements (like clothes, maybe?) – and we can expect the parade of fascinations to continue and multiply into her teen years.

In other words, Malia’s room will be a refuge filled with the props of all her widening interests.  She’s ready for more and more involvement and participation, and at her age there’s no need to be restrictive.  Indeed, let her be the decorator!

Nonetheless, everyone needs a bed, a place to sit, and some treatment on the windows and floors.  Let’s make some suggestions for these basics.  We can start with an educated guess: while Sasha loves pink, it looks like Malia favors the blue/green spectrum.

How about a blue print canopy and skirt for her bed, and one of those old-fashioned sit-down vanities with a mirror.  She might appreciate an overstuffed chair for reading, choosing a comforting green-ish blend of colors for its fabric.

Malia is already a person of refined tastes, so the area rugs we’ll select for her need to be unusual, distinctive pieces (perhaps such as these). Again, we’ll tend towards blue/green choices, but it won’t hurt to throw in a strong purple or red here and there as well.  The same goes for the drapes.

Her desk will need to serve her well as she proceeds through the middle-to-high school years.  We suspect she’s the studious type, and she’ll need plenty of room around her computer monitor, and an ergonomic chair.  Adding a few shelves to the desktop will cater to Malia’s tidy nature.  Very possibly, she’s the type who would just love some cubbyholes as well.

The walls are that same old ivory as in Sasha’s room, but that’s no problem for Malia.  She loves to tack up enlargements of her photos, and other favorite pictures and posters.  The walls are where you express yourself!

The coolest wall treatment in Malia’s room, though, is her assortment of writable wall stickers from WallCandyArts.  These are actually chalkboards, using non-toxic and dustless chalk.  Malia’s faves lately are the RoCoco designs.  When she was a bit younger, she loved the ChalkBoard Animals.  She still plays with the animals, but finds herself busy writing notes and plans more often these days, and the RoCocos are perfect for that.

President Obama recently wrote of his hopes for his daughters.  He wants them “… to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world.”

It’s easy to imagine that Malia Obama is already a “compassionate, committed woman,” and her ability to help build a better world will be significantly enhanced by a bedroom that is a sanctuary filled with her own loves, learning, and inspirations.

If you’re the parent of a ‘tween or teen, are you willing to let their decorating choices rule – at least for their own bedrooms?  Where do you draw the line?