I see nothing that really tells me what your style is and where this space is located in the home floor plan . Waht exactly are you trying to tie together ? I would not put wall paper in an art studio and honestly that table is not what I would be using for anyone painting . Maybe explain the art your daughter is producing but most of the time paint gets everywhere and best in a space that is pretty user friendly ans definately not hardwood floors either. So maybe we need some good info

Hi Patricia,

You’re right. We really haven’t done anything with the space yet. I’d say our style is mostly transitional. This space is at one end of the house that we call the “kids’ wing” LOL. It’s down the hall from their bedrooms and bathrooms. The upstairs bonus room in the pictures we use as their game room.

I’m not sure the reference to wall paper, but we aren’t considering adding wall paper in the room.

She likes painting, sculpting with clay, drawing, and digital art. She’s a tween with two brothers who mostly occupy the upstairs, so we want to create a special space for her. She doesn’t paint on the desk, but instead uses it for her computer and schoolwork.

Thank you.

Please educate yourself about color. The wall color and the furniture color may be the problem. The furniture color is warm. The wall color tends towards cool. I really would not put items so close together when they are colors that don't go (in my opinion). If you plan on painting the walls a warm color, that may solve the problem. Some warm colors: off-white, cream, beige, tan, brown, olive green, peach, orange, red orange, golden yellow, gold. Some cool colors: bright white, ice cool pastels, black, gray, cool (blue) red, royal blue, purple, pine green, forest green, Kelly green, navy. You may need more practical (closed) storage. I paint, and I have a lot of supplies (including very large bulky canvasses) that are hard to contain and take up a lot of space. The more practical your storage, the better. Also, measure twice, buy once.

You hit the nail on the head. The white doesn't work with the wall color. The chair at the desk doesn't really work with the walls or the desk.

Would you be open to re-painting the walls? If this is her space maybe customize the room to her taste? Let her be a part of the design process.

I would understand if you want to keep the wall color the same as the other spaces in the upstairs. If so you will need to repaint the furniture to go with the neutral on the walls.

I would also consider some inexpensive area rugs to protect the floors and I would pick those before picking a color for the walls / furniture. This way you just have to find the carpet that works with the color that you are keeping and not with two colors. Paint colors can always be found, but carpet selections are limited.

It might work with blue, aqua, beige, green, and gray -- Here's one that might bring the unity, and whatever else you add.

2nd rug says camel and grey jute.

Contemporary POP Modern Abstract Vintage Area Rug, Cream/Yellow, 5 X 8 · More Info

Hand Woven Prairie Rectangle Area Rug PRR-3011, 5'x8' · More Info

Thank you so much! I love that rug. I agree the chair doesn’t go with the desk. That was just a chair we had hanging around that we are temporarily using. My concern with changing the paint is just what Jennifer mentioned in that the upstairs is also the same color and attached hallway down to the kids’ rooms. It is SW Gossamer Veil. I was wondering if maybe a rug, decor, and maybe curtains (?) could pull the space together.

Desk's antiqued ivory white has the traditional legs. Might mostly avoid more grey/creams with a color of your choosing. One idea:

25.5" Mirrored Turquoise Pearl Glass Table Lamp, Swirled Design, Set of 2 · More Info

Those are beautiful and a great color.

Rather than a nice rug, I would go with a large white tarp. And let the paint fly! (Seriously, perhaps your daughter’s first project could be to paint/spatter a rug for the space!) And cover a large portion of at least one wall with cork board so that ideas/images/art can be pinned. I think that some large cupboards would be good for storage of supplies. Look at IKEA for inexpensive storage solutions. I would bring her into the process.

Or probably don't go pure white and shiny anything. ... ?

Amelia 1 Light Table Lamp, Brown · More Info

Dark shade can also tie in - but with the flooring --

Stein World Serenity Table Lamp, Clear · More Info

Carolina Ceramic Table Lamp · More Info

A gallery wall of her art would be a fun idea! I also agree we need to find some storage solutions for the space. The small white cart next to the easel was something she previously had, but it is overflowing as it is. I do really like the neutral lamp, which might be a good idea if doing a gallery wall of her work, which will already incorporate a lot of color.

too big idk -- people use mixed jute rugs alot... bit of warm and cool.

Colton Track Contemporary Gray, Gold Ikat Arm Chair with Nail Heads · More Info

Madison Park Goose Neck Arm Chair · More Info

Riverbay Furniture 18.75" Transitional Fabric Leaf Print Arm Chair in Gray · More Info

Gosh, in my stress lately, it didn't register that that was a chair! I thought it was some fabric. Wouldn't think so about chair. Rug and art and seating will have more impact.

Sounds like you're looking to formally decorate this space to go with the rest of your house; so this suggestion may not fit, but if it's a 'studio' type space, perhaps an area of cork wall or magnetic board where she can pin up various work, inspirations.... a cart or armoire type item to hold supplies/printer, etc... she may prefer to stand while working on the easel (and I'd suggest a rug that either hides or can take the occasional hit of paint); a desk chair that rolls and has a 'younger' vibe (the suggested chairs are lovely but don't speak "tween" IMHO).... that's such a lovely idea to give your daughter some working space of her own.

Hi Lori-

You are a gem of a mom to not only encourage your daughter's creativity but to give her so much space in which to do it!

Here are some questions for you and for you to ask her to help you know how best to kit out the space.

After all, it must suit her needs, not some idea of decor.

Re: drawing, does she prefer to draw sitting down or standing up? Both? Does she even know?

If she draws standing, then I would get a much larger easel.

If she draws sitting, I would strongly consider getting a slant table, for the same reasons we hold a book at a slant rather than flat on the table when we read.

It is much better for our neck and back!

In addition, depending on the kinds of things she draws and will draw, with a proper slant table, she will be able to use a T-square on both sides.

If she continues with her art, there will be a lot she will want to do with it on the computer, and she will need a much larger screen, and maybe all sorts of programs.

She may in the future want a dedicated PC and a large monitor, and just a laptop to use for schoolwork and take to school.

I have always found that works best for academic work is two work service at right angles, with the computer monitor (or laptop) on one of them, and drawers on one or both of them. Your daughter might want file drawers on one side and drawers for office type supplies on the other side.

If she paints, she needs something on which to have her work drying.

The most clever thing I have ever seen was on the show Home Town, a show on HGTV. Ben, a carpenter made something for an artist on which to put drying canvases. It was a tall wooden post with double (or was it quadruple?) horizontal cross beams at various heights to support drying canvases. He and his wife Erin have a store in Laurel, Mississippi and they often sell the things they design on show episodes. Maybe you could purchase one, or purchase the plan and have it built locally.

As for posting her work, you could affix large sheets of Forbo to the wall. Martha Stewart talked about using that as a bulletin board years ago.

There is no way I would purchase new soft furniture for that room. If you wanted a chair or two for her and a friend, I would get something from someone going into a retirement home (ideally someone you knew so you knew so it didn't have bed bugs) and get an inexpensive solid color machine washable bleachable slipcover.

I would get a sturdy, used picnic table and benches and put them outside. Rent a sander paint sprayer and buy paint and ask the local high school shop teacher who is the most talented student he can recommend. Or better yet, the local community college if they have a woodworking department and hire the student to sand everything down and spray paint everything in a primer and then a water resistant high gloss enamel . (And if that student is male, send your daughter far, far away for the weekend! :)

You can purchase some oilcloth for the floor ( let her pick the pattern) and cover the floor with it and weight it down. (Tarps are very light and will get kicked around. ) You can put an additional cover in the immediate area around where there will be painting or clay work.

Get used lamps at a Goodwill. But I would strongly encourage ceiling light fixtures with cool light. She really needs good strong cool light, or she will not be able to discern color properly.

She also needs a proper office desk chair, the same type you need at work. It's never too early to start with good posture.

Ask her what she wants to have in there.

You don't want to create a situation where in your love for her you create a space you'd like to have but it's not what she wants.

On the other hand, you are certainly entitled to veto power.

i.e. no black or fuschia walls, either. (Well, I would veto those!)

It's also never too early to teach organization, and her art supplies is a great place to start. When her supplies are organized and her art studio is calm and restful she will be motivated to work.

It's like the kitchen.

If everything is where it is supposed to be and the sink is empty and the counters clean, we can get right to cooking.

If the kitchen is well, a wreck, we just don't want to cook!

Does she take any art lessons?

Her teacher may have some suggestions.

In fact, maybe some art lessons maybe the best idea now, so she can know what she wants.

Masks all around, of course.

I love GV - it is a beautiful taupe with just a hint of the purple taupe undertones.

It works beautifully with the colors from Green through purple reds, but really doesn't work with any of the oranges, yellows, golds, olive greens.

Keep the GV wall color and add a fun rug or two and paint the furniture. let her pick the colors she loves.

I am guessing that art is a hobby and not yet chosen as her career path, so I would probably encourage the art and the association between color and math. The color wheel and selecting colors is really about geometry. Hue, saturation/chroma and light are measurements that define color. There is also a ton of information on color psychology and scientific information on how we see color and how the brain interprets color. Even drawing has to have balance and proportion which are also related to math and science - human eyes are the same distance apart as they are wide. Fields like marketing and consumer insights can incorporate art and math - you still need to measure how people are motivated by the colors and patterns you choose.

Here are some ideas that I thought a tween may enjoy. You could use a different color chairs - but I am getting tired and it is 3 am so I just used purple for the chair (a favorite color of many young girls). Changed the furniture white to a brighter white or color.

Just for fun you can show her that the RGB Value for GV has jus a little more magenta than green or cyan which gives it that slight purple undertone (RGB) and she can compare it using excel and coloring in the cells - pure gray would be RGB 206,206,206 - equal parts of each color.

Hi HB, thank you so much. She’s always been super creative. She’s actually in a painting techniques class now with a wonderful instructor, which she absolutely loves. My hope is that it’ll give her an understanding of the other elements of art, such as math and science to pair with her creativity.

Yes, I was hoping it would somewhat tie into the rest of the house a bit where it is an open space, but it is over on their side and at the end of the house, so I’m definitely open. My husband and I were also thinking a rug that we’d be okay with putting in that area knowing the risk of getting paint on it. And, you are correct, we desperately need some storage. She has a lot of supplies already, which are occupying a large portion of her bedroom closet lol!

Lovely idea to make a work space for your talented daughter!

Studios will need:excellent natural lighting,lots of storage,sturdy easels and tables,access to water for cleanup,room for waste receptacles,and wall space to display the art.

Perhaps a look at actual studios and work spaces of established artists can help solidify ideas on the final layout.

Happy googling!

As a painter myself, I would love to have a dedicated studio with good natural light (I have a 7 x 9 foot alcove in our garage where I have created a small studio space; it has 2 windows (one west facing, the other north facing) that provide wonderful light). Perhaps I can offer a few ideas, though you have been offered many already. Of course, I don't know what kind of painting she does, but she will most likely try out many media over the years. These are the things I have found very useful:

She needs a work table, not just for homework and computer, but one that she can use for watercolors, sculpting or for gessoeing a canvas. I would move the easel (seems a bit small) near the windows, and have her storage shelving/cupboards and work table within reach as she is painting. The desk you have could go in another area. I guess I am saying that there should be a "messy work area" and a clean work area.

While you don't show all 4 walls, it looks like the computer desk could go where you now show the easel, A comfortable chair for imagining and planning would be nice. The bench is very cute, but does not seem all that useful in a workspace. The shelves you have are great for storage, but being needed near her workspace, they may get messed up a bit (though unless she is splatter painting, I wouldn't anticipate paint going everywhere).

Of course, as others have mentioned, the furniture you have doesn't go well with the wall paint, as there is not enough contrast with the walls and the walls are a cool gray, while the furniture is a creamy white. Paint the furniture a fun color, hang her artwork on the walls, build shelves in that 3/4 height closet space. Also, what does the closed door lead to? Is it a bathroom? That would be great as it would be a source for water; if it is a closet, that's good too...more storage!

Good luck. I hope that this space leads to many creative endeavors for her. She is a fortunate young girl!

Hi loobab,

Wow, thank you so much for the lovely compliment. It’s one of the best a parent can receive, so I certainly appreciate it! There is definitely so much to think about. I’ll have to ask her what she prefers in terms to sitting or standing. I’ve seen her work both ways between drawing in her room, sculpting in the kitchen, here, there, and everywhere LOL! I’m inclined to add a rug for visual aesthetics to the room, but also pick up some cloths as you and others have suggested to use while she is working. I’ve never heard of forbo. I’ll have to look it up! She’s doing canvases in her art class, so i think it would be a neat idea when we have a few of them to hang them up on the wall and start building a little gallery. Right now, I’ve been getting the little stands at hobby lobby and using those. She actually has a couple pretty watercolor canvases she did here hanging up in her bedroom. As far as lighting, there are several recessed lights in that room. I want to say around 6, as well as a ceiling fan light. We have some of the GE smart bulbs that can be changed an array of colors from the coolest white to warm white to a variety of fun colors. She’d like some of those, which I thought would be fun and she could change based on what she’s doing, i.e. painting, drawing, homework, just hanging out, etc. And yes, organization! That seems to be a resounding message I am receiving. I actually just thought about it, but we actually have built-in cabinetry in the hallway touching the entrance to the room, which I don’t have much in. I think we might repurpose those cabinets for supplies! Would be a good use of those cabinets.

Thank you again for taking the time to respond and providing some advice and things to think about.

@Jennifer Hogan,

I can’t thank you enough for your thoughtful insight!! I was amazed when I read through your response and saw your pictures (which are so cool and I kept wondering how you did them LOL!! Photoshop?). I’ve actually reread your response a few times now. I love the incorporation of the purple. That and yellow are her favorites; however, I think we’ll stay away from yellow based on your response. I love Gossamer Veil as well. It’s so interesting how in different lights it takes on a different hue. I definitely would love to keep it around and work with some of the other aspects of the room.

You are correct in that art is a hobby of hers. One we have been helping her foster and cultivate. We all need something to be passionate about. Who knows if she’ll ultimately choose a career in art (as of now she is thinking digital art); however, I could definitely see her having a life-long love of the arts. She’s been so incredibly creative from early on. Children have such open minds, it’s so fun and inspiring to see the things they think of!

I’ve heard about the psychology of color before! I don’t know a lot about it, but I’ve heard businesses, such as restaurants, using it.

As far as the math and science of it all, she’s finishing up an 8-week painting techniques course outside of school, which she loved so much, we’ve just signed her up for another 8-weeks. Her instructor is so wonderful and very talented herself. She’s really been able to connect with her through a love of art. It’s great for her to learn and understand the science and math of it all, which I think will strengthen her artistry.

I definitely like the idea of painting the furniture a bit of a lighter white. I think I’ll search for a rug and maybe go from there. It’s interesting because the furniture in our family room is a softer white like this with gossamer veil wall paint; however, the room looks so light, airy, and beautiful. I was perplexed by how the ivory furniture looked in this room.

Thank you again for the wealth of knowledge you shared. I’m so appreciative!

@Lori White - You might want to explore the Masters of Color Science at RIT

https://www.rit.edu/study/color-science-ms

This is the only masters degree program in the US on color science, but reading through the research done through this program may spark thoughts on areas of study that may be of future interest to your daughter.

Understanding the emotional responses to color impacts everything from marketing, interior design, mental health care, child development.

I am a data scientist and as a hobby have studied color trends and the state of our economy (specifically income disparity). I am thrilled that the current trends have so much white - it is a sign that people are hopeful and can release the need for security that gray brought into our homes after 911 and the subsequent housing crisis. I will be happiest when we return to a day when people feel safe enough to fill their homes with color. To do this the masses have to feel confident.