Inspiring décor for girls

[bookworm1979]

I've really struggled to find décor for my girl's room that shows girls in roles other than the usual passive pink princess (or variations thereof). I looked online and found very few options, but discovered that I was not alone. There's a couple from Edinburgh running a crowdfunding campaign to start up a business that creates and sells series of vinyl wall stickers to (and I quote from their site) "decorate girls’ rooms, showing girls as scientists, engineers, and active protagonists in fantasy and adventure scenes."

I've supported them, and the campaign is at igg.me/at/sticketyboo, if anyone is interested.

If this is deemed advertising, I'd be happy to have it removed. However, it's not so much about buying products as it is helping people create a business that will cater for parents of girls who are looking for a bit more than just pink. You don't even have to donate, just sharing the campaign on Facebook or such will help.

Seems odd to make something aimed at only 50% of the market. Why don't they do some boys and some girls?

Tiggy
cause there is already loads of stuff for boys featuring astronauts and scientists.

I noticed the campaign on FB yesterday and supported them. It is a great idea.

I would happily buy those for my little boy's room, good for both girls and boys to grow up with positive messages as I'm sure he'll see plenty of images of male character in space elsewhere.

I'm not sure about room decor, I think it would look a bit to PC and try hard to have female scientists on your walls. Also I hate decorating and cartoon stickies have a very limited age appeal.

However, I'd be delighted to donate to an effort to get those sort of graphics onto T-shirts and especially night shirts, Pjs and girls quilt covers. Nightwear and bedding is horrifically pink and gendered.

DD1's room was blue and kingly, finding quilt covers was a nightmare. Her favourite is gender neutral glow in the dark aliens on a blue background.

I'm certain a variation on your astronauts and adventures would have found favour.

Today she'd probably like very arty, New scientist illustration style, quantum physics.

blue and junglely (had trees, the odd flower and lions etc on the curtains)

Starball
I am finding it difficult to get naice bedding for DS - he wants 'forest' theme but can only find really jungle/camouflage style or flowers of the forest style.

Think a range of gender neutral home accessories would be fab.

Generally nice gender neutral and relatively age independent DCs home accessories are massively difficult to find.

Argos, do bright stars and stripes, but that's about it.

PMSL at "female scientist vinyl wall stickers".

DD has mat grey walls and a geometric flowered grey/green rug with a romantic bird and cage lighting theme. Plenty of books about science in her very large library.

And I don't ever find it hard to decorate the DCs' rooms - so much choice...

So Bonsoir, what you're saying (on a feminist board), is that you are pissing yourself laughing at the thought of sticker sets like (and I quote from the campaign text that you obviously didn't bother to read but still thought you could criticise) "... a girl character to inspire. A little girl marine biologist exploring a colourful reef, a girl palaeontologist finding fossils and dreaming of dinosaurs, a girl astronaut exploring the cosmos, etc. "

So, sticker sets like this one, showing girl characters instead of only boys/gender neutral are only worthy of mockery?

Or did you just imagine some straw-man caricature of a female scientist to ridicule their entire approach, because you couldn't be bothered to look at their site and read their brief?

Also, we get it: You are better at finding decor from the vast ocean of choices out there than anyone else, and your daughter has an extensive library (with many books about science). None of this changes the fact that these people are trying to do something positive, and your only comments were (albeit indirectly) about how you personally don't really see the need for what they're doing (because you're happy with geometric flowers and romantically lighted birdcages, so why should anyone want anything different?), while simultaneously bragging about how many books your kid has, and implying that there is enough choice out there to justify ridiculing/ignoring their attempt to create something special. Amazing.

MmeLindor, let me know if you find forests - ds2 wants forest for his room in the new house.

Personally I wouldn't use the graphics in that link for room decor they are too age limited (perhaps 4-7).

However, they are the starting point for a brilliant range of greeting cards, quilt covers, night shirts and PJs, I would certainly have bought.

If the artist could put female astronauts and jungle explorers onto slightly girly coloured night clothes I'm certain Sainsbury's and M&S could sell them.

Likewise girls birthday cards, anything, but shoes and shopping, please!

boys Pjs, suggesting careers to aspire to and doing things

meanwhile girls should just be pastel pink and decorative

It depends if they're removable. My kids had some wall stickers that came off without leaving any marks.

There's a great US website called Project Nursery with thousands of pictures of childrens rooms. A lot of the girls rooms are princessy / some are so neutral and bland as to look like the interior decorator didn't know the room was for a child, but there are some great ideas there in both the girls and boys rooms. I also use it for party ideas.

Sadly on DDs walls they bring the plaster off. (on the wipeable kitchen paint they are fine).

I just long for less passive images on everything aimed at girls.

I don't mind pink and sparkly, but why not space women, girls riding bikes, playing tennis, holding a hockey stick, dancing, riding a horse, trampolining, snorkeling, just doing something!

The only thing girls ever seem to do except stand about in a princess costume, is walk cute dogs or fucking shop.

Boys, clothes, room decor, cards etc. are full of action, bikes, skateboards, football, pirates off adventuring, pavement, firemen etc. Even if the graphic has a fairy tale knight, he's likely to be slaying a dragon or doing something, not just standing looking decorative.

spacemen = pavement on my Kindle

I want some of those spotty pyjamas for me, Starball !