Just returned from Paris where black and electric blue is the hot color combo in clothing right now. It is gorgeous on a sweater, but I understand your hesitation about putting it up on the walls.

I would suggest breaking the project out into stages so that she can see it as it evolves. Unless, of course, she is one of those highly visual children and knows exactly what she wants.

I agree that the scheme sounds tiring to the eyes, but kids have a higher tolerance for (over)stimulation than we do. The only downside is if she doesn't like it in a year and you get stuck painting over it all. But, actually it would be a good experience for her (both having you support her ideas, as well as learning to temper her tastes!) if you don't mind doing the work.

As for staying out of the room for the next 4.5 years, that is good advice, no matter what the paint looks like! ;-)

WIth such tall ceilings and a not-super large room, I would forgo the chair rail. What I would do is paint all the walls in the blue, the ceiling as well. Then do a wide band of black and white zebra, perhaps 6 inches wide or more, running around the room at picture rail height. You could gauge the width of this band by the size of the stamp, to make it easier to do - perhaps one, two or three times the stamp width.

That way, she can then get zebra bedding and other accents that will be great against the blue walls. It will also leave her walls plainer for posters and other art that she may want to hang.

Lots of brushed nickel or chrome accents in there would be wonderful, along with the black. Maybe a mirror with a silver frame, and even do the vanity in a silver or faux silver leaf finish - yummy against the blue walls.

Perhaps this rug on the floor?

rug

or this one:

rug

Give her the room if you can - she will remember it always, trust me.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that she wants the carpet (grey) out and black and white vinyl checked floor put in. If she were neat and orderly, the room would have been done a month ago but that's not the case. In fact, I wonder how she can even see the floor under piles of stuff. That has been my bargaining chip - clean and organize then we'll decorate.
Les, the room faces north, you still recommend same blue for ceiling? I like the zebra band idea. Help me convince the kid.

I think I might be a bit hesitant about the black and white flooring. I love that look, but it could be very limiting down the road. If the carpeting is still okay, and you want to keep it, I would tell her that an area rug would be an option - zebra, or use carpet tape to tape together black and white bath rugs for a checkerboard look if you can't find an area rug like that.

As for convincing her, I think maybe that is backwards thinking, LOL. She needs to convince you. Have her draw a scaled drawing of a wall on graph paper (you can download that on line for free if you don't have any). Have her draw up and color the design she thinks would be best for the walls. Then tell her that you also want one done the way you would like it (perhaps the banding I suggested, or something else that you like). Pin 'em up on the wall in the room, envision what they might feel like IRL, and work to some kind of compromise.

Also make sure she understands that NO work can start until everything is off the floor and cleaned up so that furniture can be moved, etc. Perhaps offer to help her, but make HER start it and show some progress before you join in.

As for the ceiling, with 12 feet up there I still think the blue is the way to go. Be sure she has enough lighting at 'people height' - lamps on the dresser and vanity, a wall-mounted swing-arm up by the sleeping area of the loft bed, a lamp by a reading chair or desk if she has those in there.

You could get Flor carpet tiles in Black and White. Easy to install. Easy to replace when something gets stained (and it will.) Easier on her body if she spends time on the floor...

Here is a link that might be useful: Flor

Tell her you will do it -- BUT when she (a) tires of it or (b) moves out, SHE has to repaint it whatever color YOU want.

My father did this to my 13-yo brother when he wanted his room painted black. Worked like a charm. Brother painted the room, and got SO tired of it, six months later HE had to re-paint it. White. Took about six coats of paint and he learned a huge life lesson.

I let my kids pick out their paint colors for their rooms.

One is screaming turquoise, and the other was various shades of dark purple. I Hated them.

I vote for doing the minimum that you can get away with, and then not going in there til she graduates.

My friend's son insisted on Navy blue walls and silver ceiling years ago when he was 12. The room looked great until last month, when my friend redid the room as a guest room, and it's gorgeous! It's just paint, and it repaints easily if you prime it or Zinnser it before you paint with the fashion color, even many years later.

For a couple early teen years, one of my DDs wanted plain white walls, on which she and often her friends drew pictures with irridescent markers, wrote poetry, painted lots of flowers, had lots of fun. It glowed in the dark, and I never knew what would turn up next on the walls, so it was fun for me, too. When she outgrew it, we covered it with primer without any problems at all.

I say let the kid make her own choices, then keep out! If she soon hates it, buy new paint. And I am a lazy person who paints only when I have to, not prone to much frivolity. Your DDs basic idea for the room sounds great to me.