Photos by Hillary Ehlen
Betsy Schiltz is not your average 12-year-old girl. She has been junking for as long as she can remember and dreams of someday becoming an interior designer. Today, she lives in Fargo’s Clara Barton Neighborhood with her mom, Katie Schiltz, dad, Lance Schiltz and little brother, Andy Schiltz. Now, you can take a tour of this design-savvy 6th grader’s cozy, yet elegant bedroom and find out about the unbelievable story behind her textured wallpaper.
Behind the Wallpaper
Before we go any further, it is absolutely important to note that Betsy Schiltz’s grandmother grew up in this house. Her name is Elisabeth, and Betsy’s room was also her grandma’s room when she was a girl. In fact, Betsy’s grandma was the one who picked out the blue velvet wallpaper way back in the day.
“It [the wallpaper] came from Betsy’s Grandma Elisabeth. She was 13 years old when she picked it out. It was her birthday gift, and her parents told her that if she was getting new wallpaper, she had to rip down all the wallpaper that had been put up beforehand. She had to rip it down herself and she said there were layers and layers and layers of wallpaper,” Katie Schiltz said.
Framed Photo Print – Nicole Midwest Photography
Betsy’s Cozy, Yet Elegant Style
Betsy Schiltz has described her style as cozy, yet elegant. She currently has her room staged with a vast variety of vintage pieces [she’s been junking with her mom and aunt since before she could walk] and finds from one of her favorite stores, Target. When she isn’t at school or busy playing contact sports like volleyball, hockey and soccer, this girl loves rearranging and redecorating her room.
Framed Photo – Nicole Midwest Photography
Faux Cactus – Target
Chic Seating Areas
Betsy Schiltz’s room features five seating areas, perfect for hanging out with friends or hosting a Design & Living Magazine interview. Our favorite out of all those seating areas is a hanging egg chair that Betsy Schiltz found at a thrift store and bedecked with pillows from The White House Co. that were handmade by Amanda Rydell. On the wall next to this seating area is a creative photo display that Betsy Schiltz made herself.
Heirloom Furniture
Many of the pieces in Betsy Schiltz’s room she has inherited from family members. For example, her matching white bedroom set once belonged to a great aunt and uncle. And that beautiful brass bed fame? It’s the same one her mother had in her room when she was growing up.
A Young DIYer
If she could change anything about her space, Betsy Schiltz would get rid of the popcorn ceiling in a heartbeat. “I want to scrape my ceiling sometime soon,” she explained. This is a project the whole family plans to tackle at some point this summer. In addition to scraping the ceiling in Betsy’s room, the Schiltzs plan to remove the popcorn ceilings throughout their entire second level.
A Future Interior Designer
Someday, Betsy Schiltz dreams of living in a gorgeous farmhouse and becoming an interior designer. She would also love to work with animals and currently has two dogs, a cat and a lovable Hamster named Hamilton. Whatever path will eventually have her heart, this young lady still has plenty of time to enjoy her childhood home. For now, we’d like to thank her for sharing her cozy, yet elegant space with us.
