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Juliette Arsenault in the bedroom of her Montreal home.

That familiar back-to-school feeling may cause one to bury their head in their pillow. But for 13-year-old Juliette Arsenault, still deep in summer vacation mode, when the fateful day arrives, she’ll be ready. This young Montrealer’s bedroom is a place for projects, play and inspiration, as well as a respite from the outside world – all by her own design.

“I had this big idea of what I wanted,” Juliette says. “I wanted there to be a ton of cozy nooks and I knew the colours I wanted. Turquoise, blush, black, white and gold. I used to be obsessed with gold.” The teen describes her style as colourful certainly, “authentic maybe,” and 100-per-cent reflective of her personality, with a contrast of vintage and modern pieces and personal and DIY touches. Although her aesthetics may seem advanced for someone her age, she claims some help from her mother, Sun Ah Brock, who owns a furniture and accessories store with in-house consultation services. “I get a lot of inspiration from the store,” Juliette says. “It’s kind of in my blood, too. I like designing.”

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Curtains around the bed allow for additional privacy.

The bedroom has evolved as Juliette has grown older. “At the beginning, I was around eight years old, and I was all about these little hiding spots for me and my friends,” she says, describing how curtains helped create a room within the room – and a portal to another world. “This whole little place with lights and decorations. I could also perform shows with the curtains,” she says. “We used to call it our little cachette. Like a French word, une petite cachette,” meaning hiding space. But more recently, she’s opted to have the curtains encircle the bed. “It’s less of a hiding spot, but if I want a little privacy, I can still close them.”

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Above her desk, Juliette showcases her craft skills via a couple of bulletin boards collaged with clippings from magazines.

A bed bedecked with velvet, brocade and pom-pom cushions (“They don’t only look good, but they’re also super comfortable,” Juliette says) aren’t her only source of contentment. Juliette chooses fun photos, special frames and inspirational phrases for the black matte wall behind the bed. “I wanted to have photos that I could look at every day and when I’m feeling down kind of just laugh at, because some of them are a bit funny and there’s quotes like ‘Remember you’re awesome’ or ‘Perfectly imperfect’ and stuff like that,” she says.

Juliette has mounted a pair of gold dance shoes to her wall, which her mom picked up for her on a trip to India. “I used to always try and wear and dance around in them when I was little,” Juliette says. “I don’t fit in them anymore, so we hung them on the wall and we find it adds to the wall art.” Above the desk and turquoise task chair, both from IKEA, where she does her homework, Juliette showcases her craft skills via a couple of bulletin boards collaged with clippings from magazines. “It looks cute and kind of like a Tumblr,” Juliette says, her own analogue version of the microblogging site where users post everything from their favourite hexadecimal colour values to the current obsession-worthy meme.

Absent from the room are any and all electronic devices, including televisions, computers, mobiles and tablets. “We have a strict no-electronics-in-our-room policy,” Juliette says. “Well, it’s not my favourite rule, but I kind of understand it and agree with it,” she says. But when it comes to the design of her bedroom, Juliette says there’s no immediate threat of obsolescence. “I’m really really happy with my room how it is. I don’t think we’ll be changing it anytime.”

Get the Look

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Micke desk, $84 at IKEA.

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Light pool pleated desk chair, $415.54 at Pottery Barn Teen.

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Pompom curtain, $82 at Urban Outfitters.

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Metallic velvet peacock cushion, $29.99 at HomeSense.

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Wire script sculpture, $48 at Anthropologie.

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