Jan Whittingham: When wishes require wallpaper
by Kimberly Olson
Many children dream of sleeping in an enchanted forest. But one 8-year-old wish kid in Vacaville does just that every night, thanks to a transformative bedroom makeover wish and the talents of interior designer and Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area volunteer Jan Whittingham.
When the Tiburon-based designer initially met with her young “client,” Kyra, the girl had an idea in mind for her room. “She wanted an enchanted forest that was dark and moody,” Jan says. “She loves reptiles. She even has a bearded dragon.”
To create an immersive experience, Jan found mural wallpaper. “It had trees with hanging vines and the most enormous mushroom you can imagine,” she says.
Jan extended the mural around three walls, painted the fourth wall green, and added dark green carpeting to the room to complete the lush sanctuary. She attached decorative butterflies to the mural and hung little stars from the “sky.” A white bunk bed and desk added contrast. When the room was ready, two days before Kyra’s birthday, Jan and Kyra’s wish-granting volunteers surprised her with a forest-themed cake, balloons, and even a few new “pets” (toy reptiles)!
Jan hanging butterflies for wish kid Kyra's enchanted forest bedroom.
To create an immersive experience, Jan found mural wallpaper that had trees with hanging vines and "the most enormous mushroom you can imagine.”
Wish kid Kyra's enchanted-forest-themed bedroom.
For Kyra’s birthday, Jan and Kyra’s wish-granting volunteers surprised her with a forest-themed cake, balloons, and toy reptiles!
Jan believes a child’s bedroom should be functional, fun, and reflective of who they are. She initially reached out to Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area to offer her creative talent in 2016. “My kids were grown, I was recently divorced, and I was trying to get involved in activities,” she remembers. “Make-A-Wish popped into my mind because I thought it was a great organization.”
The first bedroom makeover wish she helped grant was for an 18-year-old girl in Burlingame. Jan added touches that reflected the girl’s Norwegian heritage. “I had a friend do specific Norwegian tile folk art,” she says.
When designing a room for a wish kid, Jan asks retailers for donations or discounts that are more generous than she would normally get. “West Elm really stepped up on that one,” she remembers. “The room was very colorful, and we got a white desk.”
She quips that she went a little over the top toward the end. “I put 50 balloons on the ceiling,” she says. “I put flowers and chocolates in the room and wrote a card. And I usually bring flowers for the mother.”
"I went crazy with the Giants stuff. It was decorated to the max!”
Jan remembers working on another project for a 10-year-old boy in Etna, California, along the California–Oregon border. “He wanted a game room and was a huge fan of the Giants, and he had a lot of Giants paraphernalia,” she says.
The tight-knit community of Etna had already come together to build a freestanding building, which would become the game room, on the family’s property. Jan’s job was to transform it into a space befitting an enthusiastic Giants fan.
“The whole room was black and white and orange,” she says. “We had a sectional, a pool table, bookcases, and a chalkboard. I went crazy with the Giants stuff. It was decorated to the max!”
Jan’s 20-year-old daughter also lent a helping hand with the game room, as did some neighbors. “We had five people locally who came to support us,” she says. “I could never put together bunk beds by myself, but two women came to help, and that was their forte.”
The game room wish reveal was a party for 50 people—both family and community members who had donated their time and materials. “I got snacks and drinks and balloons,” Jan says. “They had this big piece of property, and the sun was setting, and he came in. It was just incredible.”
The boy and his brother loved the game room so much that they slept there overnight. Sadly, the boy passed away three months later. Jan says it’s tough to see the challenges these kids and their families face, but their situations motivate her to make the rooms extra special.
When 5-year-old Raiyan had to stop attending school while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, he missed his Montessori school very much. So, Jan found a way to bring the classroom environment to him.
Jan with wish kid Raiyan and his family in his space-themed room.
Jan says that she and Becki Smith, director of Wish Fulfillment, have become a team now.
Thanks to Jan, Raiyan’s playroom became a journey into deep space, with a mural of the solar system emblazoning an entire wall and planets suspended from the ceiling.
She painted his beige playroom walls vibrant purple, just like his classroom, and hung a blackboard on the wall. Raiyan’s playroom became a journey into deep space, with a mural of the solar system emblazoning an entire wall and planets suspended from the ceiling. Jan added a whimsical tent, a kid-sized sofa, and a bright yellow hammock chair.
When asked how he would spend his perfect day in his new room, Raiyan said he would read books and write, so Jan added a book carousel, a desk/art table, and plenty of shelves and storage cubbies for books and toys.
On the day of the reveal, Raiyan noticed a message in bright lettering on the blackboard: “Happy Wish Day, Raiyan. You are out of this world!”
In appreciation of the time, skills, and creativity Jan has contributed to enhance wishes over the years, Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area honored her with the 2024 Wish Impact Award – North Bay.
Jan encourages anyone who’s been curious about Make-A-Wish to jump right in. “There are lots of ways to get involved,” she says. “The way Make-A-Wish enhances children’s lives is just incredible. And parents see the joy that it’s bringing their children, and it eases some of their stress when there’s something to look forward to.”
The way Make-A-Wish enhances children’s lives is just incredible. And parents see the joy that it’s bringing their children...
Jan Whittingham
Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area volunteer
Jan says that she and Becki Smith, director of Wish Fulfillment, have become a team. “She knows I’d go anywhere to do a room makeover because I get so much joy out of it,” she says. “And I’ve always come in under budget!”
Becki appreciates having Jan on her team. “I get excited when I get a new room makeover wish because I know it’s another opportunity to work with my buddy Jan to bring that wish kid’s vision to life!” Becki shares. “Jan and I have worked on a handful of wishes together, and we’ve created a well-oiled machine at this point. She makes everything look so easy with her amazing design skills and ability to pull through with the wish kid’s vision.”