When I caught my four year-old gazing longingly at PBK and Serena & Lily catalogs, I knew that something had to be done about her boring bedroom. Both of my girls love color. They are girly, but not too girly, so an all-pink room wasn’t going to do.
Here’s what we came up with on our very (very) small budget:
I already mentioned that I did a lot of the ‘shopping’ for the room in our basement storage area. It was fun to work with things I already owned.
I really wanted new duvet covers for the twin beds – something simple and mostly white, but with a colorful trim that matched a color in the Chiang Mai headboards. I could have just bought some bedding like this from Pottery Barn, but I figured I could save myself a few hundred bucks and just get creative with a pair of all-white duvets we already owned and some turquoise single-fold bias tape.
The sewing is not perfect, but the result is honestly better than I expected. I like the punch of color in the sea of white bedding.
While I had the sewing machine out, I added a few yards of dark purple ricrac to the bottom hem of my cheap Target bedskirts.
I bought this cute little french nightstand at a vintage shop a few years ago. It’s seen better days and badly needed a paint job.
I went with turquoise again and trimmed out some of the moulding details with white paint.
Michael’s had a bunch of the Martha Stewart collage frames on clearance a while back and I finally decided to do something with the two that I picked up. It was fun looking at pictures of butterflies with my girls and picking out shapes and colors to mimic using vellum paper.
The lamp was $18 at HomeGoods, and while that price included a nice shade, it was badly damaged in our move (see before pic), so I had to buy a new shade at Target. I’m loving clean parchment shades these days.
On the opposite wall from the twin beds, I reused a large frame and a piece of sheet metal to make a chalkboard. Here’s the before shot…
I mounted it low on the wall for easy kid access and also hung some freshly painted galvanized buckets filled with chalk. The floor pillows are from HomeGoods and Target. Above the chalkboard, I hung a metal butterfly wall sculpture thingy from Target’s clearance aisle. It was all black metal when I bought it a few days ago, but I (shocker) decided to paint the butterflies.
Years and years ago in college, a roommate gave me a paper star chandelier. It’s been in storage for a long time and I’m so glad I thought to dig it out for this project.
The colors weren’t right for the space, so I painted it white and now I love it in the room.
The star hangs over a striped slipper chair we found just sitting in our basement when we moved in and some framed pages from a favorite children’s book, Brundibar.
Also from our storage supply was this white mirror I bought a very long time ago at Nordstrom (well, really, Last Chance for all you AZ natives) for $20.
The old paint finish was a little too shabby chic for my taste, but I decided that yellow would be just the right pop of color for the above the dark brown dresser (which we can’t paint). In this picture you can also see what the white star looks like when it’s lit up. It’s the perfect night light for my girls – my two year-old calls it Twinkle-Twinkle.
The little pink lamp on the dresser used to be green. I found it at a thrift store for $0.50 and used a small brush to apply some glossy pink paint. Good as new.
I also found the embroidered linen table runner at the same thrift store.
The room’s not completely done yet – I still have some finishing touches to make – but I like the progress that has been made since last weekend.
This is is such a FANTASTIC room! Your girls are so lucky to have such a creative mom. Your reuse of things is truly inspiring. Beautiful!!
Wow, that's gorgeous! I was JUST telling my sister the other day that I wanted to buy sheet metal to paint and hang up as a magnetic board for my daughter's art. I looove the way the chalkboard with the hot pink frame looks though. Maybe I'll make two! So cute. Thank you for sharing. Very inspirational.
This is gorgeous! Your girls are so lucky!
This is just perfect! It looks tres high-end. (You're budget busting secrets are safe with us!)
Amazing and fun!!!! Love all the detail you put into this room!
suzanne
Absolutely a DELIGHT!
Janell
Hi Jenny,
I just found your blog via Nesting Place…love it! I've added you to my blog roll so I don't miss more!
Janell
ANY girl – big or small – would just love to have a room like this! You did an amazing job and I really like all the details! =-D
Awesome make over! The room is fabulous! Jen
Out of control gorgeous! I love every inch of that room!!
Very nicely done. Love all the bright colours!
That bedroom is simply darling! I love all the colors you've incorporated… and I especially love how they are like little bursts of fun :)
The turquoise damask pillow from Target? I have the same one. It sits on my newly reupholstered red tweed couch. I love it! :)
GUSSY
Oh my, I bet your girls love it! I know I do!!
Absolutely gorgeous! Every detail is just amazing, your girls are very lucky!
I can see why I'm the 116th comment – your girl's room is fantastic – totally puts mine to shame!
Absolutely breathtaking! I'm not even kidding! You deserve a gold star, girl.
AMAZING! I love your use of color! I wish I could "see" that and try it! I get stuck on a color scheme and have a hard time bringing other colors in. I LOVE this!
~TidyMom
Seriously…..Seriously!!!! I dont know where to begin! LOVE the star! your colors are amazing!…its just safe to say I am IN LOVE with it ALL!!!!! beautiful job! I am sure they love their room!!!!
LOVE this room – makes me wish I had a little girl!
Where did you get the stools(?) at the foot of the bed – those would work great for my boys!
I adore that you have created a dreamy space that will grow with your girls.
I bought the same Martha shadowboxes and finally got around to using them too. They will be featured on my Monday post. Stop by.
It's so perfect!!! I just love it all!
I loved that you used a grown up print for little ones. I have 5 little girls a few of them could use a room redo. I just found 2 yards of Jacaranda by Quadrille today for $40. Now what to do with it…
Thanks for sharing!
Hi, I saw you blog on the Nesting Place and HAD to leave a comment!! SO AMAZING!! I'm in love with all of it! I love the different colors and creative you were in placeing different pieces around the room! I'm doing my son's room in a few weeks, and your creativeness totally inspires me!! Your girls have one rocken room!!
Love it, LOVE IT, L-O-V-E- I-T!!! :D
God's blessings on your family, Sarah
I think this is the greatest little girls room I have seen in a long time!
I love it, a million times!!!
Absolutely gorgeous! I love all colors and the way you combine. It's definitely the most beautiful children's room I've ever seen.
Hi! I am a friend of Anna Low's- she RAVES about your taste and now I know why. Just wondering- where did you get the fabric for your headboards. I have been looking for something like that without any luck…do you know the designers name or have any info on it???
You are darling! love, annie
incredible! I'm so impressed with your resourcefulness (and at the quality of the contents of your basement!). It's amazing what some bright paint can do for old furniture.
lovely, Lovely, LOVELY!! I am in love!
I know everyone is asking a million questions… but, I am interested in the story with the "x-benches" at the end of their beds. SO CUTE! I am really obsessed with them lately and want to know if you have seen them anywhere for a better price than Ballard Designs?
Thanks!!
so beautiful…I love how you upcycle frames and mirrors with colorful paint
Makes me smile! Brava!
wow–this is sooo inspiring!! cam from nesting place. xo
So GREAT! I am in awe of all the little touches and thoughtful additions/transformations. Congrats on an awesome room!
Beautiful room! So many great inspiring ideas!
seriously, why does TLC not have you hosting your own show?! you're so very talented!
I'm usually a lurker, but I just had to comment and tell you what a fabulous room this is! So creative and inspirational. I'm in the process of doing my daughter's room and we particularly love the chalkboard you made.
I love the way this room says girl without being the usual or all pink. So many wonderful things about it! I really like the way you painted the trim details on the turquoise nightstand with the white. I too have the Martha Stewart frames just waiting to use. Maybe I'll use them in the nursery that I get to plan now. :) One tiny thing, I used to have a star lamp like that from college also. It started smoking and I ended up throwing it away because it would give off a funny smell when the light was on and I was afraid it was becoming a fire hazard. Just wanted you to be aware just in case yours starts to be the same way so your girls are safe. :) Kelly
d'oh! that's so good i am beyond words. just picture me…bowing.
The room is fabulous! Please include information on the campaign seats at the foot of the beds if you can in your next post. I want something similar at the foot of my bed and the Jonathan Adler ones are out of my price range…would love to know how you did/got yours!
Wow! This is incredible! Stunning room!
This is GORGEOUS! Love the color combo and in particular, the nightstand.
I love the outcome! Perfect for a couple of not TOO girly girls!
You have such an eye for color and pattern. Everything just "goes." It's perfect!
Could you please describe how you did the valances? They are wonderful! The entire roomis a dream.
this is just too cute!!! i love it!!! love all the fun & engergy in it!! and love your prices!! i bet the girls are so happy.
Simply Charming!
Everything about this room is just so charming! I love that you strayed from the typical little girl's room and did something fun and bright. Everything you do always ends up looking like a million bucks. Great job!
Gorgeous! I just love the turquoise nightstand!
Love this room! Can you tell me where you got the teal/white and yellow/red pillows that were on the floor? I would LOVE to get me some of those! thx!
I just stumbled on your blog and had to comment on this bedroom. It's fantastic! I wish I was 4 and could move in right away. :) Every color choice and detail is just perfect – well done!