I seriously love how this little space turned out! I still remember walking through this home for the first time back in 2023, seeing the bedrooms and immediately imagining who would sleep where, what colours would go on the walls, and how we’d make it feel like home. I was so excited to make this place ours, a space where my kids would feel safe, happy, and totally themselves.
The rooms were basically a clean slate with good bones (I mean, the house definitely needed some love… and a solid paint job), but there was so much potential. And now? This room looks nothing like it did before – in the best way! It’s cozy, girly, playful, and completely transformed with affordable, doable DIYs and some fun styling choices.
Let’s start with the “before.”
Full disclosure: I didn’t take proper photos before diving in, but I did grab some videos – so just bear with me as we rewind a little.
I started by painting all the walls white, just to give myself a blank canvas to work with. I installed a wallpaper I already had on hand, mostly to make the room feel a little more finished while I figured out the direction we wanted to go. Over the next few months, my girly and I did a lot of dreaming and brainstorming together. The room went through a few different phases before we finally landed on the wallpaper and paint colour that felt just right for her.
It doesn’t even look like the same space!
Last month, I painted the walls this beautiful soft blue – Cornflower Blue by Behr – and finally made a plan for storage and shelving.
My daughter is a total bookworm; she devours novels like nobody’s business, so finding a way to store all her books (and keep them up and out of the way) was a must. I mapped out a design plan on Canva that included wall shelves, a cute little gallery wall with some fun prints, and a desk setup just for her. She loves to draw and craft, so giving her a space to be creative was important too.
Most of what you see in her room came from shopping my own home – single mom on a budget here! But luckily, being a bit of a home decor junkie means I always have pieces I can shift around or repurpose to make a space feel fresh and special.
Some of my favourite long time pieces in this space,
I’ve had this rug for years, and I still think it’s the perfect neutral but girly tone for this space. It adds just the right amount of softness without overwhelming the room. Her bed frame is another longtime favourite – we’ve had it since she was a tiny toddler! It’s from Ikea and the size is adjustable, which has made it such a practical choice as she’s grown.
The dresser? Also an oldie but a goodie. It was hers as a baby, and I swapped out the handles a while back to give it a little update. Honestly, it’s been a total storage workhorse. For an Ikea piece, it’s held up surprisingly well through multiple moves and me dragging it from one room to another in this house lol! I also swapped out her old ceiling light for this really pretty one I had in the dining room. It’s much better suited here, it feels sweet and girly without being too over-the-top. I’ll link or source everything I can at the end of this post if you’re curious!
As for the wallpaper…
okay, don’t come for me, but I applied the new peel-and-stick wallpaper right over the old one. The original wallpaper was pasted on and I really didn’t want to deal with removing it, so I didn’t. And it worked out just fine, thankfully!
In the end, this little room feels so her. It’s cozy, warm, and full of charm. She’s thrilled with it and totally adores her space. There’s room for her toys, books, trinkets, and creativity, and most importantly, it just feels like a happy little sanctuary for her.
The one thing I could really use your help with is this little desk.
It was passed down to us from a friend whose daughter had outgrown it, and I love the idea of giving it a fun refresh. I’ve been toying with the idea of painting stripes on it to add a bit of whimsy, but I’m still on the fence about the colour… or if stripes are even the right move.
Part of me is leaning toward soft, playful stripes, maybe something in a muted blush or a dusty blue to tie into the room. But another part of me wonders if I should just go with a solid color and let the hardware bring in the fun.
Speaking of which, I’m planning to swap out the handles too, but I haven’t landed on the right look just yet. Do I go with something classic and timeless, like brass? Or maybe something sweet, girly and playful – ceramic knobs, or even something with a whimsical shape? I’d love to hear your thoughts, colour ideas, pattern inspo, or even a totally different direction. I’m all ears!
One more before and after because I’m obsessed with how this room turned out for my girly ♥
xx Megan
Sources:
- bed frame – Ikea, similar here
- area rug – (old) Urban Barn, similar here
- lamp – here
- dresser handles – homesense, similar here
- laundry basket, lidded baskets – homesense
- faux fur throw – Costco, similar here
- leather pouf – here
- lava lamp – here
- good vibes wall light – here
- gold wall sconce – Article
- gingham bedding – here
- flower pillow – here
- green striped pillow – here
- owl alexa – here
- round rug – here
- wood frames – here, and kid’s art frames here
- prints – Lorna Frey, thrifted, Opposite Wall, here, and here
- canopy – here
- crates on shelf – here
- shelf brackets – L brackets from Home Depot, similar here (lmk if you want a DIY shelf tutorial)
- paint colour – Cornflower Blue by Behr, here
- wallpaper – LovevsDesign, Wild Thistle
- dresser – Ikea
- ceiling light – similar here
- mirror – (homesense), similar here
- garland – h&m
- curtains – here
- desk – from a friend
- desk ‘chair’ – (old) Jysk
More home makeover inspo!
My New Favourite Black Paint + My Son’s Bedroom Reveal
Budget-Friendly Patio Makeover (With Price Breakdown)
