Hannah’s Timeless Teen Girl Bedroom Makeover

Published June 19, 2020

Revealing Hannah’s timeless teen bedroom makeover is bittersweet for me. I’m thrilled she finally has a finished room and that it was completed before she begins high school, but I’m also a little sad that this project is over.

Going into this, I was already emotional because I knew this was the last bedroom I would design for Hannah while she’s under our roof. My love of interior design began when I created her nursery nearly fifteen years ago, and the idea that we are now approaching her last four years of childhood is overwhelming. It will never go slow enough for me, so I’ve been soaking up every moment and memory of this process. 

Back in the fall, I had begun thinking about her room design and even had her dresser painted to try and move things forward. I knew I wanted her to have a completed, organized, personal little haven before high school started, but it was definitely slow going. Then Covid-19 hit and suddenly I had nothing but time on my hands. 

While the circumstances surrounding quarantine were not positive, I honestly couldn’t believe I was being given so much uninterrupted time with my girls, especially right before Hannah would start high school. I also knew quarantine was much harder on them than me, so I determined that their bedrooms (specifically Hannah’s) would be my focus for this unprecedented time at home. I’m so happy to be able to say Hannah’s timeless teen bedroom makeover is signed, sealed, delivered and fully being enjoyed as I write this post.

Let’s get into the design details and the meaning behind my selections. Everything has significance and was tailored to Hannah’s personality, her strengths and interests, as well as her age. This post is lonnnng with lots of photos because I want to always remember everything about this space, but I hope you enjoy this room reveal as much as I enjoyed creating it. 

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Hannah’s Timeless Teen Bedroom Makeover

The first step in this room makeover was skim coating the textured ceiling and installing vertical shiplap and crown molding. Those dramatic changes laid the foundation for everything else. Hannah loves this wall treatment and says it reminds her of our beloved family trips to Monterey. She also loves the scallop trim I added in the eleventh hour. Isn’t it darling?

From the outset, Hannah knew she wanted a desk in front of her window. She is an artist, so she has been dreaming of being able to sit at a desk with lots of room to create and tons of natural light pouring in. After we knocked out the existing drywall window seat in this niche, I planned to build a desk that would span the length of the opening. However, once I found out my good friend’s husband was building furniture, I hired him to create a custom desk for Hannah that I later wrapped in grasscloth wallpaper. 

I ordered a glass top for the desk so that she couldn’t ruin the grasscloth, but also so she could slip pictures and important memorabilia underneath…something she has always wanted. I was doubting my desk decision as I was wrapping it in grasscloth, but once Hannah and I set the desk in the niche and topped it with the glass, we both stood back and gasped at how perfect it was! 

Like I mentioned, everything in her room has meaning, and the desk is no different. I didn’t plan to have it tie into her love of theater, but after I finished wrapping it in grasscloth, she told me it reminded her of the grassland setting of The Lion King. This is meaningful to her because she just landed her biggest role ever as Pumbaa in our city’s production of The Lion King. Despite Covid-19, the show will go on this August and she is so excited to get back to her passion of acting. 

The artwork I chose for Hannah’s timeless teen girl bedroom makeover was very personal. I want each of my girls to have a small collection of original artwork and signed prints when they have their own homes, so I’ve been intentional about selecting timeless pieces for their rooms. 

Laura McCArty is an incredibly talented artist I’ve gotten to know over the past few months, and she created these beautiful abstract pieces for this space. They are signed originals, created in the custom color palette of Hannah’s bedroom, and I hung them horizontally to mix things up. 

The modern floral paintings below the abstracts are my original works. I painted and framed them in such a way that Hannah could use them in her own home some day. She loves them, and I rekindled my love of creating art during the process. 

I love the look of the stacked artwork under the picture lights so much. 

The vintage bamboo nightstands I found on Facebook Marketplace are perfect for a teenager’s room because they have a laminated top that is indestructible. Painting these was one of the first projects I tackled in this room, and they flow beautifully with all the other design elements in the room. 

I happened to find two gorgeous rattan parasol lamps at Home Goods prior to the shutdown. I just love how unique, textural, and sweet they are. 

Another unique addition is the headboard that I made for Hannah. I sourced some yummy berry velvet through a local fabric shop and designed the shape of the wings myself. Hannah was so excited to finally have a proper headboard, and the fact that it was made by her mama made it extra special. 

Because of all the straight lines in this space, I chose to hang something a little more organic and soft above the bed. Hannah and I bonded over the Broadway musical Newsies during quarantine. She would come hang out with me and watch the play on her iPad while I listened along and hung shiplap. It became the soundtrack to her room makeover. It’s a memory I’ll cherish forever, and the song And the World Will Know is our favorite song from the play, so I knew she would love this custom wire word art. 

Newsies is also the play that inspired Hannah to pursue theater, and it has changed her life, so it’s no surprise that this is her favorite detail in the room.

On the other side of the bed, I hung another piece of custom artwork created by Lemon and Bloom. I sent her Hannah’s bedroom color palette, she painted watercolor dots, and I named them based on everything that makes Hannah the delightful person she is. It’s a keepsake Hannah will always have, and even when this is no longer her room, the artwork will remind her of this sweet time in her life. 

Opposite the bed is her emerald green dresser. This was the very first design decision she and I made for her room, and she says she’s taking it with her to college (she says that about everything in her room…ha!). The dresser is vintage and will stand the test of time, along with the thrifted mirror I found and painted. Both are beautiful and one of a kind, just like Hannah. 

In the least visible corner of the room is where I hung the upholstered bulletin board I made for Hannah. This way she can load it up with alllllll the pictures, ticket stubs, and other memorabilia that teens are notorious for collecting without cluttering up the room or driving her designer mama crazy. I also corralled her stuffed animals in this corner. I love that she still loves her stuffies. 

I lost track of how many DIY projects went into Hannah’s room, but after counting them up for this blog post, it was twelve…TWELVE. One of those projects was sewing the three decorative pillows on her bed. I used this block print fabric, the same pin stripe fabric as her curtains, and a fun aqua plaid fabric to create a casual, asymmetrical look that’s easy for Hannah to maintain daily. 

Another one was making her box pleat bed skirt out of the same fabric as her bulletin board. This was one of my favorite projects in this space. 

Here’s a look at what this space looked like when we moved in. The only change we made prior to this makeover was painting the walls gray. Believe me when I say it didn’t help at all. As you can see, this room has come a very long way.

So that’s it for Hannah’s Timeless Teen Girl Bedroom Makeover. This space turned out every bit as good as I thought it would, and then some. I’m so pleased that Hannah loves every detail, and while I’m sad that this experience is over, I’m excited to be able to focus on enjoying Hannah’s high school years with a completed, peaceful space that’s all her own. 

Thank you for all your support, encouragement, and excitement with each project along the way. I’d love to hear what you think of the finished space!

Until next time…

Paint Colors

• Wall Color – Sherwin Williams Swiss Coffee in Satin
• Trim Color – Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige in Satin

Sources

• Rug – Home Goods
• Dresser – Vintage
• Mirror – Thrifted
• Lamp on Dresser
• Tassel on Lamp – Hobby Lobby
• Raffia Stacked Boxes – Home Goods
• Gold Footed Tray
• Swimmer Artwork
• Gold Frame
• Faux Flowers – Target no longer available
• Faux Fur Bean Bag
• Yellow Knitted Throw Blanket
• Floral Paintings – Originals painted by me
• Abstract Paintings 
• Picture Lights
• Grasscloth Desk with Glass Top – Custom
• Desk Chair – Vintage
• Desk Lamp 
• Polka Dot Vase – Hobby Lobby
• Curtains with Pom Pom Trim – Made by Me
• Window Grids
• Green Picture Frame
• Nightstands – Vintage
• Rattan Parasol Lamps – Home Goods
• Wooden Horse – Home Goods
• Baskets in Nightstands – Hobby Lobby
• Bed Skirt – Made by Me
• Sheets
• Quilt
• Duvet Cover – Ikea discontinued
• Lace Pillow Cases – Vintage
• Yellow Block Print Pillow
• Pin Stripe Pom Pom Pillow – Made by Me
• Aqua Plaid Pillow – Made by Me
• Mint Alarm Clock
• Wooden Beads with Tassels – Hobby Lobby
• Watercolor Dot Artwork – Lemon and Bloom
• Velvet Headboard – Made by Me
• Wire Word Art
• Upholstered Pin Board – Made by Me
• Yellow Name Pennant
• Fan
• Shiplap
• Tassel Throw on Bed
• Stuffed Animal Basket – Home Goods