If you follow us on Instagram, over Thanksgiving you probably saw us on Stories, as we were working on our niece’s bedroom makeover. But just in case you don’t know what I’m talking about, let me back up for just a second. Our niece, Penelope, is currently in the third grade and her dad (our brother, Doren) had told her that after she read 10 chapter books she could paint her room. Doren is SUCH a great dad and I loved his idea with this. I personally struggled with reading as a kid at first, but it’s such an important skill and I loved how he was encouraging her with positive rewards to read more. I asked Doren if Elsie and I could basically kind of insert ourselves into his goal (ha—gotta love big sisters, right?) and when she read all her books we wanted to give her an ENTIRE ROOM MAKEOVER!

Doren said yes. Penny finished all her books in November. So the time had come for a massive room makeover! Here’s what her room looked like before we started.

I had been over to their house quite a few times already so I had already taken some measurements for wallpaper and other things. We also noted that we need to include plenty of storage for her clothes, toys, and other things. We didn’t really want to take away anything she loved, we just wanted to update the room with colors and features we knew she’d enjoy. We had asked her to give us a few ideas, and she said: pink, teal, white, eyeballs, cactus, Sailor Moon, maybe a pink door … she had quite a few ideas.

We also were hoping to create a space that she would love for years into the future. As much as we hate to admit it, she will be a tween before we know it (ahhhh!!!!). So we wanted the space to feel both whimsical and fun, but also something that doesn’t feel too young so that she grows out of it super fast, if that makes any sense. Here’s a little before and after of the space—so fun, right? I think the wallpaper and the bed frame really steal the show.

We filmed her reaction to the room the first time she saw it. Elsie worked on the room with me while she was in town for Thanksgiving, but she wasn’t able to stay until Monday when Penny returned to actually see the room. So Doren and I filmed it so Elsie could see how she responded. Her little squeal kind of melts my heart.

We painted the walls, inside the closet, and the door. We also added wallpaper to two walls, and we updated most of her furniture. It seriously took us basically a full two days to do all that, so I don’t know how those HGTV shows do entire houses and stuff in a week or whatever. I was pretty tired after—but obviously it was totally worth it.

I want to share a little bit more about the room, so here’s a mini tour of some of the features we added.

We added a small bookshelf to one wall. She had been storing her books in a drawer before and I think having them on a shelf just makes it easier to grab a book and read for a little while. To encourage her on her reading journey, we also bought her a few new books. As I was picking out books, I realized she’s at an age (9 years old) where I am a little unsure of books and the reading level they may present. So if any of you have kiddos around this age who like to read, let me know your recommendations in the comments! I’d like to get her a few more books for Christmas and I’d love some ideas.

We also got her this cute little vanity set for storage and a place to get ready or play with makeup. We got her a caboodle and filled it with extra or random natural makeup we had around just because it’s fun, and she’s at an age where she likes to play with that stuff some.

We painted and organized her closet, adding more storage with baskets and using the upper shelves as a display for larger toys. We also bought two of these storage bins on wheels that fit under her bed for extra clothing and toy storage. I kind of want to get some of these for my room now. They are pretty awesome!

We had a light up globe like this at summer camp this year, so we got Penny her own (and it’s pink). I showed her how it lights up, changes colors, and will rotate when I gave her a little tour of her room and she was really into it. I don’t care what age you are, pretty twinkle lights in a bedroom are always a good bet. You can see a full list of resources below. Thanks for letting us share our niece’s bedroom makeover! It was seriously one of the most fun things I’ve worked on in a while. We love you, Penny!!! xo. Aunt Emma + Aunt Elsie

Sources: Wall Paint/Whisper White from The Home Decorators Collection at The Home Depot (HDC-MD-08), Door Paint/Energetic Pink from Behr (P150-2), Door Wreath/Target, Wallpaper/Icons from Chasing Paper, Bed Frame/Amazon, Comforter Set/Target, Pink Throw/Target, Vanity/Amazon, Bookshelf/The Home Depot, Side Table/Amazon, Under The Bed Storage Bins/Amazon, Closet baskets/Amazon, Gold Wire Basket/Target, Rug/Target, Light Up Star Globe/Amazon, Caboodle/Target.

And the books we gave her are: The Adventures of Nanny Piggins, The Great Cake Mystery, Whatever After Book 1, The Haunted Library #1, and The Phantom Toll Booth.

Credits // Author: Emma Chapman and Elsie Larson. Project Assistants: Ethan Randolph and Covergirl Wall Hangings. Photography: Emma Chapman Video: Doren Chapman. Music: Jeremy Larson. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.

Original source: https://abeautifulmess.com/2018/12/our-nieces-bedroom-makeover.html