When we moved into our home four and a half years ago, our daughter got her own room for the first time since she was four. It is a very tiny room, measuring 9 feet by 8 feet. After living in the room with a single bed for a while we realized it felt very small. When we started thinking about what we wanted to do my girl’s bedroom, a loft bed came to mind as something that could help us maximize space.
I started searching Kijiji for a loft bed. We found her a solid wood loft bed for $150! Since then I have seen the same one on Kijiji for $700-$900. I didn’t love the look of it as it was though, and thought it would be really fun to turn it into something that felt like a house. We added trim, an antique window, and panelling. We painted it white and added drawers beside it so we could have a built-in reading nook. By doing the loft bed we gained a bed, a desk, a dresser, and bookshelves all in the same space that just her single bed took up before. The entire bed cost $250 and it made so much practical sense in such a small room. This is the before of the room, as it looked the day we moved in.
We also planked her ceiling and painted. I really wanted her to have input on colour but we had very different ideas about what we should do. I compromised, and told her she could choose any colour she wanted from Farrow and Ball. This was an unusual splurge for me, but I knew that any colour from them would still be beautiful and we would both be happy. She chose a really rich pink that has purple undertones. Normally I would say I really don’t like a colour like this, and honestly I would never pick it myself, but my daughter loves it, and therefore so do I. We also changed out her light fixture to a beautiful gold chandelier that we got for $25, also on Kijiji.
Beside the loft bed we added some more drawers and a little reading nook. The first night after we finished the room, my middle son slept there. I don’t think it was very comfortable then and I am pretty sure he wouldn’t fit to sleep there now! It’s a sweet little spot that added some storage and used up otherwise unusable space.
For the bedding in my girl’s bedroom, we splurged again and bought a Beddy’s set. Making the bed is so much easier now, and it is such a high quality product. A little IKEA reading lamp and a picture of the two of us finishes her bed off nicely.
On the opposite wall we hung a floor length mirror with some hooks from Anthropologie. We took the door off her closet and hung a vintage chenille blanket as a curtain. The blanket has such amazing texture, and I already owned all the hardware.
One of my favourite parts of her room is the bird banner. Three and a half years ago my husband’s parents took my husband and me and my brother- and sister-in-law to Scotland. My father-in-law was born there, and still has family to visit. We got to see some really cool places that were connected to people we know and love. One of those places was Edinburgh. It was such a cool city and they had so many amazing small businesses featuring local artists. I found the bird banner in one of these shops and, every time I see it, I think about how my daughter has connections to so many beautiful people and places and it makes me smile.
My girl’s bedroom has come a long way from when we first moved in and it has become one of my favourite spaces in the house! I hope you enjoyed seeing the transformation. If you would like a transformation of your rooms see my services page here.
