Big girl bedroom makeover (with VIDEO!)

I’ve been so excited about sharing this big girl bedroom makeover with you!

This was no ordinary makeover. During the school holidays, I completed a total transformation of my daughter’s room in just four hours – and filmed the whole thing on camera!

It was a pretty tight deadline because the kids were only out for the morning, so I was nervous about whether I would get it done in time. Plus the camera was rolling, so that added a whole extra layer of pressure. But thankfully I got it done (JUST in time!!) and today I’ll be sharing the big reveal!

If you missed my previous posts about this room makeover, you can get up to speed in this post where I share the moodboard and design plan, and this post where I share the DIY toy basket labels I made.

Let’s get right to the good stuff. The video!!

And so you can fully appreciate the transformation, I had to share photos as well!

Here’s the sorry “Before” state of Allegra’s room:

As you can see, it was a bit of a mess. Between that enormous blank wall with its dinghy white paint, the ugly security grilles on the window, the overstuffed and messy toy storage unit, and the hodge-podge of stuff beside the bed… it needed a total revamp.

Just to keep things interesting, I had three limiting conditions on this makeover:

1. It couldn’t cost much money
2. It couldn’t take a lot of time (hence the four-hour makeover window)
3. We’re in a rental, so I couldn’t do anything permanent.

Well, I had my work cut out for me. But I pulled it off!

Are you ready to take a look? Welcome inside Allegra’s brand new big girl bedroom.

In case you’re wondering about anything as you scroll along, I’ll post a complete list of sources at the end of this post. But I do want to take a moment to give a special shout out to The Wall Sticker Company, who provided the gorgeous wallpaper for this makeover. I have to say I am genuinely besotted with this product!!

Not only is it beautiful, but it’s also hands down the easiest wallpaper I’ve ever applied. It’s a truly magical peel-and-stick paper (yep – peel and stick!!) That means no sizing your wall, mixing up wallpaper adhesive, or applying the goop to your wall with a paint roller. You just peel off the backing and stick it down.

Even better, it is 100% removable and even reusable (perfect for rentals). It’s also really sturdy and durable and VERY forgiving – if you smooth it down a bit crooked, you just peel it back up and go again. Regular wallpaper can be quite easy to tear when it’s wet – especially if it’s inexpensive and of lesser quality. But this paper has a really unique matte finish that reminds me of synthetic outdoor fabric. It’s fibrous and tough as nails, and you could wipe over it if you need to without damaging it. So it’s very kid friendly.

When I wallpapered my son’s nursery it took me about 4-5 hours using the traditional method of wallpaper application on just one wall (which was the same size as this one… maybe even a bit smaller.) This time it took just over an hour. It is THAT much quicker.

I was worried it might be like trying to cover a book in contact, on a gigantic scale – because I AM TERRIBLE at that job. But this fabric paper smooths down so easily and perfectly, I had zero issues with bubbles or wrinkles.

Yep, it is easier to wallpaper an entire wall in this stuff than it is to cover a school book. ??

The other game-changing thing about this wallpaper is that you can completely customise the colours to your own palette (for free!!) As I discussed in my last post, I was struggling to find a nice wallpaper in the exact coral/ peach shade I wanted, so when I realised I could get this pattern in a pretty apricot shade, I was sold! The Wall Sticker Company has heaps of amazing designs, many of them colour-customisable, so make sure you click on the “Removable Wallpaper” tab and have a browse. Oh, and they ship worldwide, too.

But back to the room reveal eye candy. I bet you’re wondering how Allegra reacted when she saw her room.

It was SO MUCH FUN to see her response when she walked in this door…

Needless to say, she LOVES her pretty new room. She is a very lucky little girl!

Amazing how the simple addition of a fluffy rug and a floor cushion made this dolls-house corner so much more inviting. It was an instant invitation to play!

It’s hard to capture such a small room on camera in one shot, but this angle gives a better idea of the room layout. The room doubles as our toy storage area, since we don’t have a playroom in this house.

The IKEA Kallax unit opposite the bed houses toys and books, and it received a little spruce up as well…

I share how I made the DIY toy basket labels in this post.

After a good tidy-out, I also rearranged the books into rainbow colours – so much prettier!

Allegra has quite the “makeup” and “jewellery” collection now, so I made one of the little shelf openings into a vanity area with a box for all her makeup odds and ends and a place to hang her bangles. A pretty picture at the back ties it all together.

A few little décor additions completed the shelves. I’ve been hoarding this sweet little white ceramic house for ages!

I’m so thrilled to have this project wrapped up, and I love that it made my daughter so very happy. Allegra is six now! How did she get so big?!

Here’s the rest of the series if you’re curious about how we got to this point:

The original moodboard

The final moodboard and design plan

Pretty in pink DIY toy basket labels

Dolls house makeover

Big girl bedroom room reveal (you are HERE!)

And here are all the sources I can think of. Just ask if there’s something I forgot to mention! Although if I didn’t put it on the list I’ve probably forgotten where I found it. ?I already had many of the items, and some were gifted. Oh, and I’ll mark the items I got on sale – I nabbed most of them at 70-90% off in a big store closing-down sale!

ROOM SOURCES

Wallpaper – Aztec design in Apricot, from The Wall Sticker Company

Sheer curtains and black rods – Curtain Wonderland

Rug – Temple and Webster

Pink “sheepskin” rug – Kmart

Bed – HipKids

Pineapple lamp – Pillow Talk (SALE)

Pink ceramic bud vase – Pillow Talk (SALE)

Side table – Pillow Talk (SALE)

Pink linen doona cover – Pillow Talk (SALE)

Pink quilt (folded over end of bed) – Pottery Barn Kids

Embroidered pillow sham – Adairs (SALE)

Floral Euro cushion cover – Pillow Talk

Pink decorative cushions (floor and bed) – Pillow Talk (SALE)

Large floral artwork – Original lino print by local artist Claire Ford

Dream picture – Pillowtalk

Butterfly artwork – Spotlight

Macramé wall hanging – Handmade, from local markets

I hope you enjoyed this room reveal! Until next time, wishing you a house full of sunshine!