Vibrant, Funky Bedroom

When 10-year-old Noa Zell decided it was time to update her bedroom, she wrote a letter to the Design on a Dime team to ask for their help. Armed with a chart outlining Noa's likes and dislikes, the team sets out to create a fun space for her to hang out with her friends and little sister.

Before: Muted colors and traditional lines were everything this 10-year-old didn't want.

After: Modern lines and vibrant color make this room the ultimate in grade-school chic.

The Dilemma
Noa's mismatched bedroom isn't in step with her modern sense of style. The hospital-green walls are too subtle, and most of the furniture is too traditional to suit her. She'd like bright colors on the bed and and a solution for making the makeshift trundle unit underneath more functional for sleepovers. She also needs a larger, more modern desk and a bigger dry-erase board for homework.

The Solution
The team designs a space that puts the fun back in functional. A larger desk area will give Noa plenty of room for spending time on the computer with her friends. The traditional bookcase will get a new look with a coat of red paint, and a larger dry-erase board in a more accessible location will be the perfect spot for doing homework. A new trundle bed will offer extra bed space for sleepovers. Here's how the room comes together.

Bright aqua-hued walls with a contrasting lemon-colored horizontal stripe set a vibrant backdrop for the new space.

Design coordinator Spencer Anderson builds a new bed and trundle unit. Casters on the trundle make it easy to pull out for sleepovers. The matching headboard gets funky detail with circle cutouts backed with blue-colored plastic. A light is mounted behind the headboard to make it all glow.

Interior designer Kristan Cunningham gives the existing bookcase a coat of bright red paint. She builds a box to go over the top and adds new molding to the front to hide the country-influenced details for a more contemporary look.

A new industrial-modern desk fits into one corner of the room, providing extra space for Noa and her friends. Design coordinator Dave Sheinkopf builds a bench for the desk area out of medium-density fiberboard (MDF), adding a coat of metallic spray paint for a modern look. The upholstered cushion matches the sheets on the trundle as well as the fabric-covered bulletin board above the bed.

A retro light fixture adds more even modern to the space. Spencer covers the plain white cord with a slinky for a fun industrial look.

A bright yellow linoleum rug and funky new accessories add the finishing touch to this vibrant new space.

The Cost

Bedding - $50

• sheets, 030473017168, twin, $4.99 - Linens 'n Things
  
• duvet, $20.98 - Target
  
• sheet set - $14.99

Wall paint - $51

• Behr, Mellow Yellow 320B-6p, Embellished Blue 510D-4p, Candid Yam 240B-5a, $18.97 per gallon - Home Depot

Art-center supplies - $82

• corkboards and dry-erase boards, 0341138851241, $19.98 and $39.99 - Staples

Lamp - $41
Desk Area - 299

• desk, $150 - Mr. Office
  
• cart, $65 - Mr. Office

Linoleum - $75

• Lonpoint, #344, $74.83 - Linoleum City

Bookcase redo - $45
Accessories - $93

• mirror, 40047883, $24.99 - Ikea
  
• hanging lamp, $29.99 - HomeGoods

Total - $996

Resources
decorative project materials
Home Goods
Website: www.homegoods.com

decorative project materials
Linoleum City
Website: www.linoleumcity.com

decorative project materials
Staples
Website: www.staples.com

desk and cart
Mr. Office
Phone: 818-244-8327
Website: www.mrofficeshop.com
Also in this Episode

Design on a Dime : Episode DOD-1309
•	Vibrant, Funky Bedroom