Child's Bedroom Tour: HGTV Green Home 2009

Guest designer Sabrina Soto, host of HGTV’s Get it Sold, was tasked with creating a magical girl’s bedroom that was also eco-friendly. “I wanted to make that room as bright and fun as possible to show people that green design has come a long way, with so many products available out there,” says Soto.

Soto chose a cheery hot-pink and orange color palette and sourced decor items locally. A beachy mermaid theme took shape when the designer visited a local boutique and spied artwork by Lori Lynn Wallen. “I got in touch with the artist and she and I went dumpster diving — it was great,” recalls Soto. “We found an old scrap of wood that was being thrown away and we made the piece of art from that.”

The whimsical theme extends to the twin daybed, custom-crafted from reclaimed wood by carpenter David Brown and padded and upholstered in striped “Azalea” outdoor fabric. The bed is topped with striped bolster pillows in matching all-weather fabric, embroidered linen throws and a giant “stuffed-sock” mermaid. A big picture window affords a colorful view of the side yard and serves as a perch for a papier-mache bird figure, crafted by Stray Dog Designs, as are the bright-pink floor lamp and other decor items sprinkled throughout the room. “They make really fun pieces — nothing ordinary,” adds Soto. “Every piece is a statement on its own.”

The color of the club chair and bright-turquoise embroidered pillow inject a shot of fun in the reading nook, nestled next to a shelf discovered at a shop just a short walk from the HGTV Green Home. “It was a really old piece of furniture that a local carpenter refurbished,” adds Soto. The cabinet is filled with locally sourced treasures: reclaimed wood frames that display photos of Soto’s nieces, a polka-dotted piggy bank, children’s books and seashells.

The room’s finishing touches are its best green stories. An ABC chair rail that runs the perimeter of the room features pegs crafted from reclaimed curtain rods. And a collection of wall plaques displayed next to the cabinet demonstrates Soto’s true DIY spirit. “That’s actually a funny story,” recalls Soto. “I was running out of time and scrambling to find the perfect wall art. I found this shop close to the HGTV Green Home that sold shells from farm-raised conch. I went with this whole ocean-mermaid theme and made the plaques out of wood scraps from the hardware store. It was my luckiest day.”

Ultimately Soto created a room she would have loved as a little girl and one she hopes a child can easily grow into as she ages. “I hope it’s her dream come true – her own little castle,” adds Soto. “Just one of those rooms she never wants to leave.”