Bold Teenage Girl's Bedroom

Design on a Dime : Episode DOD-601 -- More Projects »
Morgan Sanders is ready for a change in her little-girl bedroom and hopes the design team can create a hip new look perfect for a teenager.
Photo

Before
Photo

Before
The Dilemma

Host Lee Snijders visits Morgan and her mom, Debbie Sander, to check out Morgan's bedroom. Morgan knows that she doesn't like the medicine-pink walls and would like to see them go. Snijders notices that her room could use some organizational elements such as new shelves and more dresser space. He suggests simplifying her bedding so that she is more likely to make the bed everyday. The large oval ceiling is a point of interest that Debbie wants to keep, but all agree that the chandelier needs to be updated. Morgan's main request is lots of textured elements like faux fur and feathers so that will need to be worked into the design. Finally, the window treatments will need to be replaced to pull the look of the room together.

Photo

After
Photo

After
The Solution

The design team transforms the little-girl room into a hip teen hangout--here are the elements that bring it all together:

  • The medicine-pink walls are first to go with a coat of dark purple paint.
Photo
 Media
Video: Watch and learn how Charles Burbridge perks up plain window shades with paint.
  • Design coordinator Charles Burbridge livens up the windows with handpainted roller shades. To begin, he cuts 20 oval shapes out of self-adhesive shelf paper and sticks them onto plain white roller shades. He spray-paints the shades bright pink, then removes the ovals. Next, he creates a cardboard stencil the same size of the shelf-paper ovals. He lays the stencil over the unpainted ovals on the shade and spray-paints them purple for a definitive color contrast.
  • PHOTO
  • Snijders adds dimension up high with an oval dropped ceiling made out of birch plywood. The plywood oval is hung from the ceiling with hooks and chains. The dated light fixture is replaced with a globe chandelier.
  • PHOTO

    Here's another fun area rug you can make yourself.
  • Design coordinator Summer Baltzer focuses on the fur and feather accents. She creates a custom rug by using spray adhesive to attach a rug grip to the underside of a rectangular piece of thick faux fur. She also attaches a piece of pink faux fur to a bulletin board to tie it in with the new design.
  • PHOTO
  • Since Morgan doesn't like the look of freestanding bookcases, Snijders constructs a wall-mounted coved bookshelf and places it over the bed. He uses 3/4-inch birch plywood to construct the bookshelf in three pieces. He also adds a light to the underside for much-needed task lighting.

  • Morgan's existing bed frame is replaced with a clean-lined platform-style bed that matches the other light-stained furniture pieces. The bed is not only made for sleeping, it's perfect for hanging out with friends with the layer of feather-boa trimmed pillows lining the perimeter of the mattress.

  • A new dresser is brought in to give Morgan additional clothing storage.

  • A pair of lamps with oval globes add ambiant lighting and reinforce the oval theme.

    The Cost

    Accessories and lighting - $495

    • picture frames: Bed, Bath and Beyond - multi-frame, #2822543846
    • ceiling light fixture: IKEA - Fado, #13183/50378900
    • lamps: IKEA - Trettiotre, #15508/50056914
    • fur for bulletin board and rug: Shannon Fabric

    Furniture - $294

    • bed frame: IKEA - Lillehammer, #75844609

    Bedding and window treatments - $139

    • roller shades: Lowe's - #43243
    • bedding: IKEA - Lonn, #12952/20040811
    • purple pillows: Linens 'n Things - Pinwhale, #738790564401 Eggplant
    • fur pillows: The Great Indoors - Floka, White #23999001
    • curtains: Linens 'n Things - Illusions, #029927148848

    Paint - $70

    • paint: Lowe's - American Traditions, #94902 Magic Moment

    Project Total - $998

  • Resources
    decorative project materials
    Ikea
    Website: www.ikea.com

    decorative project materials
    Lowe's
    Website: www.lowes.com

    decorative project materials
    Bed Bath & Beyond
    Website: www.bedbathandbeyond.com

    decorative project materials
    Linens 'n Things
    Website: www.lnt.com

    fabric
    Shannon Fabric
    439 E. 9th St.
    Los Angeles, CA 90015
    Phone: 213-488-3435

    decorative project materials
    The Great Indoors
    Website: www.thegreatindoors.com
    Also in this Episode