A Refresh Of Our Favorite “Child Client’s” – Bedroom 8 Years Later

Eight years ago I designed a bedroom for the most lovely 9-year-old – Grace (watch the ‘vintage’ video here):

For those of you who remember this makeover – THANK YOU FOR YOUR YEARS OF PATRONAGE 🙂 For those of you who don’t, welcome to the 8 years later install, because she is all grown up now and ready for the almost-adult version. I’ve remained friends with this family (Howard, the dad is actually still our real estate agent) and over the years have designed their Pinterest famous kitchen, dining room, living room, family room, main bedroom, main bathroom, guest room/office and their son graham’s bedroom. Also if you someday want to hire an interior designer (or any designer for that matter) I want Howard and Nicole to give a master class on how to be great clients, because they truly were and remain so wonderful to work with (in short – a lot of trust, respect for the craft AND THE BUSINESS, hands-off but clear communication, fast decision making, and good vision and taste). A true joy.

So last year Nicole asked us if we would be interested in updating Grace’s bedroom now that she is 17 (16 at the time). The trick is that this bedroom will be not only hers through the rest of high school, but will become a guest room when she goes off to college. We said “yes” quickly because we love them and off Julie went leading the design. So without further ado here is the wonderful Julie to walk us through this reveal.

Thanks Emily and hello friends! Julie here again to share with you all my last project as a full-time EHD team employee. It’s a bittersweet thing to say but not to worry, this isn’t the last you’ll see of my designs since Emily has already hired me on for an upcoming project. That was quick! haha. Plus, now that Velinda, Grace, and myself have joined forces we will be sharing a few of the many design projects we are currently working on with you all in the future (like this one). 

But today is all about Grace’s sophisticated bedroom upgrade.

Overall the same elements in the space remained the same but they just got an upgrade either in size or style that is more current for today. However, the one thing that remained the same was her vintage bed that has been passed down in the family for a few generations now. It’s such a beautiful piece, I was all for keeping it in the space and using it as a jumping-off point for the design. Grace was also very inspired by Liv Tyler’s living room which feels cozy and yet a bit glamorous at the same time. Pulling in a similar color palette, brass fixtures, cozy moments and a refined gallery wall to transform her room into a version that best fits Grace.

First things first, give this room a coat of white paint to start anew. Grace was desiring some neutral elements in the room to contrast the previously bright and colorful design. The walls were a great place to start but since the bed was the focal point of the space it was important for the bedding to be more textural and neutral with hints of blush and taupe. Layering these colors throughout in the linen bedskirt and sheet set mixed in with white ruffled shams, a faux fur throw, and woven pillows helps the neutral bedding from falling flat.

The new ceiling light from Circa Lighting was a game changer. The original one was a large white drum pendant that hung lower in the room so it made the ceiling feel a bit shorter which can be great for a kid’s bedroom but was now stunting this room’s height potential. Swapping it out for a semi-flush mount fixture with a mix of brass and glass elevates the room to a new height. The slight curves and clear glass take the fixture from feeling too Mid-Century Modern to a little glam without going over the top. It’s a timeless piece and can easily evolve with the room’s style over the years.

Another tried and true design trick to help keep the ceiling looking as tall as possible is to hang your curtains properly. I know. Shocker. And I bet this is the very first time we have ever mentioned this to you all. Before the curtain rod was a bit closer to the top (or header) of the window so we raised them up and Voila! What a difference it can make. As I was hanging up the curtains (masked and at a safe distance of course) Howard, Grace’s dad, passed by the room and enthusiastically commented on how much taller the ceiling felt. I love when clients are thrilled and a tad shocked at how much a design can transform the feeling of a space. The curtain’s vertical lines draw your eye up past the windows to the ceiling, it’s the best design illusion out there.

The new art addition over the bed by Elissa Barber is neutral yet the curves speak to the other pieces of the room like the bench, circle pillow, table lamp. It’s a timeless and minimalist piece of artwork that gives an elegant touch to the room right when you walk in.

Right before I was about to purchase this nightstand for them (at full retail price) I came across Tessa’s Instagram stories where she was selling the exact one at a fraction of the cost. Today’s Design Lesson: Always shop Instagram, FB Marketplace and Craigslist first for ‘big box’ furniture. It’s a bit bigger than the previous nightstand but has a mix of closed and open storage which makes it feel smaller since it’s not as visually heavy. Also, the off-white color and brass detail on the hardware pairs so well with the vintage bed frame. Meant. To. Be.

Topped it off by mixing up materials with a stone base table lamp from Lulu & Georgia and a rose quartz tray which is always an easy trick to corral all the things that typically end up on your nightstand.

But of course here, we styled it out with some florals, a few pieces of jewelry and an adorable photo of Grace and her boyfriend.

Since there wasn’t a need for another nightstand on the opposite side of the bed Grace had mentioned that she wanted to add some seating in the room when friends came over. I should state that this was a pre-pandemic request. There wasn’t ample space but enough for a small scaled chair. The trick was that it’s rattan instead of upholstered, this keeps it feeling light and airy without looking too crowded. By adding a pillow and a soft cozy throw from Pom Pom at Home for a great reading spot.

The foundation of the space is this beautiful vintage rug from Revival Rugs. It was a last-minute addition to the space since the original rug didn’t pan out. Lucky for us it had every color used in the room. Sara captured this shot to give you all a close look at its intricate pattern which feels grown up and youthful at the same time. 

You may notice a few styling pieces from my own bedroom MOTO, I may have ‘shopped’ my room since we shot this a few months ago when I thought it would be best not to buy and return a bunch of product just for a shoot. Even though our styles are wildly different, the pieces I pulled work so well in her space. Like that Foot Vessel by Carmen Ellis, it’s a piece that could pair with literally any style. 

Adding some open and closed storage to the room was important to Grace and the Sawyer Cabinet by Hedge House has a great cupboard size to store all her school textbooks plus those semi-circle pulls aren’t bad to look at either. 😉

The canvas art piece by Emily Keating Snyder plays on the simple and neutral with hints of color style that Grace gravitates towards.

On the opposite side, there is a velvet curved bench for additional seating when one day friends can come hang out. If you are wondering what that white ball next to the bench might be, it’s a glow lamp. A year ago when Emily and myself came over for the initial design meeting we noticed there was an LED strip along the crown moulding. It was something Nicole was ready to get rid of but Grace loved the multicolor lights at night so the Luna Lamp from Food52 was the design compromise. It still has all the multicolor options Grace wants but is more discrete looking than a LED strip.

Above it all we have a simple gallery wall with some beautiful abstract pieces by Christina Kwan, another Elissa Barber drawing on the upper left and the abstract landscape print on the upper right by Tanya Val. Anchoring it all is a mini pin board DIY where Grace can display all her personal memorabilia that is easy to change over time.

Using the same style frame as the rest of the artwork, I found a pin board that fit inside it and taped them together on the back. Add in some cute brass heart-shaped pins and let Grace do her thing to display some meaningful memories. 

The wooden desk that was in the space before was so sweet and another heirloom but it was just too small for Grace to be able to sprawl out to get her homework done. She also wanted it to double as a vanity area which was easy enough by adding that tall brass arched mirror from Rejuvenation. Since it is opposite from the windows it bounces around all the natural light throughout the day. The lilac stool while very cute with the double layered fringe is not totally practical now that this is Grace’s full-time school desk. While we were shooting the room I helped Nicole pick out a proper desk chair and we found an alternative spot for the stool. Problem solved. 🙂 

The sconce was kept from the original design and the brass tones of the table lamp from Lulu & Georgia were an exact match. Since there was only one sconce on the left side of the desk, adding in a table lamp will help to distribute the light evenly at night when Grace is up late studying.

And now for my favorite part, a little ‘before and afters’ to really see the design transformation!

There were a lot of changes but the biggest one was how grown up Grace is now 8 years later. Grace and her whole family were so patient with the whole design process since it got delayed a few times this year. Seeing Grace’s excitement for her new room was worth all the hard work and long masked days to install the space. Thank you to the whole family, they truly are the dream client!

And you know I’ve pulled together all the resources below just in case you saw anything you might like for your own home.

1. Pom Pom Curtains | 2. Curtain Rod | 3. White Paint Color | 4. Ceiling Light Fixture | 5. White Frame | 6. Line Drawing (similar) | 7. Rose Quartz Tray (similar) | 8. Ceramic Bud Vase (similar) | 9. Rattan Barrel Chair | 10. Oulu Throw | 11. Vintage Rug (similar) | 12. Vintage Bed Frame (similar) | 13. Alabaster Table Lamp | 14. Nightstand | 15. Canvas Art (similar) | 16. Circle Vase (similar) | 17. Pink Candle (similar) | 18. White Ruffled Sham | 19. Pink Sheet Set | 20. Linen Duvet Set | 21. Linen Bedskirt | 22. Swayer Cabinet | 23. White Concrete Box | 24. Jewelry Stand | 25. Eva Throw | 26. Iman Throw Pillow | 27. Bianca Blush Pillow | 28. Zahra Lumbar Pillow | 29. Wicker Basket | 30. Cream Throw | 31. White Frame | 32. Blue & Pink Abstract Art (similar) | 33. Pink Abstract Art (similar) | 34. Abstract Landscape Print | 35. Pin Board | 36. Heart Push Pins | 37. Foot Vessel | 38. Academic Planner | 39. Pen | 40. Arched Mirror | 41. Blush Line Drawing | 42. Blue Velvet Bench | 43. Luna Lamp | 44. White & Brass Desk | 45. Fringe Stool (similar) | 46. Edie Table Lamp | 47. Oil Diffuser | 48. Brass Stapler | 49. Marble Dish (similar) | 50. Blush Linen Pillow | 51. Mauve Lumbar Pillow

Thank you for virtually stopping by my last EHD project before going freelance, it’s been such an amazing 3 years and I am so grateful for everything, especially to Emily for the opportunity. Now let’s chat about all things design below because I already miss you all! See you there xx 

**Design by Julie Rose for EHD | Photos by Sara Ligorria-Tramp