Before & After: Drab Student Space to a Cottage-Inspired Boy’s Bunk

Carrie McBride
Carrie McBride
Carrie is a former Apartment Therapy editor and the original editor of Apartment Therapy Media's first site for kids: Ohdeedoh. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two kids..
updated May 4, 2019
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Living room with brown recliner, gray sofa, tall lamp, bookshelf, desk, and arched window.
(Image credit: The Happy Space Project)

When Emma’s family purchased this aging row house in Kingston, Ontario each of the three floors was a separate apartment. This room was occupied by a student and was filled with cheap furniture and textbooks. It needed a lot of love to match the vision she had for her 5-year-old son Angus’s space. The results render the room completely unrecognizable…

(Image credit: The Happy Space Project)


The inspiration for this room came from a single image I found on Pinterest that showed a bunk bed with white, cottagey paneling plus the world map wallpaper, which I knew we had to incorporate somewhere.

(Image credit: The Happy Space Project)

We wanted this room to be fun, playful… and we needed storage (hence the double closet situation).

(Image credit: The Happy Space Project)
(Image credit: The Happy Space Project)

The map wallpaper came from Urban Outfitters in 8 panels and was definitely and ‘advanced’ foray into the world of team wallpapering projects.

(Image credit: The Happy Space Project)
(Image credit: The Happy Space Project)

The pennant flags came from local flea markets and lighting was all sourced at Home Depot Canada.

(Image credit: The Happy Space Project)
(Image credit: The Happy Space Project)

Thank you Emma! Readers, see more details and sources for this room makeover at The Happy Space Project.

Re-edited from a post originally published 12.11.14-NT