Before and After: A Childhood Bedroom Gets a Grown-Up Glow Up for $700

Going big with color is a surefire way to pack a design punch. Some homes are colorful in the sense that they feature almost every color of the rainbow, like these multicolored homes, and other homes are colorful in the sense that they go all in on one color, like these very red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, or pink places. Homeowner Maria Kamara (@purehappyhome) chose the latter method for her daughter’s bedroom redo.

Once upon a time, back in 2010, Maria’s daughter loved teal and her bedroom reflected that. More than a decade later, though, it was time for a change. 

“Mary, my daughter, moved back after college, and we wanted to make over her room because we love working together and because she needed a room that reflected the amazing and beautiful woman she had become,” Maria says. “Mary learned how to add crown molding, and we painted the wall, doors, and molding for a monochromatic look.”

Instead of teal, this time the mother-daughter duo went big on pink (the paint color they chose was Valspar’s Salmon Run). For quick paint coverage that also provides a chic monochromatic look, they opted to paint the molding in the room the same salmon color as the walls.

There are lots of other DIYs in the space, too. Maria and Mary salvaged vintage hardware from an heirloom dresser and added it to Mary’s thrifted nightstands. They painted and added material to the armoire, and they created a cool gold chandelier from an old used one they snagged at ReStore for $30. They also DIYed the curtain rods and jewelry tree, and upcycled a desk they found in the trash. (Talk about budget furniture!) “We also saved huge amounts by thrift shopping the chair, rug, armoire, and headboard,” Maria adds.

There are some new things in the space, too, like sconces from Amazon, matching salmon bedding and new lamps from Target, and curtains from Walmart.

Maria says the hardest part of the bedroom redo — which cost $700 all-in — was figuring out the chandelier installation (they swapped it out for the old ceiling fan from before). What made her most proud, though, was working with Mary to come up with the new design.

Now, the bedroom Mary has is “mature and cozy” and calm yet creative, as Maria puts it. “This was the first time we so drastically changed a space,” Maria says. “You can’t even recognize it!”

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