A Bold Makeover Makes This Boring Bedroom Bright with Color

Kelly Dawson
·3 min read
maroon accent wall with small white dresser, grey comforter and art on the wall
Before, the furniture didn’t fit well in this tween’s bedroom, and the 80-year-old ceiling was in need of repair.
Credit: Angela Belt Credit: Angela Belt
two closets surrounding a small window with angled ceiling, pink and maroon walls with white trim
“When you walked into her room, you couldn't open the closet doors completely,” the mom and homeowner says. “Her bed was in the center, so there wasn't a lot of space for her to relax or move around and dance.”
Credit: Angela Belt Credit: Angela Belt
Wood and white floating shelves with bins of clutter
Plus, the pink and red walls didn’t suit the daughter’s style.
Credit: Angela Belt Credit: Angela Belt
pink walls with white radiator under window and white trim
The first step in the bedroom makeover was clearing the furniture out and making way for a professional ceiling repair.
Credit: Angela Belt Credit: Angela Belt
soft pink and purple floral wallpaper, purple trim, teal radiator cover, and white desk with pink swivel chair
Teal radiator cover with woven baseket and pink and purple floral wall paper on wall with purple trim.
floating wood shelves with lots of colorful art and books, purple door, pink walls, orange floor cushions
Pink and purple floral wallpaper, purple trim and doors, teal day bed sofa with white throw and movable art easel.
floating wood shelves with lots of colorful art and books, purple door, and pink walls.

It’s easy for kids’ rooms to suddenly feel like a time warp. In what seems like a flash, a space can go from a nursery filled with beloved objects to a pending garage sale of discarded toys. Furniture isn’t spared, either, and commonly turns into a mismatch of former interests surrounded by paint colors that are decidedly juvenile. (Don’t beat yourself up, parents — plenty of people have been on either side of this equation. And remember, it’s possible to do a transformation as a memorable family project.)

Designer Angela Belt (@_angelabelt) shows how with this transformation of her daughter’s bedroom. Pre-makeover, it showcased the days when she played with dolls rather than the Taylor Swift era (get it?) she’s in now.

“My daughter’s room was filled with furniture that was oversized, a plaster ceiling that needed a major repair, and pink walls that didn’t fit her style at all,” Angela describes. “Plus, when you walked into her room, you couldn’t open the closet doors completely. Her bed was in the center, so there wasn’t a lot of space for her to relax or move around and dance.”

Angela wanted her daughter to have an of-the-moment haven, so she enrolled in the One Room Challenge, an eight-week DIY challenge where participants post progress updates on their social channels, to give herself a timeline to get it done. Alongside her husband, daughter, and a few pros, Angela thought the best way to tackle this project was to mix DIYs with highly skilled expertise.

“There were three reasons why I wanted to make a change to my daughter’s room,” Angela says. “First, it was no longer functional. Secondly, the ceiling needed repair. And lastly, I wanted to give her a room that was cool enough to grow up in during her teenage years.”