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You are here: Home / STYLE / Girls’ bedroom makeover reveal – a pink, mint and gold haven

Girls’ bedroom makeover reveal – a pink, mint and gold haven

October 24, 2017 by Molly 23 Comments

girls' bedroom - pink, mint and gold

How many photos is too many in a blog post? This post might be the record…

It’s been a couple of months in the making but the girls’ bedroom makeover is finally finished. We chose a pink, mint and gold colour palette to reflect some of their favourite things: ice-cream, iced donuts, macaroons and candy floss. All the really healthy stuff, then (!).

We decided to put them in a shared room after the success of them sharing on holiday last summer. Freya’s room had never been decorated, we’d just put up some decals and shelves, and focused on the rest of the house. In fact, she’s never had a properly decorated bedroom because when she was a baby we lived in a rented cottage.

I’ve shared some before and after photos here, and if you scroll on down you can see the finer details of the room. To get an even better view of it watch the video tour at the end of this post.

Right, here we go…

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Before, the space was cluttered. It was filled with hand-me-down furniture or pieces I’d upcycled (I literally found her wardrobe in the street!). Although the space was loved, it was so full of stuff she couldn’t easily get to anything. Her toys were crammed into boxes on shelves, her clothes squished into storage that she’d long grown out of.

Turning the room into a shared one for Freya AND Effie meant moving all the toys into Effie’s old room, which now doubles up as a playroom and spare room, and investing in a new wardrobe that would accommodate both of their clothes.

The art work:

The artwork in the room all comes from Desenio (to get 25% off Desenio orders go to the bottom of this post for a discount code). We created a feature wall along the fireplace side, by splitting it into three and painting it pink, gold and mint (all colours linked to in the index at the end of this post – the darker mint was leftover from Effie’s yellow, grey and mint nursery). 

I chose the donut print as an oversized one, to be the main picture in the little gallery collection. The other prints are an abstract one, a couple of fun typography prints (the gold one at the bottom says “GRL PWR”), an ice-cream cartoon print and a photograph of the girls from our summer day trip to Lyme Regis.

We also chose a trio of prints in a gold frame for a slither of wall next to the window and wardrobe. The top one says “Be Kind”, the middle one is a “candyfloss cloud” print and the third says “Be Brave”. You can’t get a great view of them from these photos so check out the video to see them more clearly.

The windows:

This is what the windows looked like before:

The curtains were left behind by the people who used to live here. They were fine, but they didn’t do a great job of keeping the light out. Plus, they were bulky. We knew they had to go.

This is what we replaced them with:

The blinds are made to measure Venetian blinds from Style Studio, in matt white. They were fitted by a lovely guy called Jan from a local company called Carolina Blinds and Curtains in Devon. He came out to measure up first, then returned a week or so later to fit them. It was a completely hassle-free experience and Simon was thrilled he didn’t have to take on yet another DIY job!

Not only do they keep the light out WAY better than the old curtains, but they’re so much neater than the curtains and give us extra space either side of the window. We didn’t realise what a huge difference the blinds would make to the room but, once they were fitted, they completely transformed the space.

Bedding:

With the gallery wall, the trio of colours on the feature wall and all the little accessories and details in the room, I wanted to avoid bedding with a print that was too “busy”. This delicate Dotty Pink design from the Fine Cotton Company is perfect. It’s a nod to the pink without being completely pink-tastic, while the organic cotton is so soft Freya says it’s like “sleeping in a cloud” (jealous!).

The new duvets and pillows might also (OK, definitely) play a big part in the “sleeping on a cloud” thing. In fact, since we’ve changed the girls’ bedding to the washable single duvets from The Fine Bedding Company we’ve noticed a marked improvement in bedtime.

Flooring / rugs:

The carpet was ruined. It had nail varnish stains on it, numerous suspicious dark patches (I’m going to blame Effie’s potty training mistakes for these) and was lumpy and bumpy from various pieces of furniture. We ripped it up and painted the floorboards in B&Q’s white floor paint. Four coats later I was bent double but the room was transformed.

Floorboards on their own might look all Scandi minimalist but they’re not the cosiest, so we bought this rug from Wayfair along with a couple of £10 faux fur sheepskin pieces from Ikea. Sorted. I love the deep pile and dusky pink of the Berber style rug, and the kids like to roll around on it in their pre-bedtime hyper states.

Accessories:

Arranging accessories, or “faffing”, as I like to call it, is possibly one of my most favourite things ever. It’s definitely the most enjoyable part of a room makeover project anyway. The cute luggy basket, piki basket, Dream Happy cushion, pink shelf, ice-cream lamp and ice-cream garland all came from Deco Baby.

There’s a full index below so you can see where all the other bits and pieces came from, including the cute lolly hooks. The book shelves are the £3 spice racks from IKEA, painted in matt white. Bargain.

LIGHTING:

We have more lighting in the room now than before and, although it’s already brighter with the brilliant white paint and the blinds, the lighting makes it feel cosy too. The tripod light is in mint with a beautiful copper detail (I couldn’t resist it in the WayFair sale) and the table light was a fiver from Dunelm. We also switched over the ceiling light to a feather lampshade from Dunelm.

FURNITURE:

Investing in the Pax wardrobe was the biggest single spend we made in the room. It cost just over £400 because we opted for the more expensive sliding doors to save space, plus we added extras like the sliding mesh basket drawers and sliding shoe storage. It’s amazing and we love it. The girls can now actually find their clothes and we have plenty of storage for things like Brownies uniforms, swim towels etc etc.

And that’s it! Do you like it?!

Watch the video tour here:

Pin for later…

***

PRODUCT INDEX:

Art and frames – selection, Desenio  

( The code “mollyforbes” gives 25% off posters,(except “handpicked” posters and frames), between 24th – 26th October 2017 )

Paint – Pink Pink, B&Q | Metallic gold, B&Q | Mint Macaroon, Dulux | Secret Mint, B&Q | Brilliant White, B&Q | White floor paint, B&Q

Blinds – Venetian blinds in Matt White (aluminium) c/o Style Studio & Carolina Blinds

Bedding – Dotty Pink organic cotton duvet and pillow cases c/o Fine Cotton Company | Duvet and pillows c/o Fine Bedding Company

Textiles – Dream Happy cushion by Rose in April c/o Deco Baby | Hello Gorgeous cushion, Dunelm | Faux fur pink cushion, Matalan | Pink rug, WayFair | Tejn rug x2, IKEA

Lighting – Ice-cream light by Little Lovely Company c/o Deco Baby | Feather ceiling light, Dunelm | Lindesberg light (discontinued), WayFair | Bird and heart fairy lights, previously owned | Pink table lamp, Dunelm

Accessories – Luggy basket by Olli Ella c/o Deco Baby | Piki basket by Olli Ella c/o Deco Baby | Ice-cream garland by Mimi’Lou c/o Deco Baby | Tassel garland, Mon Pote at Roost | Lolly hooks, Mon Pote at Roost

Furniture – rocking chair, previously owned, painted in Annie Sloan | bunk beds, previously owned, painted in Annie Sloan | Pax wardrobe system, IKEA | Bekvam spice racks as bookshelves, IKEA

 

 

***

Thanks to Desenio, Deco Baby, The Fine Cotton Company, The Fine Bedding Company and Style Studio for working with me on this project. For more information about how I work with brands check out my Work With Me page. 

Filed Under: Interiors, STYLE Tagged With: bedroom makeover, girls' bedroom, interiors, pink gold and mint bedroom, shared bedroom

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Comments

  1. Tim says

    July 20, 2018 at 10:52 am

    perfectly decorated bedroom for girls. I love it.

    Reply
  2. Lottie | Oyster & Pearl says

    November 3, 2017 at 7:57 pm

    It’s absolutely gorgeous! Nice work. I love that my favourite things are all the same things as your small children 🙂

    Reply
  3. Rachel says

    October 29, 2017 at 9:55 pm

    Looks beautiful – looking forward to the day we have our own place so we can do more to the rooms.

    Reply
  4. Candy Pop says

    October 27, 2017 at 8:32 pm

    Oh wow – it’s so beautiful! I love it all, especially the images. Gorgeous.

    I hope you have a great weekend! x

    Reply
  5. Our Seaside Baby says

    October 25, 2017 at 10:06 am

    Wow, what a stunning makeover! I love the pink/mint tones and the soft lighting. Looks like such a cosy room! Where did you get the chair from? Polly x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      October 25, 2017 at 1:56 pm

      Thank you! The chair used to belong to my late grandma. I painted it when I was pregnant with Effie and luckily it works just as well in this room as it did in her old nursery. x

      Reply
  6. Claire @ The ladybirds' adventures says

    October 25, 2017 at 6:35 am

    What a gorgeous room. Your girls are very lucky. I love the colour theme and those prints.

    Reply
  7. Ma says

    October 24, 2017 at 2:45 pm

    Absolutely brilliant! Just hope Freya doesn’t do what you did on your first sleepover in newly decorated bedroom (Moroccan style!)…..stay up all night and point out to her friends all the details thus waking parents thinking an estate agent had gained access and was giving a tour! Love ma x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      October 24, 2017 at 6:53 pm

      HA! I’d forgotten about that. I did love my Moroccan themed bedroom though!

      Reply
  8. Anna International says

    October 24, 2017 at 12:28 pm

    Just beautiful Molly! I bet the girls never want to leave it!

    Really makes me want to crack on with finishing our nursery but there just aren’t enough hours in the day (or pennies in the bank thanks to mat pay 🙁 !) xx

    Reply
    • Molly says

      October 24, 2017 at 6:54 pm

      I spent ages doing up Effie’s bedroom but now, age 3, this room is the first one she’s actually cared about. So just goes to show – there’s no rush!

      Reply
  9. Leanne Cornelius says

    October 24, 2017 at 9:46 am

    This is bedroom goals, I really love how you’ve transformed it.

    Reply
    • Molly says

      October 24, 2017 at 6:55 pm

      Thank you! It took forever but the girls love it!

      Reply
  10. Vicky Haynes says

    October 24, 2017 at 8:23 am

    It looks amazing Molly! I love that mint chair, it’s glorious!

    Reply
    • Molly says

      October 24, 2017 at 6:56 pm

      Thanks Victoria! It used to belong to my late grandma. I painted it when I was pregnant with Effie and luckily it works just as well in this room as her old nursery! x

      Reply
  11. Kate Sutton says

    October 24, 2017 at 8:10 am

    Oh Molly you’ve done a fantastic job! I bet the girls are delighted. Especially loving the colour scheme and prints x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      October 24, 2017 at 6:56 pm

      Thanks Kate! Yep the girls love it. I think they’ve forgotten what it looked like before already! x

      Reply
  12. Nelly Ritchie says

    October 24, 2017 at 6:26 am

    It looks really lovely! I would love to do something like this for my little girl but we rent so it seems like a waste. I love the little touches and accessories.

    Reply
    • Molly says

      October 24, 2017 at 6:58 pm

      Oh I totally know what you mean – we never decorated Freya’s room when we were in a rented house either. We were restricted by what we were allowed to do, plus it felt like wasted effort as we didn’t plan to be there too long. Little accessories and things can go a long way to transforming a room though. Definitely recommend Deco Baby for finishing touches – SO many lovely things there! x

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Ten Inspiring Kids Bedroom Makeover Projects | Tots 100 says:
    August 21, 2018 at 6:45 am

    […] so warm and inviting. We particularly love the cute graphics, prints and cushions that Molly from Mother’s Always Right has used in this bedroom. […]

    Reply
  2. Girls Bedroom Makeover Inspiration – By Interior Blogger Molly Forbes! | Style Studio says:
    January 17, 2018 at 9:18 am

    […] help to transform interiors and this bedroom makeover by interior blogger Molly Forbes, who writes Mother’s Always Right, is a fabulous one. It’s also great to hear that she’s a big fan of Style Studio now […]

    Reply
  3. Girls Bedroom Makeover Inspiration By Interior Blogger Molly Forbes says:
    December 21, 2017 at 2:38 pm

    […] help to transform interiors and this bedroom makeover by interior blogger Molly Forbes, who writes Mother’s Always Right, is a fabulous one. It’s also great to hear that she’s a big fan of The Fine Cotton Company […]

    Reply
  4. Product Review From Blogger Molly Forbes - Blog - The Fine Bedding Co says:
    October 31, 2017 at 9:26 am

    […] You know that we’re proud of our products and that we love what we do, but it’s great to hear when our customers also love our products! Blogger Molly Forbes of Mother’s Always Right, is a huge product champion of ours. We recently saw her reviewing the washability of our Spundown Duvet here and having loved the duvet so much, she used it again in her recent project doing up her daughter’s bedroom. […]

    Reply

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Hello and welcome! I'm Molly Forbes - podcaster, presenter and blogger with a passion for positivity, confidence and body image chat. Regularly writing and vlogging about empowering female issues from a motherhood angle, I also cover lifestyle and fashion topics for like-minded mums who want to rediscover themselves after having children. Thanks for stopping by! Read More…

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This was taken at the start of half term, when the This was taken at the start of half term, when the kids were still enthusiastic about going for a walk. 1,705 walks around the same bit of countryside later... not so much 😬 
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If you’re struggling to get your kids motivated to move their body at the moment, go gentle. You’re not alone. Bad weather coupled with boredom coupled with the lure of screens is a heady recipe for lethargy - and that’s just me! 
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Seriously though, remember: all movement is valid. Even if it’s just a ten minute @cosmickids sesh or a little kitchen disco, it all counts. And if it comes from a place of enjoyment and fun, kids (and adults!) are going to be far more likely to want to get involved.
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What joyful movement activities are your kids enjoying right now (if any?!)?
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[Image description: Molly and her two daughters are standing in a field. They’re wearing colourful wellies, holding hands and smiling.]
I founded a social enterprise 😵 . Introducing: I founded a social enterprise 😵
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Introducing: @bodyhappyorg 🎉
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We are a Community Interest Company dedicated to promoting positive body image in children. We help adults help the kids in their care be friends with their bodies 🥰. 
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Through workshops and classes, digital and physical resources (both free and paid) we help parents, carers, teachers, youth leaders - and any adults who are ever around children - create body happy settings for kids to thrive in. 
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We launch officially next month with a beautiful new website and lots of resources which we’ll continually be adding to. In the meantime give us a follow at @bodyhappyorg - we start posting from today and our page has been designed as a free resource on its own! 
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I’m privileged to work alongside an incredible team of people on this. Shout-out to the original dream team @chelseacoxstrategist @amysnellingpt @effinitupfaye @lottie_storey @bodyconfidencecards_db @rachel_hobnobs & @aceandping 💕 LOVE YOU ALL! 💕
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[Image description: A blue square with yellow and white text which reads “the body happy org”. This is the logo for The Body Happy Organisation CIC]
Proof that I did wear clothes other than a tea-sta Proof that I did wear clothes other than a tea-stained hoodie and tracksuit bottoms at least once in the past month 😐
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[Image description: Molly is wearing pink dungarees with yellow buttons over a black rollneck long-sleeved top. She has a monochrome striped hairband on and her hair is pink. She is also wearing earrings with boobs on them. She looks very pleased, both with her earrings, the pink hair and the fact she’s not wearing sleepwear, for a change.]
A new report from the Education Policy Institute h A new report from the Education Policy Institute has concluded an obvious gender divide in the well-being of young adults. If you’d like to read more check out this article by Eleanor Peake in @newstatesman (I’ve linked to it in my Stories).
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Every week I get messages from parents and teachers concerned about the impact of social media on their kids’ body image. And of course, I couldn’t write a book about body image in kids and teens without covering social media - there’s a whole chapter in Body Happy Kids dedicated to the subject. 
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The thing is, social media isn’t going anywhere. And just like it can be a force for anxiety, shame and general angst it can be a force for good too. The trick is in knowing how to use it positively (and in holding the platforms to account for not moderating the spread of harmful viral trends and online abuse, and creating algorithms that deliberately create division and harm mental health... but that’s a story for another day). 
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But how can we expect our kids to have a handle on it when we, as adults, don’t ourselves? 
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I don’t believe the answer is to ban social media, but I don’t think kids should be given unfettered access to it either. 
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They need help navigating this stuff, learning about boundaries, developing media literacy skills so they can think critically about the content they’re consuming (just like many adults).
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And we also need to explore how we might be inadvertently contributing to the problem, perpetuating appearance ideals and creating a culture where kids learn it’s ok to body shame under the guise of health and to value each other based on the way they look.
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As ever, it’s complicated. I’d love to know what you think? What are some of the boundaries you have around social media in your house - both for yourself and your kids?
#BodyHappyKids 
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When I was pregnant with Effie I went to a pregnan When I was pregnant with Effie I went to a pregnancy yoga class every week. It was the highlight of my week. I left each session feeling like I was floating on a cloud, and I used the poses and breath work to guide me through labour too. But then I had my baby and found that, as a knackered new mum of two, I couldn’t find the time for yoga. I no longer had the excuse of doing it “for the bump” or “to prepare for labour”, so what was the point?
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It wasn’t until I started reinvesting in myself and unravelling the diet culture perspective on exercise that I found it again, along with running, which turned to hiking, and swimming. 
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It wasn’t about preparing my body for someone or something else. It was about the process itself, the time to unwind my mind and move my body for joy, just for me. I’ve lost a bit of that this past year with lockdowns, and I feel it.
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I recently signed up to @theunderbellyyoga with @mynameisjessamyn and feel like I’m finding it again. I love that my kids can see me taking time for myself, and enjoying movement, and that they sometimes want to join in too. Even if it is a bit annoying sometimes (swipe 👀). 
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#BodyHappyMum 
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[Image description: Molly and her 6 year old daughter Effie sit on yoga and gymnastics mats with their legs crossed and arms in the air. They have their backs to the camera. In the second image they are sitting crossed legged while twisting round to the side, and in the third image Molly is lying on the mat with her eyes closed while Effie leans over her, being a bit annoying.]
Health is complicated, yet it’s so often over-si Health is complicated, yet it’s so often over-simplified on social media. “Just eat less and move more!” etc are packaged up as empowering motivational quotes, but when we look into what health actually is, and the many things that impact it, we realise that this view isn’t empowering at all. 
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Any conversation about health that doesn’t acknowledge the fact of body diversity, social determinants of health and the impact of weight stigma and all forms of discrimination on health, is not a full conversation.
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When it comes to how this makes children feel about their bodies, the impact is huge. From appearance based bullying (both online and in the playground) to confusion over how best to look after their own health, we’re not equipping kids with the tools to feel good in their bodies or be accepting of other children in bodies that may not look the way we teach kids “healthy” looks. 
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Consider this as a “starter post”, an introduction to the “But what about health?” question if you’ve not come across a weight inclusive approach to health before. If it’s useful bookmark and come back to it. And maybe even share it if you think your friends and family might benefit from it too. 
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On the last slide you’ll find a short list of further reading. This is by no means an exhaustive list! Again, just a starting point. 
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There are professors, researchers, activists, educators, doctors, public health policy makers doing important work in this area (who have been leading the charge on this for decades, before social media was even a thing), but still the mainstream view on health always seems to come down to personal responsibility arguments and the “eat less, move more” approach. Just remember, it’s complicated. ❤️
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EDIT: On the last slide I recommend the book Burn Out - apologies for a typo to author name: it is written by Emily & AMELIA Nagoski 
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