Red, white and blue...oh, and a little pink!

Well, there's nothing like a good post holiday quiet to inspire a girl to embark on a make-over. Of course, while most have a different kind of make-over in mind after Christmas, I like to keep things do-able. So, a make-over of Sophie's room was what I set out to do.

(before)

You may remember Sophie's room before (above) - and its more sugary appeal - replete with pompom fringe all around the perimeter of the room. While I enjoyed it while it lasted, the paint colours never thrilled me...they were slightly off. Almost right, but all wrong to my eyes as I stared down the hallway to her room from my perch in the living room.

Because her walls were looking a bit worse for the wear, I felt I could justify a paint job...though I didn't relish doing it. I chose a soft aqua blue (Benjamin Moore 2056-70), and I decided to spice it up with a bit of red.

After:

I repainted her sleigh bed and dresser, and quieted it down from a pale yellow to a warm white (Benjamin Moore OC-63). Because pink is her favourite colour (signature colour, if you will), her pink accents remained, and I shopped from around the house to add in the red. I picked up her curtains and coordinating pillows at Wicker Emporium (Canadian), for $15/panel; and recovered the little bench for her dresser with some fabric I bought last spring. She loves purses, so it was a perfect change.

This little area was left virtually unchanged, though I recovered the stretcher frame with a dotted sheet of scrap-booking paper, and took down her baby sweater and replaced it with an April Cornell dress that she wore last summer.

I hung a framed red work pillowcase bearing the wish, Good Night, above her bed and it just might be my new favourite element in the room.

I also made pink tissue paper zinnias, from a Martha Stewart kit, and hung them from Sophie's ceiling using clear line.

I love how they hang whimsically, with no real purpose but to look pretty.

Other elements include the lamp shade I bought from Ikea, that I tied a ribbon around just because...

...and her pet Beta fish, Beluga - well, even his fish bowl got a make-over:

The only thing left to do involves a project my husband started, but has not yet completed. I will show you it as soon as it is finished. A little wood, fabric and paint, and I think it will be the perfect spot for Sophie and her friends.

Will I ever do over the boys' rooms? Not likely. They have zero interest in redecorating their spaces, and are happy as long as their rooms are comfortable, functional, and a good place to hang out in. In other words, I am to let sleeping dogs lie...or something like that!!

All in all, I love the combination of aqua, red, white and pink and I will tweak as needed until it feels as it should. Sometimes a paint job to freshen things up is all the excuse you need to embark on a fun make-over. My only advice is to try to work with what you have, shop from your own home, and try old things in new places. Move some furniture around and rummage through your linen closet.

Not all make-overs have to drain your bank account!!