This Bedroom Before and After Is Giving Us Life
Redecorating a room can be a challenge—unless your friends are interior designers! See how the Emily Henderson Design team transformed this childhood bedroom for one of their own.
Cramped and cluttered, this childhood room hadn't seen a coat of paint or a constant companion for over a decade! But when Sara Tramp, who works at Emily Henderson Design, decided to move home to save money, she knew redecorating was a must. Lucky for her, she had some brilliant minds to help her see this room in a new light.
Why did you decide to make over this space?
I moved home for the year to save on rent, and Em came up with the idea of "Makeover Takeover," where the employees make over areas of our homes and document it for the blog. At first I was really hesitant, because both Ginny and Brady are designers and I didn't have any experience with interior design. I finally relented when they promised to help.
Photos: Tessa Neustadt
What do you love most about your new bedroom?
I love how bright and clean it feels. It's a really dark room in general, because it faces west and has a huge tree outside the window blocking the light. For most of the day the room is shady, except for a few hours when it gets direct sunlight and turns the room into a blinding heat box.
It was painted a mint green color—a remnant of my 10-year-old self who was allowed to pick the paint—why, why, why? Painting it all white was so refreshing!
How did you decide the style direction for the room?
I started by looking at rooms I had pinned over the past few years, which wasn't many considering I had never been interested in interiors. I'm fairly new at Emily Henderson Design—everything I'm being exposed to is new and exciting, so I pulled from that too. I incorporated a lot of Emily's style and the mid-century modern aesthetic into the look, along with some California, bohemian, minimalist aspects I really liked.
Photos: Tessa Neustadt
Photos: Tessa Neustadt
What was your biggest failure or challenge?
The biggest challenge I faced was designing the whole room, since I'd never done anything like it before. Luckily I had some of the best teachers in the world at my disposal.
Photo: Tessa Neustadt
Where did you choose to splurge vs. save?
Luckily, because this was for the blog, I was able to get several of the big-tickets items in trade. But I would have spent my money on the vintage bed and dresser. They're really unique pieces and so worth the splurge!
Photos: Tessa Neustadt
What is your favorite piece in the room?
The whole thing! If I had to pick though, my bed. It's a vintage Danish, mid-century piece with a teak frame, and I've already gotten so many compliments on it. Plus the stonewashed linen sheets, and the excess of cushy throw pillows makes it the spot in the room.
Photo: Tessa Neustadt
Tell us anything you’d do differently.
I'd hire a professional to paint the room. No matter how hard I tried, I still ended up getting paint on the baseboards, door frame, window frames, and floor.
Photo: Tessa Neustadt
What advice do you have for those that want to achieve this style?
Less is more. Getting that clean, bright vibe is hard when every surface or corner is filled. Keep it light and airy.
Photo: Tessa Neustadt
