When Phoebe DeVito turned 13, her mom, Lesli, decided it was time for a makeover—for her bedroom. The room grew up—navy, hot pink, bright yellow and bold patterns—and eventually won the Washington Post Kids Room Contest in 2012, and was featured in Susannah Salk’s 2014 book, Decorate Fearlessly. But the pair have loved decorating (and redecorating) Phoebe’s room since she was little and, as she neared 17, figured it was time for a change.
“While part of it was that I grew out of the pink and blue and bright yellow, a large part came from the potential I saw for how incredible a new scheme of whites and golds could look,” Phoebe says.
Out with the old! Lesli says Phoebe requested a “calmer” room, so the walls were whitewashed with Benjamin Moore “Chantilly Lace” paint and, like in its previous iteration, the wall behind the bed got a special treatment—Hygge & West wallpaper, which turned out to be Phoebe’s favorite detail.
“I was skeptical about it at first,” she says. “I love that when I sit in bed and look across the room into the mirror mounted on my dresser, I look back at myself floating in the clouds among all of the pretty birds.”
The makeover budget was $1,000 and Lesli says she stuck to it, even though that’s often the biggest challenge when redecorating a space.
“I do believe the budget oftentimes breeds creativity,” Lesli says, recounting a plan to upholster Phoebe’s chair in a blush linen. When she realized reupholstering would be too expensive, the pair found a white leather chair on Overstock instead. It was a happy accident. “I think it really helps modernize the overall design.”
And what about the challenge of embarking on a makeover project with a teenager? Lesli says the pros outweigh the cons.
“Learning to make decisions, working within a budget and simply spending time together for a joint purpose will bring you closer and take you away from the intensity that is their life and give them a space that reflects who they are now,” Lesli says. “I cannot recommend this endeavor enough. You get way more out of it than just a new bedroom!”
THE GOODS
Julia Rothman Daydream (blush) wallpaper from Hygge & West (hyggeandwest.com)
Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace paint (eggshell on walls, semi-gloss on trim)
Vintage spindle/spool bed from Tuckahoe Antiques in Afton (4202 Rockfish Valley Hwy., Nellysford, 361-2121)
Simply Shabby comforter (target.com)
18″ Bohemian Bed Skirt (pbteen.com)
Klimpen/Finnvard desk (ikea.com)
Furilicious Rockin’ Roller Desk Chair (pbteen.com)
Christopher Knight Home Modern White Bonded Leather Roundback Chair (overstock.com)
Faux sheepskin rug (homedepot.com)
Alexis Ceramic Bedside Lamp base (potterybarn.com)
Vintage dresser (painted with Benjamin Moore Raleigh Peach)
Vintage hutch (spray painted white with Krylon gold spray paint)
