A “Real-Life Princess” Room Design | ORC Week 1

It’s hard to believe my first baby is six. Before she was born I meticulously designed her nursery and poured over every little detail. It was blush and gold with polka dots, flowers, and a whimsical feel. It was perfect for her, and the design definitely stood the test of time. While we have moved a couple times and her room has had new pieces brought in and switched out (like a bed in place of a crib, a cozy little reading canopy, etc.) the overall look and feel and of the room hasn’t really changed much. We recently replaced the carpet in the bedrooms and switched her into a larger bed, so we figured it would be the perfect time to give her an updated room that she will love now, but that can also grow with her for years down the road. I am so excited to be creating this new space for my girl as part of the Spring One Room Challenge this year!

A Sweet Little Starting Point

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This is how her room has looked up until recently. So cute, and we both absolutely adore it! We will be keeping some elements like the rug, and she has requested that her little reading canopy stay too. And of course, there will still be lots of pink because that is this girlie girl’s jam. Most of this was cleared out last week as we had the carpet replaced and we moved her new Full size bed in (which she has already said makes her feel like a princess!). It is now the perfect jumping off point to level up this sweet girl’s space and give her a room that she will continue to love for years to come.

The Design Plans

With lots of input from her, we ultimately decided on a “Real-Life Princess” Room. In lieu of princess characters and anything she will outgrow too quickly, this space will feel instead like a room that an actual real-life princess would fall asleep in (with some subtle nods to some of her favorite characters along the way. Peep the apple lamp?)

This room will feel sweet and elegant with a feminine vintage feel. We will keep some of the pinks and florals that she loves so much while also incorporating some deeper, more elegant tones that I think will add a touch of maturity that will allow this space to grow with her.

Here is where we have landed together with our mood board and layout plans:

We are both most excited to add a panel wainscoting in a fun color to the bottom portion of the wall and a feminine, floral wallpaper to the top portion. The wallpaper and trim color I included in the mood board is a combination we are both loving initially, but we will definitely be ordering lots or wallpaper and paint samples to see what works best in the space, so that part could definitely change.

We will be painting the wainscoting, trim, and doors all the same color for a bold yet elegant statement. The current rug will stay and act as the inspiration for the rest of the colors we are using throughout the room. The closet door swings open into the room and takes up quite a bit of space on the main wall, so in order to give her space for a more substantial nightstand, we will be positioning her bed closer to the window, giving her a bit more available floor space. We will play up the elegance with some velvet textures in the drapes, the headboard, and the chair, and some gold accents in the form of a vintage gold mirror, etagere, lamps, etc. We are keeping the bedding sweet and comfortable with dainty pink floral sheets and a beautiful embroidered ruffle duvet set. Above her bed will hang a beautiful, whimsical framed art piece featuring birds: a subtle nod to one of her favorite princesses Cinderella, and on the other side of the room an apple lamp nods to Snow White while a velvet, seashell shaped chair brings to mind her favorite Little Mermaid. That side of the room will have a desk with a mirror above which can double as a vanity as she gets older, and her beloved pink tulle canopy will serve as a cozy corner reading nook. The small wall between the two doors will house an etagere that she can use to display her favorite books, art projects, collections, lego masterpieces, and whatever else brings her joy to see every day.

I bet you’ll never guess what the biggest splurge on this entire design board is? If you guessed the tiny apple lamp, you would be correct. Ha! It is a gorgeous Kate Spade piece that I was smitten with the first time I saw I saw it and knew it belonged in our girl’s room. Unfortunately it costs quite a bit more than I could ever comfortably spend on a lamp for a six-year-old’s room, but I am currently trying to figure out where I could get a really good deal on it or find it second hand, where else I could save to be able to justify that splurge, or even if I could dupe it myself… We’ll see, but come hell or high water – the girl is getting an apple lamp!

We are so excited to get started on this space and can’t wait to bring you along for the process! Which subtle princess nod is your favorite?

Be sure to head over to the One Room Challenge Blog to check out all of the spaces that the designers and guest participants will be making over. Can’t wait to see them all come together!

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