As a kid I always dreamed of an attic bedroom. Attic rooms seem so magical, tucked away in a secret space in a house that is somewhat private to the rest. Well, we weren’t lucky enough to find a house with a magical attic room, but we did find one with a huge bonus room above the garage. It’s not quite the same, but close. When we first looked at the house this room was dark and dingy with a creepy little rocking chair in the corner. Now, if you know my kids they have a warped sense of humor (I have no idea where that comes from!) and immediately they determined the room was haunted. Crime scene or not, it became a HUGE bedroom as part of our bonus room makeover.

Now tell me this doesn’t look a little creepy to you.

Even though the room is technically in the garage, it has great natural lighting with the windows and skylights. How fun to be able to lay in bed at night and look at the stars? Magical, just like an attic room.

Since this room is one of the girl’s bedrooms, I tried to let her take the lead. Our taste is similar, but also very different. She did a fantastic job creating her own private retreat full of her style and charm. It looks awesome!!

This is the only place in the entire house where the walls are not neutral and actually have color. Go figure, ha! Although, it’s not a neutral color I think it looks gorgeous!

This room reflects her style perfectly. She has simple taste, blue is her color, and reading is her thing. Anything else would not “feel” right. Good thing there is plenty of room to accommodate her library!

While the changes for this room were mostly paint, there was one construction project. With the room being above the garage there wasn’t a door. This left the room wide open to all the creepy crawly things that live there. Ha! I can’t say I blame her for being adamant about a door. Yikes! Needless to say, we now have a door.

These photos don’t even come close to doing this room justice, it’s huge!

Big Rooms like this can be daunting. The best way to tackle a space like this is to first think about how you’re going to use it, what’s its purpose. Once you have that figured out you can determine the core pieces that you’re going to need for the room. With this being her bedroom we knew we needed to account for a bed, dresser, bookshelf, and she wanted a desk. This became the framework for the room and created sections. When working with big spaces I find it easier to think of it in sections. Breaking it down helps me plan for about each smaller area and how I am going to decorate that section. Doing it this way makes it easier for me to wrap my head around how I want it to look and ideas to build off each area.

How can you not love this cheery space surrounded by good inspiration?!

One way to make a space your own is to incorporate things that help define it and set it apart to truly make it yours. I think this is one of the most important elements in making a house feel like your home. My daughter used pieces that were important to her and showcased them in a way that made her feel good. For me, feeling is an essential factor in any design, no matter how big or small the space.

Sometimes the biggest changes come from simple things like paint. Not only is it relatively inexpensive, it’s one of the easiest ways to change the entire look of a room. Despite what most people think, decorating doesn’t have to involve buying new furniture, remodeling or spending a ton of money.  I am a big believer in keeping things simple and repurposing what you already own. Never underestimate the impact of a little paint, rearranging furniture, and rethinking how to use items you have throughout the house. Of course, it is fun to buy a few new things, too!

Thank you for following me here today and always!