When we began updating the girls’ rooms, Naomi’s took the longest to complete, but for good reason. Unlike my other daughters’ rooms, we didn’t just do an accent wall. We painted the entire room to replace a washed-out lime green that never quite felt right. We wanted to give our girls autonomy when it came to their bedrooms so we let each girl choose her style. Naomi is the oldest of our twins (by four minutes, she likes to add) and is our sporty girl. She loves soccer, the beach, and quiet spaces where she can read or draw. We really wanted to create a space where she could unwind and reset, but one that also embodied her full, light personality.
Since we live in coastal Virginia and spend a lot of time at the beaches here and in the Outer Banks, we leaned into natural beach elements without being overly thematic. We chose a light blue accent wall as the foundation for the room’s look. From there, we found a blue geometric wallpaper that paired perfectly, giving the room a modern burst of pattern that evokes movement. The wallpaper brings a coastal feel to the room without being too campy, almost like stylized sea urchins or sunbursts.
We painted the rest of the walls a creamy white to keep the space feeling airy and open. Because this room is a bit smaller, we designed the layout carefully selecting a full bed with built-in storage to make the most of the footprint. While the bookshelf, dresser, and desk were already in place, transitioning to an individual full-size bed meant a total layout rethink.
To soften and balance the space, we incorporated neutrals like a gray comforter, a traditional rug with deep navy designs, and soft gold accents. Sheer white curtains, floral touches, and coastal grasses brought in a light and natural feel we were after, giving the room a gentle nod to the beach without being too on the nose.
One of the last items on our checklist is replacing her ceiling fan with a fandelier. Even without the updated lighting, the reveal went exactly how we hoped. She loved her room makeover and expressed so much gratitude, making our efforts all the more worth it.
In the chaos of life, it is often difficult to find time for these extra projects. We work full-time and our girls are busy with their academics and extracurricular activities. Most nights we get home late and stay up even later helping with homework and cooking dinner. But when we are able to shift priorities to do a mini renovation like this, it fuels us and truly brings us so much creative joy. Prior to moving to this house On Joel Lane, our girls always shared a room. This has a lot to do with why they are so close, but as they hit their preteen years, I can see the shift in their needs for privacy and space to reset. And for us parents, doesn’t it always feel like once you’ve finally mastered one phase, they are onto the next? I pray that when they are older, they feel so much warmth and nostalgia when they think back to their childhood rooms, a place where they feel safe and cared for as they navigate the ebbs and flows of growing up. I daydream about when they come home from college and sigh a breath of relief to come home to something familiar, lie down in their bed, in their room, exactly how they left it.
