As we grow up & move out of the house, most of us are faced with the harsh reality of losing our childhood bedroom. The reasons for it makes complete sense though; we’re less likely to be spending nights at home & our families could use an additional bedroom for guests. But it’s still a sad moment when you find yourself packing up all the things that represented what made you who you’ve become. I definitely had that moment while going through mine.

Although I live in NYC, I still go home and stay with my parents almost every weekend in NJ during the summer. So I told my mom (who spearheaded this transformation idea and helped see it through fruition) that I’ll agree to transforming my childhood bedroom into a guest room on the condition that it still felt like it represented “me” through the decorations & colors.

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B E F O R E

This room once represented a beachy-boho vibe, with grass wallpaper & a straw-weaved headboard. At one point, horse show ribbons hung all around the room from the crown molding & a floor-to-ceiling bookcase full of model horses stood where the couch is. It’s been through several personas of mine as I grew up, and it was time to embrace the adult-version of myself with this final transformation.

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D U R I N G

I knew I wanted a soothing gray color on the walls to make this space feel peaceful & tranquil. Plus, it’s my favorite color to decorate with because you can pretty much accent it with any shade on the color wheel. We ended up repainting the room twice because as the light would change over the course of the day, the color of the room would turn a lavender color. After countless sample trials on the wall, we landed on a custom gray blend that stayed the same color from morning to night.

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For those of you reading from the Monmouth County area

We got the custom paint blend from Bain’s Hardware in Sea Bright, NJ. Ask for the “Avery Brighton Special Gray.”

We found our painter Bob Cardone via Nextdoor. He has experience painting old houses & works alone (doesn’t bring a crew with him) which we liked because only one room was being painted. We loved how my room turned out so he’s now painting my sister’s room the same color & will probably be hired again to paint another!

Wall Finish: ben Interior Eggshell (626)

Trim Color: Benjamin Moore Distant Gray

Trim Finish: Satin Impervo Satin (235)

Ceiling: Waterborne Ultra Flat (508)

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A F T E R

BA-DA-BING!

What a difference, right? From the colors to the decor pieces, and an upgrade to a KING-size bed, this room is so legit now.

Everything got a paint job, including the fireplace. At first, I was so against painting the floor of it a different, darker color. I really wanted to keep it white. But after seeing it done & staged with contrasting ginger jars, it’s starting to grow on me.

Fun fact: I’ve had this wooden Buddha since my Sophomore year of college. We found it at an Asian antique store near my sister’s boarding school at the time. I’m so happy I was able to incorporate it into this space, so well too!

These are all the sea shells I collected on our local beach after Hurricane Sandy. I’ve never seen so many complete snail shells before in my life, all unoccupied when found too. Despite the destruction our beach town is still somewhat rebuilding from, these shells are a special reminder of how strong we came back from it.

One of the best upgrades this room got was getting a king-size bed. But no ordinary bed – a Sleep Number bed! But before you get too excited for me, it’s not mine to keep forever… My mom got it for my room temporarily, as she’s intending to recover from her knee replacement surgery in my room for the month of June. Afterward, it’ll be moving into my parents room (and rightfully so, they paid for it) & I’ll be getting their old king mattress. But regardless, it’s been fun to get a few nights sleeping on it & I’m stoked to be getting a king-size bed in general.

But what is mine to KEEP forever is my new Luxe Hardcore Bedding Bundle set from Brooklinen! I’ve heard so many positive things about how amazing their sheets are, & their price, compared to other luxury bedding brands, can’t be beat. I opted to go all white for a clean look but you can choose from an assortment of colors, that all go together mix-and-matched, for the individual duvet sheet, fitted sheet, & pillow cases.

Use code tilden10 for 10% off orders of $50+

I couldn’t be more thrilled with how my room turned out! It completely captures the modern meets calm vibe I strived for, with a touch of coastal boho that represented my childhood in a more mature manner. I’m finding myself hanging out in this room more than ever before! Anyone who’s lucky to be a guest at my parent’s house, myself included, is a lucky human.

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Here’s where we got everything

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Bed: Sleep Number

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Bedding: Brooklinen “Luxe Hardcore Bundle”

*Use code tilden10 for 10% off an order $50+

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Throw Blanket: Etsy

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Headboard: Wayfair

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Bedside Tables: Homegoods – similar here

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7-Drawer Dresser: Wayfair

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Table Lamps: Homegoods – similar here

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Bed Wall Sconces: Shades of Light – similar here & here

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Mantle Wall Sconces: Birch Lane – similar here

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Mirror: Homesense – similar here & here

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Rug: Homesense – similar here & here

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Ottoman: Homegoods – similar here

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Wall Art: Homegoods – similar here & here

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Ginger Jars: Homegoods – similar here & here

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Buddha: Asia Barong

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Coastal Beach Decor: Homegoods – similar here