Before and After: How I Turned an 80 Square-Foot Office Into My Daughter’s Dream Room

The main limitation was the width of the room, which at 78 inches was too narrow for most lofted beds to run length-wise. (I knew the bed had to run that way to make the space feel open.) Also, contrary to what you might think, I wanted a full-size bed as opposed to a twin, both because it would allow my daughter more space for sleeping, and because it would better define the under-bed area for as a work area.

After searching high and low, I finally found a loft that fit the bill in terms of both size and aesthetics: The super sleek Max and Lily Midcentury Full Loft Bed which, at 77.5 inches, just fit into the space. (Though we did have to remove the baseboards first.) It was an added bonus that the natural woodgrain so perfectly matched the room’s walnut moldings, and that the rounded, melamine sides gave it a sleek, sophisticated feel that I *think* will mean she can use it through high school. It’s also—I’m pleased to say—extremely sturdy. Despite multiple kids wrestling on it, it never shakes, and the ladder doesn’t budge when you climb up and down. I was slightly worried about the sides not being high enough to keep my daughter from rolling out of it, which is why I opted for the Avocado Organic Kids Mattress—at 7 inches tall, it’s perfect for bunk beds and trundles, while still comfortable enough for year-after-year use. (I should know; I’ve fallen asleep on it many times.)

Another one of the room’s limitations is that there are no closets, and not much room for furniture, period. In order to store her clothes, I decided to repurpose an old child’s armoire we had inherited, which has a handful of drawers on one side, and a slender section for hanging items on the other. It’s not big enough to house her entire wardrobe, so I swap in clothes by season, which I otherwise keep in Tupperwares in her brother’s (much bigger) closet. For extra fun and to liven up the space, my mom and I painted the drawer fronts in a series of ombre pinks.

The genius of a lofted bed is that it essentially gives you two rooms in one, and I wanted the space under the bed (which measures 77” long by 55” wide by 53” high) to feel like its own special little area. (My daughter can currently stand up underneath it, but even when she grows, it’s comfortable to be under there seated.) I found an adorable vintage desk, which I painted a two-tone white and lavender, and paired with a chair of her choosing from Amazon. Then we used a rolling artist’s cart to house the rest of her odds n’ ends (ponytail holders, her treasure box, random fidgets that appear out of nowhere…) Her non-negotiables were twinkle lights, a super-soft rug and a bulletin board where she could put up art and pictures of her friends.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to make my home feel beautiful and cozy, and it seems this is a quality I’ve passed down to my daughter, who now spends an inordinate amount of time fluffing her pillows, rearranging her desk items and yelling at people to get off her rug in their sneakers. Mostly, I love that her room has now become her sanctuary. it’s where she curls up and reads or listens to Taylor Swift. It’s where she does her homework and hides out with her friends. But most of all, it’s a little piece of the world to call her own. And when you’re eight, it doesn’t get much better than that.