A Girl’s Bedroom Makeover with Blush and Sage Green Wallpaper

I gave my daughter’s room a fresh new look, and this girl’s bedroom makeover is all about blush and sage green wallpaper, painted trim, and updated lighting. Here’s how it all came together!

I feel like we’ve been through so many phases in my daughter’s bedroom over the past six years! First, it was her sweet little nursery; then we turned it into a big-girl bedroom, and now she’s a first grader with BIG opinions about her bedroom design.

I’ve been wanting to add wallpaper to this space for years, and this finally felt like the right time to tackle it. Of course, Aurora had plenty of ideas of her own. At one point, she suggested we wallpaper every single wall AND the ceiling with a different pattern. Ha! I love her creativity, but we had to reel things in just a bit.

After months of looking at wallpaper samples and planning out the space, I’m so excited to share how her latest bedroom makeover turned out!

Painting the Doors & Trim Sage Green

When I was pregnant with Aurora, I installed a chair rail around her bedroom and painted the lower half of the walls a custom sage green color. (Sorry, I don’t have the color name because it’s just color matched to her built-ins which are Kraftmaid “Bonsai”).

I’ve always loved that green, but at the time, I was too nervous to paint the doors and trim to match. So I left them white. Fast-forward six years, and I’ve gotten a lot braver with paint! After painting the trim and doors in both our main bedroom and my office, I knew I wanted to do the same thing in here.

Before wallpaper time, I gave the doors and trim a fresh coat of paint to match the chair rail color. And wow, what a difference! The room immediately felt more cohesive, and I couldn’t believe I’d waited six years to make this change.

Choosing Wallpaper for a Girl’s Bedroom

The biggest thing holding me back from wallpapering this room was the layout. Between the vaulted ceilings, tricky angles, and all the obstacles to work around, I knew it would be a big undertaking.

Over the summer, I finally started ordering samples. And when I say I looked at a lot of wallpaper, I mean DOZENS of samples!

I wanted something that would complement the sage green paint, bring in some soft pink, and feel playful enough for a six-year-old without being too childish. Ideally, I wanted a pattern she could grow with for years to come.

I narrowed things down to a handful of favorites and even asked my Instagram community to help me choose. You guys voted, and we had a winner! But the more I looked at it, the more I realized I wasn’t completely in love with it. And when you’re about to wallpaper an entire bedroom, you really need to LOVE your choice.

So I went rogue and picked something different.

I chose Smilli Clay from Sandberg Wallpaper, and I’m SO happy I trusted my gut. The pink flowers add a soft, feminine touch, while the green in the pattern ties in beautifully with the existing paint. It adds depth and personality without making the room feel too busy. It also warms up the entire space.

My biggest tip when choosing wallpaper? Order samples and look at them in the actual room! Colors and patterns can look completely different in person, especially when you’re trying to coordinate with existing paint and furniture. I’m so glad I took my time with this decision.

Wallpapering a Bedroom with Vaulted Ceilings

Once I finally settled on the wallpaper, it was time to actually install it. And let me tell you, this was no small project!

I wallpapered every single wall above the chair rail, including all of those tricky vaulted areas. Between the angled ceilings, windows, doors, and other obstacles, it ended up taking me two full days of nonstop work.

I used traditional paste-the-wall wallpaper, which is always my preference over peel-and-stick for walls. I’ve installed quite a bit of wallpaper over the years, so I felt comfortable with the process, but this was definitely one of my more ambitious projects.

I’m not going to walk through every installation step here because I already have lots of detailed wallpaper tutorials here on the blog. If you’re thinking about tackling a similar project, I’d recommend starting with my paste-the-wall wallpaper tutorial and checking out my other wallpaper tips before getting started.

It was a lot of work, but seeing that gorgeous pattern covering the walls made every minute worth it!

Updating the Bedroom Lighting

You know how one home project always seems to lead to another? Well, that’s exactly what happened here!

Once the wallpaper was up, I realized Aurora’s dresser lamp looked a little too modern for the space. I wanted something with a more traditional, vintage-inspired feel, so I swapped it out for this ceramic table lamp. I especially love the texture on the rattan lampshade!

I had also replaced the ceiling light fixture earlier with this bubble chandelier, so between those two updates, the lighting feels much more in line with the rest of the bedroom design.

Making Room for All Her Little Treasures

One thing you should know about Aurora is that she LOVES her stuff. She’s a collector of all things tiny, from little toys and trinkets to random treasures she finds throughout the day. And if you suggest getting rid of something? Forget about it. Ha!

Keeping her bedroom tidy has always been a challenge. I’m constantly looking for storage solutions that give her room for all her treasures without making the space feel completely cluttered. Her closet, dresser, and built-ins have tons of hidden storage, which definitely helps corral the plethora of stuffed animals, LEGOS, and trinkets.

But at the end of the day, this is HER bedroom. I want it to be beautiful, but I also want her to have the freedom to play, create, and surround herself with the things she loves. I’m learning to embrace a little bit of the chaos because I know these years won’t last forever.

The Finished Girl’s Bedroom Makeover

Looking back at photos of Aurora’s nursery, it’s hard to believe this is the same room! I love that we’ve been able to update it over the years without starting from scratch. The furniture and built-ins have stayed largely the same, but the wallpaper, painted trim, and lighting gave everything a completely new look.

I also hung the watercolor painted by my great-grandmother back over Aurora’s bed, which is one of my favorite pieces in the room. Her gallery wall is still a work in progress. I want to swap out a few pieces before making any more holes in my beloved wallpaper!

Most importantly, Aurora loves her room. It’s been so fun watching her personality develop over the years and finding little ways to let that shine through in her space. I’m sure this won’t be the last time we change things around in here (Tween girl bedroom next?), but for now, it feels just right for this stage of her life.

Shop The Room Makeover

Want to recreate some of the look in your own home? I’ve rounded up the wallpaper, lighting, paint, and decor we used for this girl’s bedroom makeover, along with links to shop everything.

You can also check out my other wallpaper projects and tutorials if you’re thinking about adding wallpaper to your own home.