Little Girl’s Butterfly Bedroom Makeover

Can you die from cuteness overload? Every time I step into Olivia’s room I want to hang out for hours—dancing, playing dress-up, and reading together. Her bedroom makeover is officially complete, and it has already changed our nightly routine: story time is longer, cozier, and more joyful than it was before.

This is what the room looked like until a couple of months ago.

Thankfully the walls were already a pretty purple, which meant Olivia got to enjoy her purple phase until we were ready to give the room a full refresh. The previous thrift-store bed was wobbling and ready to fall apart, the rug had stubborn stains, and the whole room needed a bright, functional update.

One of the best parts of this makeover was decluttering. Moving into a new house often means holding onto too much while you decide what to keep. This project made it easier to pare down and keep only the things that mattered most to Olivia.

We aimed for decor that feels a little more “big girl” so the setup will last through elementary school and, hopefully, well into middle school. Olivia is almost six now, and I wanted a room that would grow with her rather than feel babyish.

Her single request was butterflies. That became the guiding theme. I chose a kaleidoscope-look wallpaper that hides little butterflies in the pattern for a focal wall, and I refinished a cheap dresser from Craigslist to pair with a handmade butterfly shadow box above it.

The shadow box was a simple DIY: an inexpensive frame filled with printed paper butterflies and a few cherished keepsakes—her grandfather’s carved rattle, Robert’s first teddy bear, and a favorite Shel Silverstein book set that she often chooses at bedtime.

One holdover from our previous home that Olivia insisted on was her DIY ballet barre. She is absolutely obsessed with it—she practices and dances during every free moment, and honestly, I’m a little nostalgic for my own childhood ballet days watching her.

We replaced the old light fixture with a beaded semi-flush mount that feels like a delicate chandelier suited for the eight-foot ceilings. The wobbly thrift-store bed was swapped for a sturdy metal canopy bed that she loves using to build weekend forts—quilt tents and indoor camp-outs are now a Saturday night staple.

To soften the look without competing with the wallpaper, I layered a textured chenille bedspread over her existing duvet. Blush textured pillows from HomeGoods complement a beaded butterfly pillow Olivia picked out herself—she chose the butterfly pillow first, and that’s what sparked the entire theme.

Nightstands that had been in our master bedroom fit perfectly here after a little veneer repair and paint. Thrifted lamps received quick makeovers to coordinate with the new palette and tie the look together.

She just finished a ballet recital this past weekend, and I have a feeling the dancing will continue all summer. The girl never stops dancing—at the grocery store, in the parking lot, at the playground—so it feels right that her room supports that playful energy.

With this room finished, the next kid space on our list is the nursery—something that feels both exciting and a little emotional as the belly grows. Olivia is thrilled to meet her baby sister in October and can’t wait to be a helper. Until then, I’m soaking up every minute of this only-child time with my sweet girl.

If you want to know where items came from, here are the sources used in this room:

• Wall color: Behr My Sweetheart
• Trim/ceiling color: Benjamin Moore Simply White
• Door color: Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron
• Wallpaper: kaleidoscope-look butterfly pattern
• Canopy bed: metal canopy bed
• Light fixture: beaded semi-flush mount
• Wool knit rug
• Chenille bedspread set
• Throw blanket
• Beaded butterfly pillow
• Bamboo Roman shades
• Pom pom curtains
• Curtain rods
• Gray bud vase
• Bushel and a peck sign (similar)
• Shel Silverstein book set
• Trellis mirrors
• Ballet barre (DIY tutorial)
• Large butterflies (spray painted white)
• Nightstands (makeover)
• Thrifted lamps (makeover)
• Butterfly shadow box (DIY tutorial and printable)
• Dresser (makeover)
• Butterfly terrarium (makeover)