Mwah, hah, hah. Picture me laughing like a cartoon villain while rubbing my hands together—because I always love the “finishing touches” stage of a room. The home stretch is the best part.
After wrestling with the awkward middle of the project, a few small updates this weekend finally helped the space feel cohesive. Between installing, caulking, and painting board & batten, we made progress on several little details that tie the room together.
We replaced the tired tan fitted sheet on the daybed with a simple navy blue, 100% cotton twin set from Target, and added a cushy mattress pad so the bed is Clara-ready whenever she decides to move in. For now she’s still happy in her crib, so we’re following her lead.
We also rotated the rug the other way and discovered more of its dotted pattern that had been hiding under the daybed. Walking in now shows a fun gradient and lots more dots up front—more personality the moment you enter.
One of the most satisfying small changes was finally adding storage baskets in the corners beside the daybed. They’re the same $25 Target baskets we use around the house, but I painted a playful white band along the bottom of each to brighten those corners and avoid a dark, shadowy look. I taped off the tops with a garbage bag and used Frog Tape for a clean line, then sprayed a few coats of Rustoleum Universal for quick coverage and built-in primer. The spray didn’t seep through the weave, so the project stayed clean and easy.
Now the basket to the right of the bed holds toys, stuffed animals, games, and puzzles, while the one on the left contains Clara’s favorite books. It’s great to give those corners function, and the layout still allows us to swap in small nightstands later if she wants a cup of water or an alarm clock by her bed.
For a little wall art, I framed a set of red dominoes and Scrabble letters that spell “love.” The dominoes are 1-4-3 doubles as a nod to pager code for “I love you,” and the Scrabble tiles reinforce the message. Instead of buying a shadowbox, I used an old Ikea frame and removed the glass—an easy, charming solution that used what we already had.
Another highlight was a simple craft Clara and I did together: painting a wooden name plaque that hangs above her play kitchen. A kind reader made the plaque and gave it to us, and Clara chose red paint—no surprise there. She painted most of it and I helped with the corners and smoothing. It took about fifteen minutes and one coat, but she talked about it all day. Crafting together was priceless.
As the room evolved, Clara’s big girl space has gained more to do: a play-kitchen corner, games and toys in the closet, the new toy and book baskets, and hooks for her hair clips, headbands, and necklaces. One of her favorite hobbies is “fake-sleeping” in her bed—complete with fake snoring. It’s undeniably the cutest thing.
Her tea-party table remains a hotspot. There’s almost always a doll or stuffed animal enjoying tiny meals, and the red chair-backs add a cheerful pop of color. The penguin-turned-chihuahua toy was having a breakfast of eggs, cookies, and ketchup the other day—just the usual imaginative fare.
The navy sheets look sweet with a heart pillow on top, and she still loves gazing up at the birdcages on the wall and the shadows they cast at night. For now they’re decorative and out of reach so she won’t be tempted to scale the wall; later we might add faux birds or butterflies if it seems safe.
We’ve been having fun with the flash card shelves over the dresser, swapping cards for small objects and metallic animal prints from a local fair, plus some pop-art Clara prints a reader gave us. It’s nice to have shelving that’s out of reach for delicate items, and I’d love to add some of Clara’s artwork there in the future.
We also brought in a few favorite toys from her nursery—her wooden stacking tree and lettered blocks. A lightweight red metal bowl on her desk (spray painted by me) works well for storing blocks because it’s durable and easy to move to the floor during play.
So, what changed this weekend? Painted baskets, a name plaque Clara helped with, fresh navy sheets, homemade domino art, and more accessible toys, games, and books. The room finally feels like a finished space instead of an ongoing project. A few items still remain on the to-do list:
paint the roomcut down our old den side table to make a play tablebring in a dresser (we’d love to find something secondhand)make/hang some curtainsadd a rugmake a frame collage full of animals Clara loves, and include her artpaint the backs of the chairs along with her play tablehang our postcard ledges and fill them with favorite flashcardsinstall a new light fixturehang a few 3D wall objectsturn the cluttered closet into a clothes closet/reading nookget a new set of navy sheets and a mattress pad for the daybedadd accessories like more toys, storage bins, and personalized art- refinish or paint Clara’s new dresser
- add crown molding along this side of the house
- paint the closet and ceiling a fun color, maybe a soft coral or blue
It’s been fun watching this room come together over the past month or two, similar to how we finished Clara’s nursery. Each kids’ room brings its own kind of joy, and this big girl room has quickly become one of my favorite spaces in the house. What did you tackle this weekend? Anyone else working on board & batten? We can’t wait to share the full reveal soon.