The middle bedroom in our beach house has a fresh new look—board & batten below and soft, painterly peel-and-stick wallpaper above—and I’m thrilled with how it turned out. The contrast between the new treatments and the original heart pine floors and doors (those are 115 years old) is especially lovely in person. The wallpaper reads much softer and more muted in real life than it photographs, but honestly I’d rather the room look better in real life than just online.
For the last two and a half years the room had a queen bed and looked great, but it rarely got used. The large bed took up so much space that the room functioned more like a storage area than a usable living space. We wanted a room that would actually be used—a place for kids to craft, read, or for an overflow guest to sleep without crowding the layout—and downsizing the bed was the key.
We replaced the queen with a rattan daybed and a twin mattress, freeing up space for activities and adding a cozy lounge spot. The daybed gives the room a lighter, beachy feel and works well as both a bed and a sofa for reading or snuggling. The new floor plan also allowed for a small desk that’s become a craft and writing station the whole family actually uses.
During the renovation we added a dedicated central hallway, which made the layout much more practical. The middle bedroom no longer serves as a thoroughfare, and it now functions as a true multipurpose room. We actually finished the updates a few months ago but delayed sharing photos while we were sidetracked by a long-running bathroom renovation. The advantage of reporting on a room after living with it for a while is that we can confirm the changes truly work.
This update was made from a series of small, affordable projects that together transformed the room. We added a board & batten wall treatment for architectural interest, installed peel-and-stick wallpaper above it to bring in color and pattern, and brought in a rattan daybed that was on sale. A compact desk from a national retailer solved our paper-and-craft-clutter problem and gave kids a consistent place to create rather than leaving projects all over the kitchen table.
We were intentional about keeping many existing elements that still worked: framed art, a woven rug, curtains and rods, and window blinds all remained and fit the new scheme. Small changes—like swapping the desk hardware for brass pulls and reusing a brass mobile—helped tie everything together. The twin mattress on the daybed was a hand-me-down, so that felt like a small win as well.
We still have a dedicated guest room with a queen bed next door, so this middle bedroom doesn’t need to be the main guest space. That allowed us to tailor it to more everyday use—kids crafting, reading, or guests with a compact sleeping setup. The result is a versatile room that supports multiple activities instead of sitting unused.
We also added flexible seating in the form of pouf ottomans. They serve as casual side tables, extra seats for drawing, and tuck under the desk when we need the floor space for a sleeping bag or a crafts project. The kids took to the new setup immediately: multiple friends have used the room at once—some on the daybed reading, others at the desk making flip books, one on the floor building with cardboard—and it’s been so satisfying to see the space finally get the use it deserved.
A key visual improvement is how the board & batten and wallpaper draw the eye upward, making the room feel taller and more open. Vertical lines and a band of wallpaper near the ceiling help the room feel more airy rather than closed in, which can be an unexpected benefit of adding molding or millwork. We’ve used a similar approach elsewhere with great results.
Small styling touches—neutral woven textures, muted art, a touch of brass, and breezy white curtains—keep the room feeling classic and flexible. A simple floor lamp over the daybed provides reading light, and the desk drawers now hold writing utensils and craft supplies so projects stay contained in one spot instead of migrating to the dining table.
If you’re planning a similar update, thinking through function first makes a huge difference. Decide whether a room needs to be a primary guest space or a flexible activity room, then choose furniture to support that use. Adding architectural details like board & batten and a wallpaper border can elevate the design without overwhelming a small room.
For DIY tips, installing board & batten and hanging peel-and-stick wallpaper are straightforward weekend projects for most people. With a few thoughtful, budget-friendly updates and a focus on how you actually want to use the room, a small space can become one of the most-loved rooms in the house.
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