Weekend Progress: Girls’ Room at the Showhouse
We spent the weekend tackling hands-on projects in the girls’ room at the showhouse. It still feels a little sparse and is far from finished, so it will likely continue evolving up until our deadline. That said, we were able to cross off several big items from the to-do list.
- Raise the bed and add a colorful throw
- Iron linens and add a custom bolster
- Hang colorful fabric window treatments once they arrive
- Decide whether to swap the end table
- Add a soft blue lamp and a handful of accessories to pull everything together
Even with those remaining tasks, we made serious progress.
Over the weekend we stenciled the wall, painted the headboard, hung artwork (the playful chicken painting was created by our friend Lesli DeVito), and painted and reupholstered two thrifted chairs. We also added a few fun wall hooks to give the space more personality.
One of our thrift finds was an old full-sized headboard we scored for $9.98 at Family Thrift Center.
Now the headboard has a fresh coat of Benjamin Moore Hydrangea Flowers and sits against a freshly stenciled wall. Parker—one of the builder’s right-hand crew—handled the stenciling and the headboard paint, and proved to be an expert stenciler among his many talents.
It felt strange not to be on the ladders ourselves, but with 3,500 square feet of house to furnish and accessorize, having help allowed us to move forward on many other projects at the same time. The stencil was donated by Royal Design Studio, and the room color is Simply White with Hibiscus layered for the stencil detail.
We wanted to take a few creative risks to keep the showhouse interesting. The stenciling pairs nicely with the headboard’s pop of color, and because it can be painted over later, it remains a flexible choice for future homeowners.
We also refinished two chairs ourselves that we found for $16 each at a local thrift store (Love of Jesus on Midlothian).
Here’s what they looked like when we found them.
We briefly considered staining them, so John sanded them to raw wood. After stepping back and looking at the room—carpeted floors and other painted furniture—we decided paint would feel more cohesive and playful for a kids’ space. Paint wins when you want color and personality.
We primed with two coats of Kilz Premium (applied with a foam roller and a brush for detailed areas) and then applied two coats of Hibiscus leftover from the stenciled wall, again using a small foam roller and brush for tight spots.
While the chairs cured in the garage, I re-covered the seats using extra loft batting and a manual staple gun—pulling the batting tight around the front and stapling around the perimeter in the back.
We used a playful patterned fabric called Candy Floss donated by U-Fab—a single yard was enough to cover both seats. For neat corners I folded the fabric much like wrapping a present, which gives a clean look at the front.
When working with patterns, keep the print straight as you staple and check the alignment frequently. If you’re upholstering more than one chair and want them to match, run the fabric in the same direction on both seats so the pattern reads consistently.
Once the seats were dry, we screwed them back onto the frames. The result: refreshed, coordinated chairs that feel brand new.
Behind one chair we added some ceramic animal hooks we found at HomeGoods. They’re perfect for hanging a pretend purse, a mini backpack, and a scarf—small touches that make the room feel lived-in.
We thought the white-on-white might look flat on the wall, so we dipped the tips of their antlers in paint to add interest. Rather than tape and mask them, we dipped the antlers directly into the cans (Hydrangea Flowers and Berry Fizz), creating imperfect, glossy tips that read almost like powder-coated resin.
To catch drips we hung the pieces from a spreader and placed foam core underneath. The result is intentionally imperfect and more visually interesting than a perfectly painted edge.
We also installed a playful Burger pendant light—an indulgent touch that fits the room’s whimsical vibe.
The room already looks miles better than it did a month ago, and we’re down to roughly half a dozen final tweaks in this space—while also juggling finishing the other 24 rooms in the next two weeks.
Update: A few readers asked about the double desk in a single kids’ room. John grew up with two desk areas—one for a computer and one for homework or drawing—so our team thought a double desk could be practical, especially since two chairs fit easily along that wall.
Update #2: Some asked whether the showhouse furnishings need to appeal to every buyer. These rooms are designed to be creative and distinctive for the show; after the event the homeowner can choose to buy some of the pieces, but will ultimately have the option to redecorate the house to suit their family.
We’ll be showhouse-heavy over the next couple of weeks—so if we’re slow to reply or post, that’s why. We’ve squeezed in a few personal projects between showhouse tasks and can’t wait to share more when we can.
What did you work on this weekend? Any headboard refreshes, chair makeovers, or playful DIY touches like dipped ceramics?
Psst— Want to see more showhouse photos and details? Search for Our Full Showhouse Tour for photos, floor plans, budget info, and a room-by-room walkthrough.