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Transforming a Teen's Bedroom: An Academia-Inspired Journey
- Laura
- Apr 11
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 24
Creating an academia-inspired bedroom for my daughter has been a journey that has taken a few years. This room evolved from being my husband's home office, to a homeschool art room, to finally being Evangeline's personal space. I love that it took time, because every piece feels collected and just right for her.
If you want to see a full video of all the DIY's and thrifting we did to pull this room together, you can click on the icon at the bottom of this post. But, briefly, here are a few of our favorite things from this bedroom makeover:
Designing the Perfect Space
DIY Built-In Window Seat
If you have followed me for a while then you know that the window seat was added when this room was a homeschool space. But it transformed beautifully into being a built in bookcase that holds all of Eva's books and trinkets.
I shared a list of supplies that I used to create this on my Lowe's Storefront, which you can find here.
There are many wonderful plans for building a window seat on the internet, so I will not go to the trouble of creating another one. Here is a wonderfully descriptive plan you can use:
What Academia room would be complete without a bookshelf full of books - and better yet, a VINTAGE bookcase with VINTAGE books? This part of the journey took us a little while to complete. For months we checked in daily with Facebook Marketplace and after a while our patience paid off. We found just the right pair of cases to fit our window seat, and while we were at it, a few boxes of vintage books. We set the bookcases on top of the window seat and attached them to the wall. A couple of viney plants are happy at the top near the window, and the sides perfectly suit our sconces.
I also made this window seat cushion years ago. You can find my French Cushion Tutorial here:
To see more of this side of the room click the icon to the YouTube video at the bottom of the post.
No Sew luxe Curtains
Amazon has a huge selection of curtains for a small budget. We found just the right green velvet color for the room, but we wanted to amp up the style and thought that adding a bit of lace might do the trick. We stumbled upon a lacey cafe curtain at HomeGoods while shopping for a curtain rod. With no-sew velcro placed every few inches, I attached the cafe curtain along the bottom of both panels. It gave the curtains that sense of volume and weight that tailored curtains have, and because they are attached with velcro I can also easily remove them for washing if they get dirty along the floor.
This roll top desk was another vintage Facebook Marketplace find. We gave it to her on her 16th birthday along with the chair. This area of her room provides nice storage for art pens and supplies that is out of sight.
Upcycling and Refreshing Existing Decor
Updating Old Sconces
One of my favorite ways to save money is to try and reimagine things in the room, especially light fixtures. Rub n buff, a new shade, or a new style of glass can do wonders for an old fixture. The bonus is that you will have a fixture that no one else has! In our case, a pair of sconces I had purchased 6 years ago made a comeback with a simple switch to a frosted globe and a new kind of light bulb. You can see one of them in the mirror reflection - it reminded us of the Victorian library sconces with this simple and affordable change.
Rub ‘n Buff Mirror Update
Speaking of the wonders of Rub N Buff, this was exactly how we updated the floor length mirror in her room. I experimented with some shoe polish and white furniture wax over top of the Antique Gold Rub N buff to give it a mottled, aged look. Applying these before it cured ensured that they wouldn't rub off later.
Final Touches
My daughter's hand drawn artwork ties everything together and truly personalizes this room. The wool plaid blanket was from a trip to the "Scottish Games" that take place every spring near our home. The touches of yellow in the throw pillows and duvet bring lightness and warmth to the room. And a vintage fan and a picture of my Grandfather in WW2 really transport the space to another time as well.
The bed was a Facebook Marketplace find from when she was very young. The vintage Jenny LLInd style adds an additional touch of character and looks dramatic painted black.
She loves her new room and many of the choices in this space were hers. I love that. And I'm so happy with how it all came together.
Personal Sketches make the room come alive with her personality Here is a link to shop the space if you are looking to recreate a similar look in your own home.
https://www.thesimplefarmhouse.com/evangelines-room
And here is the full video with more details about the paint colors, thrifted finds and DIY's in this space.
Until next time...
Your adolescent bedroom makeover is very amazing! The academic-chic approach reminds me of my niece, who altered her room while juggling finals—she had to pay someone to website content writing for her student blog so she could focus on examinations, similar to how your design combines style and function. Sometimes outsourcing work allows us to fully enjoy creative initiatives (or study sessions) without exhaustion!
I really like how the design in this room blends creativity with a sense of order—it reminds me of how academic work also benefits from a balanced approach. When researchers use a High Impact Journal Publication Service, they’re essentially making sure their ideas are presented in the most effective way, just like how a well-planned room layout brings out the best in the space. Both rely on thoughtful choices to make a lasting impression.
I love how this bedroom transformation blends creativity, patience, and personal touches. The DIY built-in window seat doubling as a bookcase is such a clever way to combine functionality with style, and the hunt for vintage bookcases and books makes the space feel truly authentic. The academia-inspired vibe you created sounds like the perfect cozy, studious retreat — the kind of environment where I could see myself curling up with a novel or even working on coursework with the help of an online class helper to keep my schedule balanced.
Just received The Dark Knight Rises Tom Hardy Coat — it’s incredibly well-made and super warm.
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