NYC Bedroom Makeover

Back in August when I landed in New York, I had one large suitcase full of interview clothes, a couple shoes, a towel, snacks (of course) and one jacket. I also had a carry-on but let’s face it, that small thing didn’t add much packing space for decorations or furniture. I decided to leave a couple boxes of stuff at my parents but for the most part, I purged. I donated close to 20 trash bags from my closet…yes 20, and sold/gave away all of my bedroom furniture. I was excited to start a fresh slate in NYC but I never expected I would start with a 5.5 ft x 10 ft fresh white slate and a hand-me-down twin bed from my roommate.

I vividly remember Facetiming my mom while standing in my new room almost speechless. How was I going to make this little space feel like a home? I had flashbacks to freshman year in the dorms and kept thinking I was officially an adult living in a Harry Potter closet, but that’s the New York dream right? FYI, Carrie Bradshaw’s life and closet is not the reality of a journalist in 2015. But thanks to my friends at PB Teen and Bed Bath & Beyond, they have helped me revamp my room and make it even more chic than I could have ever imagined. And on top of it all, my room feels and looks bigger – such a  huge difference!

The past 5 years my room theme has always been black, white and an accent color such as red, teal or gold. This time, I decided to forego the boring rule of one accent color and embraced the adventure, life and culture of the city. I envisioned, lots of art, fashion books, unique figurines and pops of color. In order to to not make my room feel too cluttered with decor or color, I based my room with my go-to colors of blacks and whites but I also added a mix of metallics, like silver and gold. I was nervous to mix the metallics but once it started coming together I really loved the balance. Next, I focused on adding my accent colors in small doses in the decorations, from colorful fashion books, abstract graphics and my turquoise oriental rug at the side of my bed.

In my room I have a large radiator which took up almost half of my free wall, and since I couldn’t fit a dresser, desk or clothing rack, I opted for a small vanity. I use my vanity to get ready in the mornings and at night as my blogging desk! When I was planning my room I thought of adding an exposed closet with shelving above my vanity for  additional storage, but of course with my luck, my shelves (not from PBT or BBB)  kept getting delayed and just showed up last night. AFTER I photographed everything haha. Oh well, I like my room more without them. So in a last-minute decision I moved my gallery wall to above my vanity! I got prints from Minted.com and also tore out pictures from magazines. I DIY’d my New York and lipstick posters. For the lipstick poster, I took a bunch of pieces from fashion magazines and laid them behind the quote – so easy and it cost under $10. Also my PB Teen gallery frames immediately caught my eye. They come with removable mats, which was a great because I took them out for some of the larger prints.

And let’s not forget about my favorite pieces in my room – my Kate Spade New York elephant bank, vase and typography pillows! I was so excited when I saw the new Kate Spade New York collection at Bed Bath & Beyond and knew they were going to be key items in my room. My vision of a “city chic” place with pops of color and feminine touches truly matched the Kate Spade New York vibe, and was a perfect match! Well, enough of me talking, enjoy my room makeover and you can shop these exact items at the end of the post! Another big thank you to PB Teen and Bed Bath & Beyond for making my move to New York easier, trendier and seriously more fun! And if you’re planning on decorating your first dorm, apartment or house, make sure to check out Bed Bath & Beyond’s ‘Apartment Checklist‘, it’s super helpful! Also check out my post on PB Teen’s blog, The Style House, today right HERE – and follow @pbteen on Saturday when I take over their Instagram! xo

SPONSORED BY: PB TEEN & BED BATH & BEYOND
PHOTOGRAPHY: SAM KELLY PHOTOGRAPHY
OUTFIT: SHIRT (TARGET) | JEANS (FREE PEOPLE) | BLAZER (THRIFT) | BOOTS (c/o AMICLUBWEAR) | HEELS (CHINESE LAUNDRY) | NECKLACE (AMAZON)

SHOP MY ROOM IN THE LINKS BELOW:

BEDDING | FRINGE PILLOW | FUR PILLOW | ALPHABET LETTER PILLOW

BOOKCASE | OTTOMAN | VANITY

KATE SPADE NEW YORK TYPOGRAPHY PILLOW | ORIENTAL RUG | KATE SPADE NEW YORK & PILLOW

KATE SPADE NEW YORK VASE | MIRROR | KATE SPADE NEW YORK ELEPHANT BANK

GALLERY SET | POSTER SET

TOWELS | LAUNDRY BAG | STEP STOOL | HANGERS | HANGER CLIPS