The Pink Room That Took a Year

Let me tell you about a transformation that was literally a year in the making.

Over a year ago, I wandered into Ace Hardware and picked up a paint swatch called Odessa Pink. for my daughter Estella's room. Elegant. Sophisticated. Not bubblegum or princess. More like a feminine Joshua tree vibe. I brought it home and stuck it to Estella’s wall with a sticker holding it up.

And then it fell off. Every. Single. Day.

The sticker got all grimy and I knew at that point that the shade looked good in morning light, afternoon light, evening light, overhead light, you name it. But for some reason, I just kept sticking it back up, like it was my job.

I hired a painter on TaskRabbit. They didn’t show. Twice. I got some real “this is not meant to be” vibes. Then I got a quote and it was too expensive, and I thought, Fine. I’ll do it myself.

Two weeks (or maybe two months, who’s counting?) later, I finally did the thing.

Marcos, who used to paint houses during college summers, gave me some tips and I got to work. I FaceTimed my high school friend Alison while rolling on that first coat. I listend to podcasts during the second go around. I may have done some circus-level acrobatics to reach the corners. But I did it.

And now? The room looks exactly like I imagined. A not-too-girly, cheerful pink that somehow makes the room feel both larger and warmer. It’s cozy, unique, and just a little bit unexpected.

Sometimes it takes so long to finish a space that you think, Ugh, this would’ve been cooler if I had just done it last year. But honestly? Maybe it’s even more enjoyable because I waited. I lived with the “before,” I appreciated the “almost,” and now I get to fully love the “after.” I'm trying not to feel to bad about the projects I put off because why would I waste that energy, right?

Estella and Ivy share this little room, and it’s been such a joy watching them in this darling, in-progress space together. I still have plans to maximize every inch, but let me tell you—the paint alone feels like pure magic. Truly, the most transformational thing you can do for a room it paint it.

So here’s the before, the inspiration, and the after. One year, one shade of pink, and a whole lot of patience later. If you are on the fence about some kind of paint, just get it, paint and make a space slightly cooler, this is your sign.

Odessa Pink Walls and Cozy Rug from Rifle Paper Co

BEFORE- White Walls, White Rug (Cozy but white rug in a toddler room? um no. )