Schoolgirl Style friends! Raissa HERE {Melanie’s assistant}! Not only did I receive the GORGEOUS classroom makeover, but I also get to take over the blog for this highlight of the makeover! Say WHAT!?! And because y’all are the BEST, and want to know all-the-things, I’m going to do my best to weave all the emotions, all the details, and ALL the links to products into THIS post. Okay, here we GO…

Let’s just start with how sneaky this team is… never have I ever been so surprised in my life! Makeover weeks are my FAVORITE. I love how Melanie takes the pieces of the collection and brings them together in a classroom. I adore the stories behind each makeover. I ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ at the teachers’ reactions to their new space, AND I treasure the JOY students will feel calling that space ‘home’ while they are at school. 

There is a heartbeat behind each makeover — the heartbeat of Schoolgirl Style — to partner with teachers in making their classrooms extensions of their homes. 

Teaching is a profession that requires continual sacrifice and giving of oneself. For educators, there is a calling within, to bring forth love and courage in future generations, so students can go forward and make the world a better place. This grandeur calling often plays out in the ever-so-small, day-to-day moments with our students. Moments like: putting band-aids on scrapes, spending hours composing lesson plans, giving that extra hug when it’s needed most, awing at the sweet gifts of sticks, rocks and clover flower necklaces that had been gathered at recess. It is celebrating with them, all the moments, whether big or small. It is being their cheerleader. And it is the work of making sure every student feels seen and known. 

This idea of feeling seen and valued, and all the heart-felt emotions attached to it — that is what these makeovers do for teachers. When my sweet, sweet friends showed up in my classroom and told me I was the SURPRISE makeover, I felt SO LOVED and SO SEEN. 

During makeover week, the Schoolgirl Style team decided to change the name of the makeover to “Better Together” which just makes me weepy! And I LOVE the “Better Together” letters! Ahh! They are a focal point in the classroom, and paired with infamous fancy fans.

Also, I spy a quadruple border! Natural wood, rainbows, fringe, and  coral stripe, oh my! And I’m obsessed 🙂 Melanie is the queen of layered borders, and it always adds so much depth and dimension to any whiteboard or bulletin board.

One of my favorite meetings we have is when Melanie “rolls out the red carpet” to show the team the new collections and products. We get to see all the sneak peeks and it. is. the. best.

When she introduced Boho Rainbow I. Melted. Everything about it made my heart pitter-patter. The neutral palette, the dainty rainbows, and oh sweet heavens, the messaging woven throughout this collection. After 2020, bless it, the verbiage in this collection is exactly the needed tapestry for the walls of classrooms. The Boho Rainbow posters “Let Your Light Shine“, “Above All Else LOVE One Another“, “Better Together” and “Listen, Learn, Love” are beautifully framed in the Ribba Frames from Ikea, and make a statement on the ombre wall. 

One of the biggest issues I had with my room was the lack of natural light. I’m a give-me-all-the-vitamin-D kind of a gal, so cue all the crying emojis. But Melanie gave those walls some sunshine by painting them white, and now they sing “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by JT all. the. day. long!

The cut-outs turned wall art is one of the best things EVER! And one of my favorite details {I’m allowed to say that as many times as I want, right?!?} from the makeover were the enlarged neutral rainbows. Oh my lanta, I love! The rainbows and sunshines {one of the sunshines was added as a door topper…let’s just give door toppers a round of applause} in my room were enlarged at a printing store, to 36″x48″. Tip: you can ask to print on blueprint paper to cut down on the cost.

Oh my teacher nook! Never has it looked cuter, or felt more homey! It makes grading papers so much more joy-filled 😉 The desk was purchased from Ikea, and the little black desk sets from Schoolgirl Style.

Can we take a moment for the ombre wall? I mean. Hello lovely!! Can you believe the poor darling use to be mint green? Ugh!

{If you want to recreate this wall, here is the list of Sherwin Williams paint colors from top to bottom: Dover White (SW 6385), Tres Naturale (SW 9101), Loggia (SW 7506), Toasty (SW 6095), Coconut Husk (SW 6111), Constant Coral (SW 6325), Koral Kicks (SW 6610), Mellow Coral (SW 6324), and Faint Coral (SW 6329).}

Borders really are a teacher’s BFF, and have. so. many. uses. Melanie added dimension to the bookshelves by using the painted dot border from Boho Rainbow to wallpaper the back of the bookshelf. It adds such charm to the space!

SO MUCH storage was added with jelly totes, book and binder holders, and these adorable coral bins. And labeling is made fun with the coordinating nameplates!

One of my absolute favorite pieces in the whole room is the neutral rainbow rug. I have been WAITING to see the new Schoolgirl Style coordinating RUGS, and they do not disappoint! It’s so so soft, the colors are stunning and they are STAIN RESISTANT {And all the teachers rejoiced}. The natural wood rug was added to the lounge area. These rugs are showstoppers and literally make me smile every time I look at them.

Y’all. Macrame is a dreamboat. It’s all in the details and Melanie brought in more of that boho feel with hanging macrame. It adds so much warmth and texture to my classroom!

I have a love affair for pillows. Like the pillow isle at Target is a danger zone. So needlessly to say, the plethora of pillows added to my room brought me all the joy {and my students, they LOVE them}. The textured pillows were purchased from Target, and the Boho Rainbow coordinating pillows were ordered from Zazzle.com. You can use any of the coordinating papers from the shop, upload them to Zazzle.com and get customized pillows for your classroom! YAY!

The color pallet chosen for the lanterns is STUNNING. The combination of the coral, peach and white is just perfection!Oh the beloved sofa! Hands-down, this is my students’ favorite piece from the makeover. That and the poufs. The stunning and cozy sitting area that Melanie created, draws them in and they linger. It’s a gathering place during breaks and after school. A flex seating option. And it feels like home, which is my favorite part!

Whew! There you have it, the Better Together Makeover!

These classroom makeovers, and the creation of beautiful classroom decor, has so much depth to it. When teachers take the time to add the warmth of decor, it means something to students. Classrooms are little havens, safe places, where students can grow and become. A place where they can ask questions and learn from mistakes. It’s a place for them to call home. 

Happy decorating, friends!

XOXO

PS Here is the video highlighting REVEAL day. I cry every time I watch it! Enjoy!