Our Entertaining New Series Challenges Designers to Remodel a Room in Just 24 Hours

With a $5,000 budget and only 24 hours, interior designer Kerrie Kelly and her team reimagined a primary bedroom and the adjoining walk-in closet in for Good Housekeeping‘s very first episode of Designer for a Day, available on the VeryLocal network.

Homeowners Jennifer and Jason of Roseville, California, hadn’t upgraded their primary bedroom in about 13 years. Excited for the redesign, Jennifer was looking for a “cozy farmhouse style,” while Jason hoped to turn their bedroom into a “modern, hotel-like oasis.” Kerrie chatted with the couple about their preferences, then got to work on crafting an aesthetic that married the two.

Homeowners Jennifer and Jason live in Roseville with their two children: eight-year-old Kayla and six-year-old Cayden.

Reimagining a space in a single day doesn’t come without challenges. “It takes lots of planning to successfully install a design project in one day,” says Kelly. “Everything must go right — from moving to painting, closet installation, furniture assembly, drapery hanging and finishing touches.”

Kerrie sits down to choose finishes, textures and colors.

To map out her design, Kerrie starts by sketching the primary bedroom.  

Kelly’s big piece of advice: “Remain flexible — every project has its hiccups and there is always a solution if you stay open-minded.”

BEFORE

The first task for any space Kelly designs? Decluttering. “The key to any room upgrade is to edit, edit, edit,” she says. There’s also the opportunity to breathe new life into your existing pieces: reframe artwork, re-orient rugs, move furniture and paint or reupholster buffets, hutches and chairs. Finally, take advantage of simple upgrades like adding wallpaper, swapping out lighting fixtures and upgrading hardware.

Tip: If you’re tight on budget or timeline, find creative ways to repurpose what you already own.

AFTER

Lumbar Throw Pillow Cognac

Faux Leather Bench

To save money, Kelly decided to stick with the couple’s original bed frame. She put it on an entirely different wall, making the space almost unrecognizable. She also elevated the look with a headboard wall, adding trim pieces for architectural design and painting the accent wall in Sherwin-Williams’ Grizzle Gray SW 7068. She placed a bench at the foot of the bed, increased the height of the curtains to create a sense of drama and layered in textures with throw pillows.

BEFORE & AFTER: THE WALK-IN CLOSET

When Kelly realized that a refurbished vintage console table that was intended to be a statement piece of the bedroom wouldn’t arrive in time, she had to practice quick thinking. She kept the couple’s original dresser and, with money freed up in the budget, turned her attention to the walk-in closet — tapping into the expertise of the Good Housekeeping Institute and Good Housekeeping Senior Home Editor Monique Valeris for inspiration and advice.

“Storing your clothes is important to keeping them looking their best,” said Valeris, who suggested that Jason and Jennifer start by editing their closet, donating unwanted items to a local thrift shop. To save time and energy, Kelly went with a white reach-in closet from the Container Store to achieve a custom look. She then added in decorative touches, like an accessory stand, to give the walk-in closet a “shoppable” feel.

HOW TO EDIT YOUR CLOSET

• Pull everything out of your closet and put each item into one of three piles: keep, toss or donate.
• Categorize your collection by color. For example, arrange pieces from light to dark.
• For visual harmony and space-saving benefits, use a consistent thin hanger such as white wood or slim, non-slip black velvet wire hangers.
• Take advantage of vertical space. For example, place a rolling cart with pull-out baskets on the floor.
• Repurpose baskets and boxes to corral bulkier, less used items.

Stream the full episode of Designer for a Day for free on the Very Local app, available on smart TVs (Roku, Amazon Fire TV) and mobile apps.

Associate Lifestyle Editor

Alyssa Gautieri (she/her) is the associate lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers all things home and interior design. Prior to joining GH in 2022, she wrote for publications including ELLE Decor, Chairish, BobVila.com, Unique Homes Magazine and LODGING Magazine, in addition to crafting product copy for home brands like BrylaneHome and VIGO Industries.