Mum Makes Magical £200 Bedroom For Harry Potter Obsessed Daughter
- Sarah Richardson, 41, redecorated the room on a budget for her daughter Olivia’s ninth birthday
- Turned the outgrown space into a magical showcase of treasured souvenirs and coveted collectables complete with a cupboard under the stairs inspired reading nook
- Added the finishing touches with budget buys from Primark, H&M and TK Maxx, and Olivia “adores” her new room
Having a themed bedroom that brings your favourite story to life is a child’s dream come true.
For Olivia Richardson, a Harry Potter styled room was at the very top of her ninth birthday list. Her mum Sarah, 41, a visual field technician from Port Talbot, South Wales, put her thinking cap on and was able to magic up a £200 room that any young Potterhead would be proud of.
“Olivia recently turned nine and she’s a huge Harry Potter fan, as am I,” Sarah told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk. “A few months before her big day, she asked if we could re-decorate her bedroom so my husband Mike suggested we do it as part of her birthday present.
“We moved all of her toys and other belongings out of the bedroom to give us some space to reorganise the existing furniture,” says Sarah. “Luckily, we didn't have to buy any large furniture pieces, as her bed was fairly new and the wardrobe and drawers have been there since she was a baby.”
Some smaller items, such as the shelves and curtain pole, also remained in place.
Furniture audit complete, Mike stepped in to prep and paint the magnolia room a spooky shade of grey. He also created a fun feature wall using Harry Potter Daily Prophet Wallpaper, £11.99 per roll, from B&M.
Sarah took the lead on adding the details with accessories.
“The grey carpet didn't need to be changed, so we adapted the colour scheme around that,” she says. “I bought an ochre rug from B&M and curtains from Studio.co.uk to add some colour and warmth.”
Sarah made good use of some souvenirs the family picked up on a recent trip to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London.
“The two large Harry Potter artworks are posters that Olivia bought there, which I put in frames from The Range,” says Sarah. “We also hung some framed photos of Olivia on the tour above the shelves. The brown paper bag hanging on the wall is from the gift shop.”
The Fat Lady poster on the bedroom door is from Emp.co.uk and the hanging frame mount is from H&M,” she adds. “Olivia asks us for the password whenever we enter the room.”
The Wizard’s Chess Set was a Christmas present from Olivia's uncle, which is usually kept neatly packed away in its box but, for now, is proudly on display.
“The small Funko Mystery Minis collectables on the shelf have been gathered over a couple of years,” says Sarah. “Some were received as Christmas and birthday presents, and some were bought by Olivia with her own pocket money.
“Most of the other Harry Potter items on display, including the cushions, were bought from Primark over the past few years. As a Harry Potter fan myself, I would always pick up anything I saw in Primark, as the items are always lovely and so reasonably priced. Now they are finally on display and so can be appreciated.
“Some of the other items, such as the Mirror of Erised were given as presents. The mandrake plant is from Ikea and the Skele-gro bottle was a great find in TK Maxx.”
Sarah factored in a cupboard under the stairs inspired reading nook underneath the high sleeper. To make it extra special she sourced ‘the cupboard under the stairs’ decal from a boutique on Etsy called YummyArtandCraft. The Harry Potter bedding was another birthday present from Olivia's Nanna and Grandpa.
“One of the last items we found was the light fitting,” says Sarah. “After searching lots of websites, I finally found the four-lamp pendant ceiling light from B&Q. I dressed it up with two cheeky Cornish Pixies from The Range.’
Sarah’s shopping list
- Rug, £40, B&M
- Curtains, £29.99,
- Wallpaper, £11.99, B&M
- Paint (Dulux Denim Drift), £16,B&Q
- Large poster frames, £14.99 each, The Range
- 'Fat Lady' poster, £9.99, EMP
- Light fitting, £60, B&Q
- Cornish Pixies, £9.99 each, The Range
Total spent: £192.95
Sarah is thrilled with the end result and Olivia “adores” her new room and “says her favourite part is ‘all of it’.”
“I am extremely happy with the result. I wanted to achieve a Harry Potter themed bedroom that would grow with my daughter that she could enjoy for years to come.
“I know for sure that there will be many more items added to the collection, as Olivia's love for Harry Potter grows. I'm not sure if any of the items will be valuable in the future, but each one means something to me and my daughter and holds great memories for us.”
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk comments: “Sarah has really made the most of Olivia’s collection of Harry Potter collectables with this fun themed room.
“When you’re revamping a space, always think twice about getting rid of any existing furniture.
“Giving what you have a new lease of life is good for your wallet and the environment.”
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