Photo: Evin Photography for HomeGoods
Cookie-cutter college space? No thanks!
Jenny Reimold, a Nashville-based interior designer, HomeGoods style expert and mom of seven, went viral last fall after sharing photos ofhow she transformed her daughter’s college dormat the University of Alabama into a bohemian paradise.
Now, her daughter Grace Porter is in her sophomore year of school — and this time, she’s transferred to Reimold’s alma mater, the University of Central Florida. There, the mother-daughter duo tag-teamed a full makeover of Grace’s new apartment in just under 24 hours, and the results are jaw-dropping.
“It’s more polished. It’s an elevated look for a young adult. We’re not taping photos to the wall anymore,” Reimold tells PEOPLE exclusively.
Before: Grace’s Bedroom.Evin Photography for HomeGoods
After: Grace’s Bedroom.Evin Photography for HomeGoods
“When you’re going for an elevated look, you want to step away from matchy comforters that have the matching bed skirts and lampshades,” she explains. Instead, she suggests opting for metallic accents and mixing up textures: “You want a mix of colors.”
Grace’s color scheme primarily features a beachy color palette of salmon pink, aqua and cream. “I think also there’s a whole psychology of color, where blues lead to less stress and whites lead to hope,” says Reimold. “And so, with this new transition in her life, I loved that the color palette was really light and airy, but it still had those soft pops of color that really brightened the space.”
Evin Photography for HomeGoods
In order to achieve the transformation on such a tight timeline, the pair kept a number of college-issued staples (including Grace’s bed and couch) while swapping out some of the smaller pieces, like trading the iron desk for a wooden desk with storage, as well as swapping out the desk chair for a white resin chair and replacing the knobs on her dresser with geode-inspired ones from HomeGoods.
The interior designer adds that it’s important to focus on doing the best with what you’ve got; while a dark, heavy couch may not fit the aesthetic you’re going for, it’s easy and inexpensive enough to create “pillowscapes,” as she calls them, which brighten up the space.
To achieve the look, throw a fringe throw blanket over the couch and tuck three pillows in the corner. Reimold suggests one neutral, one pop of color and one textured pillow. “That is how I tend to work with bigger items that maybe aren’t necessarily what I would choose, but we have to keep,” she says.
Reimold is a firm believer in finding a balance between form and function, which is why most of the swaps she made boosted both the aesthetic of the space as well as its storage capacity. “I like to store things stylishly,” she says.
Evin Photography for Homegoods
Other low-cost, high-impact changes Reimold made include adding mirrors to maximize natural light, focusing on someegg-cellent statement pieces (hello, hanging egg chair!) to make the space feel unique and putting plants all around to create a lush and lively space.
When it comes to her top tips for decorating, Reimold says that layering — especially with bedding — is key. To fluff things up as much as possible, she suggests sizing up for duvet inserts (i.e., using a King-size insert for a Queen-size duvet) and folding a down comforter insert beneath a folded comforter at the food of the bed. To create the illusion of a headboard, she suggests using Euro pillows against the wall, or even opting for stick-on headboards.
Reimold, who is an alum of UCF and whose eldest son is also committed to play baseball at the school next fall, is soon to join their Communications Advisory Board.
“I’m very happy to be a part of it because when people send their kids off to college, that’s a new transition for parents as well,” she says, explaining that she hopes that Grace’s apartment makeover will inspire other parents to spend some time helping their kids to feel at home as well.
“I think it’s important to stay involved without being a helicopter parent,” she adds, “so I think this is one easy and fun way. Before you go, spend 24 hours to help your child put this together and be part of the process. It takes 24 hours. Make some memories and leave them with a stylish apartment.”
source: people.com
