House Calls: Updating a daughter’s bedroom once she leaves the nest

THE CHALLENGE

Dori Zweig, 23, recently moved out of her parents’ Silver Spring home. Her mother, Marianne, wants to turn Dori’s childhood bedroom into a sophisticated, adult-friendly guest room. She prefers warm, neutral colors and modern finishes. No wallpaper or bold prints allowed.

(Leah L. Jones/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST) - Marianne Zweig, right, and her daughter Dori.

THE SOLUTION

Mother-daughter design pair Danny Christmas and Shannon Woodward suggest shifting the bed to face the windows and adding a chandelier to make the room look all grown up.

Woodward and Christmas (301-461-3796) are based in Chevy Chase.

An accent chair is functional and decorative. Guests can use it to relax or to hold extra belongings.

Tone down the window treatments. Replace the wood shutters with bamboo shades and hang silk curtains at ceiling height.

Anchor the bed on a neutral area rug. A subtle, tone-on-tone pattern adds visual interest.

A few formal accents go a long way, such as this ornate, iron chandelier.

Paint the trim and walls a warm beige. The color is Muslin by Benjamin Moore.

Monogrammed bed linens are a personal touch. Use Dori’s initials so the room still feels like hers when she visits.

Go the extra mile for guests. Provide a carafe of water to show you care about their comfort.

SHOPPING GUIDE

Furniture: Avalon nightstand ($999, www.frontgate.com); Moreland desk in Rustic Pine ($499, www.ballarddesigns.com); linen cane-back chair ($899, www.wisteria.com). Lighting: Ethan natural wood and iron stud table lamps ($529 each, www.lampsplus.com); Threshold floor lamp in washed wood ($70, www.target.com); Je T’aime chandelier ($399) and Quatrefoil Cage table lamp ($369), both from www.shadesoflight.com. Accessories: European Barley Twist stool ($399) and interlocking rings stool in white ($219), both from www.wisteria.com; iron “bamboo” mirror ($495) and large framed intaglios ($695 for a pair), both from www.horchow.com; Thai silk drapery in sand ($379 each, www.restorationhardware.com); Cali natural Roman cordless bamboo shade ($40 each, www.bedbathandbeyond.com).

SPLURGE . . .

Vermundo mirror ($301, www.neimanmarcus.com).

Humphrey queen bed in natural brushed canvas with antique brass trim ($2,350, www.williams-sonoma.com).

. . . OR SAVE

Minogue mirror ($129, no longer available, www.kirklands.com).

North Avenue upholstered bed in Praline ($509, www.amazon.com).

See past room makeovers by local designers.

Tell us about your design challenge.

Send photos, room dimensions and contact information to makeover@washpost.com .