Room for Love surprises 11

EXETER — Eleven-year-old Makayla Deshais recently got an "extreme makeover" of her bedroom thanks to a local nonprofit.

Everything is new and was designed specifically for her.

Her plain white walls now pop with a salmon color. Turquoise sliding barn doors have replaced the traditional entryway of her closet. And above her bed, there is a mural of a horse, along with pictures of her horseback riding adventures.

"I think she's still getting used to it," said Makayla's nana Joy Mason, who became the girl's legal guardian in 2019. "But she deserved it, she's had a rough life."

The dream maker behind the makeover was Room for Love, which aims to create rooms for children in need to "boost their enthusiasm and outlook on life."

The founder, Karen Kulberg, said she started the nonprofit in 2021 in honor of her late mother, who surprised her with her own room makeover for her 13th birthday.

"I still have such vivid memories of that room," said Kulberg. "I thought it would have been fantastic to be able to create that kind of experience for children whose families don't have the means to be able to do that."

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Kulberg said she asks other local nonprofits to use their networks to get the word out on what they do and to nominate children they think could benefit from a room makeover. Makayla was nominated by Step Up Parents. The organization provides financial support for kinship caregivers who have stepped up for children of parents with substance use disorder.

To make the room makeover happen, Kulberg enlisted the help of Andrea Dupont, owner of Feng Shui Lifestyle; Heather Nadeau, owner of Heather Nadeau Interior Design; Jill Buchan, co-owner of the home organizing company Real Organized; and more than a dozen local businesspeople who donated supplies or volunteered their time.

Dupont met with Makayla to get a sense of her style and interests in what she liked and didn't like about her bedroom. She quickly found out that Makayla likes craft making, sewing, and riding horses.

"The biggest thing here is to really serve the child and to support her moving forward because they have challenges already and this is so special to them because this is a place they can call home," said Dupont.

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The room was repainted with Makayla's two favorite colors, pink and blue, and redecorated with new furniture, bedding and decorations. For a personalized touch, the shade of pink and blue that filled the room was taken from an existing rug and pillow, according to Kulberg.

Makayla's favorite part of the room? The abstract mural of a horse that was painted on her wall by artist Melissa Morin. The mural complements framed pictures and awards of her horseback riding with her Big Sister.

Mason said when Makayla moved in with her in 2019, she immediately signed her up for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Program.

"We couldn't have asked for a more perfect match," said Mason. "She (Makayla) started learning how to ride horses with her Big Sister Erin (Cosgrove)."

When it comes to organizing the room, Buchan said she worked with Makayla and went through each of her items to decide what should be kept and what should be donated or thrown out.

"Ultimately, part of the room makeover is that we want their belongings to be the ones that they’re actually going to use and love, and of course sentimental as well," said Buchan.

To accommodate Makayla's love of craft making and sewing, Buchan ensured that the table they got for her room had ample space for her creativity.

This is Room for Love's fourth project, having done two others in New Hampshire and one in Maine.

Mason said since the makeover Makayla has spent more time than usual in her room.

She joked, "I want a room makeover too."

If you would like to donate to Room for Love, visit https://www.roomforlove.net/donate.