Let’s talk affordable bedroom design! Three months ago when I came out to visit my parents in the Chicago suburbs, I had no idea what was to come. What I thought would be a week spent at home has become now become almost months of quarantine! While certainly expected (case in point: my suitcase with just a handful of cold-weather outfits), I am so thankful to be around family during this challenging time and wouldn’t change that for the world.
But one thing that desperately needed to change: my childhood bedroom that I designed when I was 13. I definitely did love those blue and green ribbons that hung picture frames around my room and my fabric covered bulletin boards that reflected those same earthy shades, it desperately needed to grow with me.
My challenge to myself was to make the biggest impact I could with the least amount of money possible. Keeping in mind this was just my room in my parents’ home, and not my own apartment where sooner or later I’d be back to spending most of my time, I wanted to balance spending money on the things that would really make a difference, while saving money repurposing and DIY-ing some old decor. And with no end in sight to the summer of staying home, I am so glad I invested in upgrading this space and completing my affordable bedroom makeover!
The result: a girly, yet elevated fresh and airy space that I feel so inspired in. Time to show you the results of my affordable bedroom redesign! (Plus, head over to my Instagram for some before shots!)
THE INSPIRATION
First things first, I have to share my inspiration with you for my bedroom redesign! I’m sure this doesn’t come as any surprise, but as I flipped through paint swatches and browsed duvet colors, I was immediately drawn to the blushes, creams, ivories and nudes. AKA: my color palette. But the added touch of color you might not have expected is the seafoam green. When I graduated from high school, my grandpa passed down to me that beautiful typewriter you can see sitting on my desk that had once belonged to my grandmother. It was such a beautiful gift and I really wanted to tie it into my design. Hence: the pretty pops of mint and teal.
BED
My favorite part of my bedroom redesign: my bed. If you invest in one thing in your room, I firmly believe it should be your bed. A comfortable bed and quality bedding makes all the difference. My family always jokes that I have always had the best bed in the house, and I would have to agree with them. So, I didn’t dare touch the mattress! My frame was painted by my dad after he picked it up from an antique fair and I’ve had it forever and will always love the style of it!
I was so excited to work with Decoratd to spruce up the rest of my bed with all new bedding from DKNY. I couldn’t be happier with the quality and style; it truly brings the whole room together and I can’t rave about it enough! The blush pink duvet cover is so soft and cozy, while not too heavy, and the color is so rich and beautiful. I also love the throw pillows and shams that mix the white and ivories of my bedding so perfectly while adding some texture. At the foot of my bed is one of my favorite pieces from Decoratd: my chunky knit blanket. It adds so much character to the room! Decoratd curates the cutest styles that are amazing quality, while still affordable considering the impact it will make on your room. Check out their adorable bedding options here and browse the rest of their decor here.
SIDE TABLE
I loved bringing together some more eclectic pieces to create a bedside table that really felt like me. Each and every piece on my bedside table is incredibly affordable but adds a lot of character!
GALLERY WALL
I had so much fun designing this incredibly affordable gallery wall! If you scroll to the bottom and take a look at the before pictures, you’ll see I almost every one of the picture frames used in my old design, but by striping them off my wall, filing them with new prints, and repositioning them into a more updated design, it has an entirely new look. My picture frames were originally from Ikea, and then I purchased a few $5 simple frames from Target to really fill it out.
As for the prints, two of them are purchased from Etsy, and the rest were all found scouring Pinterest for shots that really spoke to me. I love the French-inspired, peony filled design I ended up with!
DRESSER + BULLETIN BOARDS
If you read my post on home decor DIYs from a few weeks back, you may remember my bulletin board project. This was one of the most dramatic before and after differences of my whole room! These bulletin boards were previously wrapped with blue and green fabric I picked out when I was 13, and man, did I love that fabric. Ha! It was definitely time for that to go, but these three large bulletin boards took up quite a bit of wall space that would have been expensive to fill with more frames and prints, so I decided to repurpose them. I tore off the fabric, painted them white, hung them back up and created an elevated mood board.
I filled up these three boards with swatches and prints that tied all of my colors together and were gathered from various wallpaper, fabric and paint stores, where you can request samples by mail!
The table itself it an old one, but another that has stood the test of time! I had so much fun mixing various affordable decor pieces. Starting with the top, the lamp is an insanely affordable Target find, and I love the petite size. Coffee table books are the perfect way to instantly elevate a table and can be really affordable. I bought both of these books used off Amazon. The houseplant was potted in a vintage bowl by my mom, and I have always loved it. She was nice enough to let me bring it into my bedroom and it’s since become one of my favorite pieces. The two candlestick holders are a family heirloom, which makes them so much for specious.
Onto the shelves, I grabbed the pink candy bowl for $10 from Amazon and actually created my own candle with this set, also from Amazon – check out my tutorial here and supplies here! It’s a lot easier than you might think. The white candle holder is a super affordable buy from target, filled with this simple candle. And lastly, the bud vases are such a budget-friendly way to add to diversity to your decor. I can’t wait to fill them with some pretty blooms from around the yard.
DESK
The actual desk I’ve had with my since my high schools years, but its timeless style made it an easy keep. Would you believe me though, if I told you the chair was $50?
The canvases were a super fun DIY project Ilir and I worked on together, making it so much more special. All in all, this project cost me less than $10, and it makes such a statement (plus, its a nice way to tie all of the colors of my room together).
This beautiful vase is a bit more of a splurge option, but so worth it. It makes such a statement with some sprawling eucalyptus.
And last, but certainly not least, is the beautiful typewriter, and a key inspiration for the room.
MIRROR
Another Amazon style, this mirror looks SO much more expensive than it is. I am so glad I ordered it to replace my old $13 hanging mirror. The difference it makes in the room is incredible.
One of my favorite touches in the room is the bucket of peonies sitting next to my mirror. I’ve recommended these fake blooms before, and I will continue to recommend them forever: these are the BEST fake peonies I have ever seen!
WINDOWS
Another Decoratd find: these beautiful Martha Stewart window coverings. Again with the quality, I love the airy statement they add to the room. When I hung them up, the space instantly looked more elevated. You can truly see the quality. Couldn’t recommend these coverings more. The bar itself is an old Target find. When you have beautiful coverings, the bar itself matters a whole lot less.
BATHROOM
After living in my studio apartment for the past several years now, it makes me appreciate this spacious bathroom (with countertops) so much more. I loved making this bathroom feel a little more luxe, adding simple and affordable candles, a beautiful mirrored tray, a ring dish, and candstick holders from Michaels that were such a steal. While they were intended to be raw wood, paintable candlestick holders, I loved the raw wood look and just kept them, and filled them with these budget-friendly candlesticks.
To go by my sink, I grabbed this gorgeous silver frame and my mom passed down the above pretty pink bud vase (linked below are some similar options!). I snipped off one of the peony buds from the bundles by my mirror, and love the little floral touch it adds to the room.
The shelf made quite a transformation, as well. As part of Ilir and my canvas DIY project, we also painted these ones. Now whenever I look at them, I think of him and his willingness to always be down to help out with a project. My ZZ plant found its home on this shelf, and while my bathroom is very, very low light, it seems to be thriving so far!
PAINT
And last but not least, the most time-consuming part of the project: repainting my room! I sat with swatches for weeks before I could decide on the perfect shade of beige – ha! But I am so in love with how the color turned out. I used Simplified Beige from Sherwin Williams and would highly recommend it! It was such a great way to elevate the room.
All in all, I was able to COMPLETELY transform my room in just a few hundred dollars, incorporating family heirlooms, repurposing old furniture and decor finds, snagging a few budget-friendly pieces, and investing it the spots that matter most. I am so happy with how it turned out! Have any questions? Drop them below!
