Bedroom Makeover

In October of 2008 I moved back into my childhood home. Instead of getting my old bedroom back, I got my little brother's old bedroom. And, boy, did that room need help. It's a tiny room, but one of my cousins, who had lived there one summer, had painted it dark blue. Couple that with chocolate painted doors and trim and red carpet, and this room was depressing and closed-in. I wasn't sure how long I would be dwelling there, but I still needed to rescue this poor space. I still live there, and I am still thrilled with the make-over.


The room before. yikes.


The move to this house was not a well-thought out one, I therefore had a limited budget for this makeover. I didn't even have a bed! I found this one on Craigslist for $50. I liked it's potential. And it's bit of storage in the headboard. In a room as small as this, every bit of hidden storage is like gold.


The doors and trim before.


Ugh. The ceiling was a nightmare. Not only is it that textured paint, my brother had splattered gooey blacklight paint all over it when he was in highschool. I scraped as much as I could off, then coated the whole ceiling with 2 layers of Kilz primer. I can still see some of the splatters glowing through at night.

Here are the After pictures:


So much brighter and happier!


The wall color is a warm tan... neutral, yet still bold in this little room. I painted the bed white, along with all the trim, doors and a side table. I got the big mirror for a steal at a discount decorating store and painted that white as well.


I found this pretty, modern yet girly lamp at Target. The birdie decal on the mirror is a chocolate brown, and is from Uppercase Living.


Here is a shot of the wall at the foot of the bed. I brightened up the closet door with white paint, and hung this painting. The painting was done by my Nonna. It is of Spoon River in Illinois, a landmark we always pass on our way to visit her that signals that we are almost there!


The simple white blinds add even more brightness! The Blue and white comforter, which I love love love, is from Target. I have found the best time to get affordable, modern looking comforters is during back-to-school season, when they have everything out for college dorm rooms.


The only other piece of furniture is a small dark wood cubby-hole shelf, necessary for storage. All of my clothes fit in the closet, with some seasonal overflow in the hall closet. There is also potential for storage under the bed. Though I would love a platform bed, it is just not practical in a space this small.

I have since added a red throw pillow to the mix on the bed, and small white shelves on the wall for my kokeshi collection. I have a thing for the pops that red accents give a room, and it works well with the room's red carpet.

I had lots of fun doing this. I do have a crush on interior design. A few of my favorite inspirational decorating websites: Apartment Therapy (on which my good friend Mamaphunk was featured for her amazing kitchen redo), Decor8, Saucy Dwellings.