Have a room that's a little, well, drab? We do. It's a guest bedroom that became an afterthought.
Sorry guests.
It had pale cream-colored paint, no art on the walls, no real focal point, and no flow.
Just boring and blah. It was crying out for a complete overhaul. But when you're unable to envision it any other way, you need some inspiration from someone who knows what they're doing.
"It was a little dated, and I wanted to make it light and bright," said Bonnie Kingcannon from DeLex Realty. Kingcannon has been helping clients refresh their spaces for a decade.
A recent Reuters report said Americans are projected to spend nearly $340 billion this year to upgrade or to patch up their homes. We don't want to be a big part of that statistic.
Budget-conscious friends, this one is for you.
First, the walls needed a fresh coat of paint. We chose a pale blue-gray. It gave the room a spa-like feeling. Immediately, it was more inviting.
We decided to swap out the current bed (which we actually purchased from IKEA about ten years ago) with a basic frame.
We also opted to move it to the opposite wall. But what about a headboard? Forget everything you were always told. You don't need a headboard.
We used wall art instead. Being from the east coast and having most of our guests traveling from there, we wanted to go with a desert theme.
We purchased these frames and some cactus artwork and centered them above the bed.
"When doing a guest room, you also want to make it inviting and calming," Kingcannon said. "So that’s why we went with kind of a mid-century modern vibe."
The dresser was a dated, dark wood that we picked up from a Craigslist ad two years ago. We sanded it and put a fresh coat of gold-tinted chalk paint on it.
The original comforter was yellow. We bought this navy duvet with pleats and concealed snaps. The great thing about picking a dark color duvet is that you can put any color or patterned comforter underneath and it won't show through!
So there's no need to buy a separate insert, pull one out of the closet! Plus, this came with two matching navy pillowcases. Bonus!
Simple pillows can make a world of difference. Do you have old throw pillows?
Don't buy whole new pillows, just buy pillow covers. It's much cheaper and earth-friendly! We bought two gold pillow covers and one white fuzzy sheepskin pillow cover. We also put the pillowcases that came with the duvet on pillows we already had, plus added a couple with white pillowcases for some depth.
"You want to have some different textures, colors, sizes, and shapes so when your guests come in, it gives it the wow factor," she said.
The original curtains were black with a white pattern. Kingcannon opted to give the window covering a little dimension. We swapped out the patterned curtains for solidnavy and added these white lace curtains to let some light in.
"I was able to get some really cool nightstand boxes actually attached to the wall they give it a nice 3-D effect. They’re small and simple, but yet they have some shelving space for books, decor or a glass of water," she said.
"So all those things that you need to get into a really condensed space, but super affordable."
See all of the photos from our Ikea makeover here!
We opted for a smallcollage on one of the walls and decided to use a family photo in the largest frame. The other two had small art posters.
Among the other decorations were glass domes with a wooden base. We bought two different sizes to put on top of the dresser.
And do you love the look of plants, but hate the thought of keeping them alive? We opted for these low maintenance ceramic decorations. The same idea is behind a vase we picked up with artificial leaves. The vase is no longer available, but there are others you can choose from.
The dresser has a large flat surface. We bought this gold frameand these insert posters. We also added this tealight holder and lamp. The lamp is no longer available, but the shade is. And you can find something similar here.
We had a small area of wall between the window and the closet. This brass-plated clock fits perfectly there.
When shopping on a budget, planning is key. The grand total of this makeover: $316.60. Without the chalk paint for the dresser, this makeover would have been under $300! Kingcannon said it's easy to overspend on home decor, you just have to be disciplined.
"It was a little tricky. There were some extra pieces that I wanted to get that I was not able to get within the budget," Kingcannon said. So, before you go shopping get a checklist and write down those big-ticket items that you know you want to purchase. That way you can set it aside."
*Grand total does not include wall paint.