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Inexpensive Total Bedroom Makeover

We just completed an total bedroom makeover that didn’t break the bank and the new look is outstanding if I do say so myself. We painted walls, ceiling, and closets, installed a ceiling fan, and replaced everything except the bed. And…..today is reveal day.

I have a lot of photos, including the before-makeover photos. I’m not posting the how-to on the paint, etc. today because that would make the post really long.

Inexpensive Total Bedroom Makeover

I have a list of everything I bought and where I bought it at the end of the post—no affiliate links….just added for your information. The new look is clean and crisp. There isn’t any of the before décor remaining in the room except for the bed and mattress…..oh, and some of the wall décor.

Blue And White Bedroom Makeover Reveal With Pops Of Red

When I started putting the room back together, I tried using my colorful quilts on the bed with different comforter sets and blankets. I never achieved a look I liked. 

a look at the bedroom from the hallway

The photo above shows the room before the makeover looking in from the hallway.

new curtains furniture plants and bedding for a bedroom makeover challenge

This is how the room looks after the makeover when looking down the hallway. The white paint and the new décor are so refreshing.

blue bedroom before paint and decor makeover by Petticoat Junktion

A look at the blue bedroom with the bed and side table before the makeover.

white and navy bedroom makeover reveal paint challenge

Now…..after the makeover. Our bedrooms are small, so to make the bedroom appear larger I simplified the furnishings and decor.

Inexpensive total bedroom makeover before and after

 

The bed is full size instead of a queen. I purchased the metal bed after our son married and moved out. This was his bedroom. I decided on the full-size bed to save space. It’s not like a futon or daybed and will sleep two guests.

Before the new makeover, there was a small side table on the right side of the bed. To make the room look larger I removed that table and moved the bed a bit closer to the wall. Just those few inches added more floor space on the left and made the room look bigger. There is still plenty of walking room between the bed and the wall. I decided a few years ago that less is more when it comes to furniture and my small bedrooms.

wall decor on a white wall

Here you see the wall at the foot of the bed where the closet is located. We painted the louvered closet doors with a paint sprayer. If you missed the painting of the louvered doors post and video, you can see it here.

Do you notice in this photo how close the window is to the closet wall? That new curtain rod just barely fit the space. There is a hair’s breadth between the curtain rod finial and the abutting wall. The wall hangings are framed prints the JTS accumulated during his time in the Army. I did not rehang all of them, just a select few.

new painted furniture transforms a room

The new piece of painted furniture is perfect for this spot, and guess what. I didn’t paint it. I went on a hunt, looking for a piece to go under the window. I wanted it to be tall enough to almost reach the bottom of the window sill. I wasn’t sure if I wanted a painted piece or a stained piece, antique or vintage or fairly new.

On my first shopping trip I found the piece above. I debated buying it because it was a bit shorter than I was looking for. But….the small chest was only $68, and that included tax. I bought it with the thought that if it didn’t work out, I could always resell the chest and get my money back.

 

two tone painted wood furniture in white and gray

As you can see, it looks great in the spot. I first thought someone painted the chest, but on further inspection, I think it came from the manufacturer this way. It’s made of real wood, and I’m very happy with it. The trim paint on the chest is a grayish color and the pale gray is wiped across the front of the drawers. The side panels are also painted the gray color. I like the carving, the legs, the knobs, everything.

craft decor for any room of the house in red white and blue

Not wanting to limit the color scheme to navy and white, I added just a few pops of red. I love red. It makes me smile. On the chest top, you see one of the blue and white candle holders I made and a vintage red cup that makes a great faux succulent planter.

I also added a thrift store brass lamp and a few magazines to the display. You always need a bedside lamp and this brass lamp is a nice heavy one. The white lampshade is from IKEA.

The first thing I did when putting the room back together after the awesome paint job was to decide on the bedding. That was my starting point for the decor. Once I was happy with the comforter set, I started shopping and decorating in earnest. I haven’t added up the cost of the room makeover yet, but I didn’t break the bank.

Inexpensive Total Bedroom Makeover

In trying to give the room a warm and welcoming feel I added the greenery….which is faux, as I don’t have a green thumb. The large potted plant is sitting on one of my junk treasures. I bought new curtain rods to hang the pretty curtains I finally found after much hair-pulling.

I bought a set of curtains at J.C. Penny’s and the panels were different lengths. One panel was an inch longer than the other panel. It was not working for me. I took those back and started my curtain search again. You know, curtains are expensive.

ceiling flaw to be spackled before painting

I bought new rods because the ones I had looked really puny. The difference in rod width from 1/2 inch to 1 inch really makes a difference believe it or not in the overall look. They give the room a more designer look.

green plants add warmth to any room

I wanted to install the rods almost to the ceiling, which is the look these days, but I couldn’t find a length I could work with without doing a bit of hemming or sewing. Not for me. I didn’t want the curtains to puddle on the carpet. I’m over that look. How about you guys?

The curtains I ended up buying have grommets which save a bunch of money on curtain clips. And the curtain panels were only $14.99 each. That’s a deal on curtains. I’m not a big fan of dresser mirrors, and I rehung the slim wall mirror I had in the blue bedroom before.

Tucan bird plant sitter

I added things to the room as I found something I liked or would work. The Toucan planter sitter is an end-of-season sale find from Target as is the fish sitter on the windowsill and the nautical-style bell hanging from the window latch in the photo showing the new chest of drawers. Little things like these put the finishing touches on a room.

total bedroom transformation with paint, ceiling fans, furniture, bedding and more in navy and whtite with pops of red

The photo above doesn’t show the little Toucan, fish, and bell details because this photo was taken before I found them. You also see I have two candleholders on top of the chest instead of one. My decorating is always a work in progress, especially when putting a room together for the first time.

Blue and white pillows from Target have red tassels

When I finally decided on the navy bedding, I knew it needed something else. But I had no idea what. None of the quilts in my quilt collection seemed to work, and I didn’t have a throw that matched the bedding.

It wasn’t until I was in Target one day and I spotted the decorative pillows with the red tassels that I knew what the navy bedding needed. Those pops of red.

bronze ceiling fan from Lowe's

The ceiling fan is a much-needed addition. I love ceiling fans in bedrooms. I don’t know why they have such a bad reputation. If you live in the hot south, you need them. I chose bronze to match the bed frame and curtain rods.

removing a ceiling light fixture to install a ceiling fan

This ugly recessed square light fixture was original to the house. We….or the JTS had a time taking it down and putting up the ceiling fan. I will have a tutorial on that soon. As far as Miss Sofi goes she has decided she likes the new navy and white bedroom better than the orange and turquoise one so she has changed rooms on me. Just look at the photo below….

Inexpensive Total Bedroom Makeover

Sofi and Natalie put the doll house furniture under the chest of drawers for the “Fairies”. They love playing in this new room.

Sofi helping with the new bedroom decor
Sofi was lending me a hand the day I took photos of the bedroom. She never really wants me to take her picture unless I’m working on a project. Then she needs some attention. I don’t mind at all.
Bedroom Makeover Before And After

Before and After Bedroom Makeover Photo

Inexpensive Total Bedroom Makeover. New room décor information:

Navy Comforter Set With Pillows And Shams (King Set, I didn’t want to use a bed skirt so got larger comforter) – T.J.Maxx
Pair of Navy, White, And Red Tassel Pillows – Target
Curtain Rods – Tuesday Morning
Curtains – Bed Bath & Beyond
Potted Plant – At Home Stores
Ceiling Fan – Lowes
Chest of Drawers – Local Flea Market

I shared the white paint color and how I choose it here.

To see the orange and turquoise bedroom reveal click here.

how to choose the perfect white for walls

That’s it. What do you guys think of the bedroom now? Do you like the before or after better? I would love to hear your opinions. If there is something you don’t like or you would change you can tell me…in a nice way. I read all of your comments.

Have a great day, Kathy    p.s. thanks for being here and please excuse any typos or weird wording because I wrote this post late last night

Find our room painting tips here.

Author: Kathy Owen
Kathy Owen is the founder of the home decor blog Petticoat Junktion where she shares tutorials on painting furniture and upcycling thrifty finds into unique home décor. Her DIY projects have been featured on the Home Depot Blog, Plaid Crafts, Behr Designer Series, and in numerous magazines. Kathy’s newest website is HappyHomeDIY.com

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24 Comments

  1. First time seeing your blog. I love the new look to your spareroom. When comparing the old and the new, the old is cozy, but looks much smaller. Where the white on white opens up the whole room, even the dresser looked much larger than the trunk that sat there before.
    I have a new bedroom to do, this was a wonderful inspiration, for my small room.
    Thank you for sharing.
    Terrie

  2. Yes, I love navy and gray together too. I’ve painted a couple of pieces in two tone navy and gray. I checked WalMart for curtains and almost bought some there. Thanks for the info.

  3. I love Navy and Gray. Walmart has a great selection of window panels. If you need longer than the 84″ you can go on their web-site and get the longer length in many colors. I recently ordered some longer panels and they were lined and very affordable.

  4. The room looks so cool and comfortable, I really like it. Good Job!! Can you book me for the second week of August?!! LOL

  5. Thank you Carol! Yes, they grow up fast. I have an older granddaughter who is 15. Yes, the King works well for me, just barely. It is a tad short length wise and if the girls sit and play on the bed the comforter pulls up slightly and I see about a half inch of box springs. Just a heads up. Also the shams will be king size. But if you find something you like it’s worth trying. I first bought the Queen size in the set and decided to try the King because I hated the idea of using a bed skirt.

  6. Love, love, love this room. It beautiful – no wonder Sofi wanted it for her own. I miss my granddaughter being around – they grow up so fast and she is now a Senior in college!

    I now have a double bed too since it is jut me. (I have my parents’ original mahogany bedroom furniture) I don’t want a bedskirt either but didn’t know a king would work. Thanks for that great tip,

  7. Thank you TM. I bet your kitchen is pretty. I really want to add more red…..just a bit. And Christmas time, look out.

  8. We debated about the white because the fan comes in white and nickel too. We like the contrast of the bronze.

  9. The redo is so chic! Truth be told, I like them both–wonderful decor for different vibes. Great job!

  10. love the new look – so bright & airy! think i might paint the ceiling fan while to make the room look even larger.

  11. Beautiful! Love the colors, I’m using the same colors in my kitchen, it’s hard to not get too much red, or too much blue, you seem to have the right balance of that in your bed room, very inspiring-thank you.

  12. What a wonderful difference. The new wall color really opens the room up!!! Would you like to come redecorate one or two of mine next? Just kidding………….(maybe)!!!!!!

  13. The room looks great. So fresh and bright! I love the navy with the little touches of red. I don’t blame. I’d picked this room too.?