A regular H*T reader contacted me after seeing the mood board I put together for Scott and Robyn’s basement.  Michelle was wanting help with an inexpensive bedroom makeover.  And being that I like to pretend I’m an interior designer, I happily accepted Michelle’s request.  Currently, her bedroom looks like this…

It’s not a bad room to begin with at all.  Did you notice the floors?  And that upholstered headboard was a DIY project that Michelle and her husband completed together.  Michelle was wanting ideas for paint color, bedding, window treatments {well, door treatments I guess} and accessories.  After seeing my fandelier, she also wanted to incorporate the World Market pendant light into her room. Michelle asked that all the furniture stay {a bookcase also resides in her bedroom but is not shown above} but said that the sewing table and/or bookcase could be painted.  She was also looking to make the sewing table into more of a desk instead of a stand-alone piece.  After reviewing several pics of inspiration rooms that Michelle sent my way, I gathered that she was leaning towards a light, mostly neutral palette with a soothing feel.  In her original email to me, I also learned that Michelle likes a mix of crisp white and contrasting mocha with hints of green.  Taking all of that into consideration, this is what I came up with for Michelle’s budget-friendly room makeover…

I’m suggesting that Michelle paint her walls Dolphin Fin {by Behr, Home Depot}.  It’s a slightly tan-y gray.

Here’s a living room painted in Dolphin Fin so you get the idea…

{image courtesy of Alaina Kaczmarski}

For a fresh fix, clean white bedding {you can find it just about anywhere!} will instantly lighten all the dark furniture.  I found a few geometric print pillows along with a leafy green lumbar pillow to add interest.  The good news is they’re on sale for less than $13 each!  A white round mirror above the headboard will add in some curves.  {Frugal hint:  find any round mirror at Goodwill and spray paint it white.}  Spray painting the bedside lamps’ bases white will help to lighten things up, too.  The World Market chandelier is going to be the WOW! in this bedroom.  A furry sheepskin rug alongside the bed will add texture.  To keep all the furniture from looking the same, I suggested that Michelle paint her sewing desk green {similar to the one shown here} and her bookcase white.  Sliding up a white chair and hanging a DIY linen pinboard {like this} will further help the sewing table to act as a desk.  Those vertical blinds on the patio sliders have got to go!  I can’t wait to see how large and bright those sliding doors look when topped with a dark {either black or rubbed bronze} curtain rod and long, flowing white curtains.  Opening up that wall by hanging the window treatments high and wide around the patio doors will really have a huuuuuge impact.  {That’s one before-and-after I can’t wait to see!}  Finally, accessorizing with woven baskets, white ceramics and greenery {I had to throw in an orchid} will really bring some ease and life to the bedroom.  I dig these Jonathan Alder birds but really any cutesy piece found at Goodwill could be spray painted white for the same effect.

So, that’s how I would tweak Michelle’s bedroom without breaking the bank.  I was happy to hear that Michelle is excited about her mood board and actually has many of the items I suggested {rug, baskets, plants, white pots, etc} in her home already.  We must be on the same wavelength.  I know she isn’t in a hurry to tackle her bedroom makeover head-on, but when she does do it I sure hope she shares some pictures!  Pretty please, Michelle?

It’s Feature Friday! On Fridays, I’ll be featuring one room in my house in its current condition even if there are some things I’d like to change about it. If I do happen to improve something later, I can always revisit it when the time comes. Plus, I’d kinda feel dishonest if I only focused on “finished” rooms in my house. And if what they (the professionals) say is true, a room is never really finished anyways…you’re always tweaking it. Concentrating on just one room weekly should give me some time to tidy it up a bit, too.

I shared the process of decorating my boys’ shared room a few months back but here is the ‘official’ tour with bigger and better pics.

I painted the navy circles and hung store-bought letters in the center {after I spray painted them green} to personalize the space.

The bedding is from IKEA {duvet & pillow case} and Home Goods {geometric print lumbar pillow}.

The adjacent wall is a collection of license plates we’ve had over the years…including hand-me-downs from family members.  They’re in theme with the ‘car room’ the boys wanted without being too theme-y.

Across from the beds is a Craigslist metal credenza that I spray painted yellow.

The credenza serves as a cool garage for the boys’ CAT machines…an ode to Handy Hubby.

I Mod Podged car, truck and tractor pages torn from books onto stretched canvases to keep artwork cheap.

We hang the kids’ art here, too.

A cozy and kid-friendly vinyl chair is the perfect spot for bedtime stories.  The road signs hail from Handy Hubby’s college dorm decor.

I couldn’t find the exact curtains I wanted at a reasonable price, so instead I sewed 2 panels out of canvas dropcloth and painted stripes onto them.

And to keep my boys safe at night, there is a knight standing guard by the door.  It was their Pap-Pap’s and I spray painted him {the knight not Pap-Pap} acid green.  Layne has lovingly named him ‘Fred’.

So, there you have it…that’s where I tuck my kids in at night.  We’re still in the trial-and-error stages of letting our younger son {2 years old} sleep in his big boy bed in the shared room.  For now, we just kinda play it by ear every night.  If he’s super slap happy {and bothering his sleepy brother}, we happily return him to his crib in the nursery.

Sweet dreams and happy weekend!