Taking Inventory of Your Room
Clean out your room and get rid of clutter. Start by removing all of the items from your tables and storage spaces. Then, clean out the drawers of your dresser and your closet, and decide which items you'd like to keep. Remove all of the decorations from the walls, and place everything that you're keeping in a different room. Remember to take everything out of your closet and remove any storage from under your bed. For items that you aren't going to use, consider donating anything that is in good condition. As you clean out your room, look for items you can upcycle to fit your new decor. A new coat of paint, a stain, new knobs, or new upholstery can breathe new life into an old or outdated item.
Make a budget for your redecorating project. It's possible to decorate your bedroom on a very small budget, but having around $200-$300 to spend is a reasonable budget for a small redecorating project, like adding accents. For larger projects, like repainting, buying new furniture, or replacing flooring, try to have around $1,000 saved. The important part of making a budget is sticking to it. Before you purchase anything, make sure the items fit in your budget and that you won't go over. It might be helpful to get an average price for the items that you want to buy before you start your project. Then, try to save around that amount of money. Don't let a small budget discourage you. You can make the most of your money by shopping sales, the clearance section, or a thrift store.
Decide which pieces of furniture you want to keep. Once everything is cleared out of your room, you can select which pieces of furniture you want to keep. For most bedrooms, you should plan to have a bed, a dresser, at least one nightstand, and a space to hang clothes, like an armoire if you don't have a closet. For pieces that are in good shape but you don't want to keep them, try repurposing them for another room, or sell them in a yard sale or on an online marketplace, like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. You might reuse some of your furniture for a different purpose. For example, using an armoire as a TV stand or an old trunk as a night stand can give your room a collected or eclectic feel.
Select a design theme or color scheme for your room. Make sure your bedroom is a reflection of your interests, styles, and taste. Pick a general theme, like rustic, farmhouse, vintage, or modern, and choose a color scheme that complements your style. When choosing a color scheme, stick to 2-4 colors that you like. For instance, in a modern theme, you might choose gray, white, and a bright green for your color scheme. Then, you can pick modern-style furniture, and add pops of green throughout the room, using gray and white as your main colors. In a vintage-themed room, you can choose a gold, cream, teal, and pale pink color scheme, with bright walls, gold accents, and pops of teal and pink throughout. You can incorporate antique furniture with gold finishes, and use pillows with bold floral prints. You don't need to create a theme in your room if you don't want one. Instead, choose neutral colors for your walls and furniture. Then, you can play around with color and design elements in your art, furniture, and decorative items.
Making Major Changes
Repaint the room to freshen up the space. One of the easiest ways to make your bedroom look brand new is by giving it a fresh coat of paint. Select a color that coordinates with your furniture and that you won't mind seeing every day when you wake up or go to sleep! If you have a smaller bedroom, consider painting your walls a light neutral color to make the space look larger. Look for shades like white, light cream, pale yellow, or even light brown. For an even easier redecorating project, paint only 1 wall of your room in a different color to create an accent wall.
Consider hanging wallpaper to create visual interest. Adding a wallpaper feature in your room will be a visually appealing work of art. Position a piece of furniture in front of the wallpaper, like your bed or a seating area, and let it act as a fun backdrop for the room. For a less permanent option, consider using sheets of repositionable contact paper. Instead of traditional wallpaper, you might put up textured wallpaper or adhesive vinyl. For example, you can find faux shiplap, brick, or wood wallpaper or vinyl to decorate your walls. Textured walls can create a big impact for a low cost!
Swap out carpeting for wood or laminate flooring for an instant upgrade. Although it's a lengthier project, removing carpeting and adding wood or laminate floors can transform your entire space. To ensure that the job is done correctly, consider hiring a professional to remove the carpet and lay the new flooring. Then, place a plush rug under your bed to round out the room. Laminate tends to be an inexpensive option for most people, but the cost will depend on the size of the space and how much flooring needs to be removed first. If you have vinyl flooring, you can paint or stencil it for a new look. Use paint labeled for use in high traffic areas.
Visit thrift or antique stores to find cheap furniture and home decor. Large thrift stores and some antique shops can have inexpensive furniture and unique decor items for your room. Once you find a piece that you like, you can refinish the furniture to fit with the new theme of your bedroom. Unless there are signs posted stating otherwise, it's normally okay to negotiate with the salesperson at the thrift or antique store to lower the price of the item. You might be surprised at how much they're willing to take off of the price! Antique stores tend to be slightly more expensive, but you can take a look at the sale items, or “damaged” items that might have scratches or missing fixtures. It's easy to fix these pieces up and get them looking good as new! If there aren't many thrift stores or antique shops near you, look in the local newspaper for estate sales or auctions where you can purchase furniture. Ask your friends and relatives if they have any extra furniture they don't want. They may sell you a great piece for a low price or give them to you for free!
Look for inexpensive furniture on online marketplaces if you're on a budget. Websites like Craigslist and Facebook have marketplaces where people in your area can sell or give away furniture that they aren't using. Browse by the type of item that you're looking for, or navigate to the “free” section to see what great items you can find. You can also download local marketplace apps like LetGo, OfferUp, and Nextdoor which have sections for selling furniture and home decor.
Add a chair to create a seating area in your room. While you redecorate, you can make your room seem more spacious by adding a place for relaxing. Select a comfortable chair or 2, and position them across the room from your bed. You can even add a small table next to the chair to complete the sitting area. If you don't have space for a chair, consider getting a small upholstered bench or floor cushions for creating a versatile seating area when you need it!
Adding Accents
Purchase a new set of bedding to give your room a quick makeover. Your bed probably takes up a lot of space in your room! Changing the color of the bedding can give the room a whole new look. Look for a set that includes a quilt or comforter, pillow covers, and a few throw pillows for the best value. If you have a duvet, consider buying an inexpensive duvet cover that slides over your regular duvet. Then, you can change the look of your bedding whenever you want by putting on or removing the cover, rather than buying a new comforter. If you're working on a small budget and can't afford all new bedding, try adding a few throw pillows. You can also buy throw pillow covers to change up your existing throw pillows.
Place accent pillows on your bed to add more color. If your bed is looking bare and boring, liven it up with throw pillows. Pick a few pillows in coordinating colors with various textures to draw attention to the bed. Position them in front of the rest of your pillows so everyone can see them! For a twin, full, or queen bed, use only 1 or 2 throw pillows to prevent it from becoming too crowded. For a king bed, pick 3 pillows to fill up the extra space.
Replace the hardware on your furniture for an updated look. If the handles or knobs on your furniture are looking old and out of place, give them an update! Head to the hardware store to pick out as many as you need, and simply remove the old ones. Then, you can screw the new ones into place. For instance, if you have an old wooden dresser, you can make it more modern-looking by adding sleek brushed nickel handles and knobs. As an alternative, you can paint or decorate your handles or knobs. For example, you might glue a gemstone to your knobs.
Frame pages from old books or magazines for a DIY art installation. If your walls are looking empty, but you don't want to buy an expensive piece of art, you can make your own. Look for inexpensive frames and a few old books or magazines. Position the pages that you like in the frames. Then, hang the frames in a grid shape on the wall or randomly throughout the room! Sometimes, public libraries will give away old reference books for free. Check there to see if you can find a few books that have both text and illustrations for added interest. If you don't want to use books or magazines, you can repurpose fun wrapping paper or even pictures from a hanging calendar.
Swap out your headboard if you want an eye-catching focal point for your room. If you want to make your bed the most important thing in the room, give it a facelift by adding a fun headboard. Pick a style that matches the rest of your furniture and fits in the room. Many people choose wooden, leather, or wrought iron headboards for their room. For example, if you like a more rustic look, you might want to get a headboard made from reclaimed wood, or make one yourself! If you don't want to buy a new headboard, you can update the one that you have by decorating it in a style that fits your room. As another option, change up the look of your headboard by draping a scarf, tapestry, or stringed lighting over your headboard.
Pick a large area rug to pull the room together. Whether you have carpet or wood floors in your bedroom, an area rug can add some comfort under your feet. Choose a rug that fits under your furniture and complements the colors in your room. Don't be afraid to pick an interesting pattern or texture! For example, if you don't have a lot of color in your room, you might choose a multicolored rug in a fun pattern to spice up the room. If you do have a lot of color, you can pick a neutral-colored rug in white, gray, or even black to balance out the color scheme. Measure your room to make sure you choose a rug large enough for the space. Your rug should be visible after all of your furniture is in place.
Place a few lamps in the room to soften the lighting. Switching from overhead lighting to lamp lighting can make a huge difference in your room. Pick 1-2 lamps and place them throughout the room. They can be smaller lamps that sit on your furniture, or tall floor lamps. For added interest, replace a plain lampshade with one in a bright color or pattern. If you want to make your room cozier, try hanging string lights across your ceiling. This will add some ambient lighting that isn't too bright.
Showcase your interests by placing a few of your favorite items in the room. Rearrange the items in your room to show off your most interesting pieces. Place them on your dresser, end table, or a bookshelf in the room so that anyone can see them. Then, store the rest of your items in drawers, bins or baskets, or a closet to keep the room from looking too cluttered. If you have a color scheme or theme for the room, try to pick colors that match the theme. Place your collectible items in shadow boxes or arrange them on shelves. Just make sure they don't create clutter in your bedroom. For example, if you love animals, you might have a golden statue of an elephant. Place it on your nightstand or on a shelf for everyone to see!
Hang a mirror on an empty wall to make the room look bigger. Mirrors of all shapes and sizes help to reflect the room, making it seem larger than it really is. If you have a bare wall, look for a fun mirror that matches your style. Then, hang it in the middle of an empty wall! If you want to add brightness to your room, place the mirror directly across from a window to reflect the light into the room. In a small room, you can hang your mirror on the door or above your dresser.
Pick a couple of pieces of artwork to hang on the walls for added interest. Artwork is a great way to add a focal point to the room, but your walls can easily get cluttered. Select only 1 or 2 of your favorite pieces to showcase in your room, and hang them just above eye level. When positioning multiple pieces of art, you can place them on the same wall if they have a similar color scheme, style, or theme. If they're very different pieces, try to hang them on different walls. For example, if you love traveling, you could hang a few framed antique maps on the same wall. If you want to hang a print of your favorite Warhol painting and your favorite Monet painting, position them on different walls so the styles don't clash with each other.
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