Bedrooms are a sanctuary, your safe haven and calming space from the commotion of everyday life. But what if you come home to white walls and a beige comforter, curtain combination? Do you cringe at the site of your outdated room, and is fear keeping you from changing your space– leaving it a blank, boring canvas?
One of the first things people think about when planning to redesign their spaces is how much it will cost. You may have grand ideas of a redesign but are concerned about having enough budget to make an impact. For students heading to college, they might be concerned that their personal style will not be matched in a bland dorm room. For both a personal bedroom and dorm room, below are design ideas to fit every budget and bedroom.
Low to moderate cost, $10 to $100
With a limited budget, you have to make smart choices about purchasing additions for your room because you don’t have much to spend. Start by making small, free changes. Look at your furniture placement. Simply rearranging bedroom furniture change balances the room, makes the space more open, and may change the way light is reflected.
Go through your home and see if there are any items that can be moved from another room into your bedroom. Of course this will depend on the design and colors that you want to go with, but most people will find they have extra pillows or decorative items that can be removed from another space with no disruption in aesthetic.
A fresh can of paint is available for $34 at Home Depot
Investing in a can of paint, about $30 can be a low cost way to add a lot of drama and style to the space. Paint an accent wall in a bold color and leave the remaining walls neutral. A wall stencil is a nice touch and you can purchase a reusable one for only $10. Check out different techniques from design magazines and blogs. You may want to try stripes or chevron print if a flat color is not your thing. Be sure when choosing paint colors that you take sample cards home so that you see what the colors will look like in the actual light of the room. You can find these paint cans and samples at stores like Home Depot or Lowes.
Statement comforters for your dorm room are available for $32 at Residence Hall Linens
The bed is the focal point of your bedroom, so you want to have a nice comforter or duvet, complete with shams and accent pillows. You can find great deals on bedding at stores like TJ Maxx, Ross or if you’re looking for dorm bedding, check out Residence Hall Linens. Pick something that compliments your style and taste. Remember to iron or steam your shams and comforter, there’s nothing less stylish than wrinkles.
High Cost Budget: $101 to $499
For a more drastic change, and with more money, use these tips to dress up your room. Headboards are an easy way to make a big statement. There is a huge trend right now for decorative headboards. You can purchase them alone or with a complete bed; of course just the headboard is the most cost efficient. Ranging anywhere from $99 for DIY headboards to $300 from chic furniture retailers, this will be a worthwhile investment if you’re looking for a wow factor.
Beautiful wall art like this is available for $260 at Pier1.
Statement sized wall art goes a long way towards decorating a space. Choose walls opposite your headboard to break up the vast space of an empty wall. If your budget is larger, choose one grand piece of artwork that’s of quality. Reasonably priced artwork ranging from $50 to $200 can be purchased from Pier One and Pottery Barn.
Window treatments and area rugs finish a space from top to bottom. A completely finished space is what makes a true designer room. Select window coverings that match with the decor and style of the room. Invest in quality curtains, a nice rod and stately tie backs for your window treatments. Place an area rug either underneath the bed, or more towards the foot of the bed, covering more floor space. Choose a patterned rug to complement solid colored comforter, and a more solid, textured rug if you’re bedding is very graphic. The key to a designer room is to play with colors and accents. If you’re new to color, pick a two or three color palette; many colors can be mixed and matched, generally just watch out for mixing cool and warm tone colors.
Take advantage of websites like Pinterest and google images for inspiration for your bedroom. Hopefully these tips showed that you don’t need an unlimited budget to make a huge impact.
Remember to create a budget and stick to it. Happy decorating, and enjoy your new space.
