Almost a year ago, my dear friend asked me to help her with her main bedroom. It was already a great room, with beautiful bones and lots of natural light. But she wanted it to feel like a calm retreat and a beautiful space, and it just needed a bit of help to achieve this ambiance. I suggested painting the walls, making a floor plan change, using what she already had, and also buying a few key items, like the most beautiful TV in the world! Check out this peaceful bedroom makeover using things you already own to save money for one big WOW factor item that makes your space shine and the power of Reclaiming Home.

Using Items You Already Own

My friend already owned the duvet, three large linen pillows, the area rug (stolen from a different room where it wasn’t being used to the max), the bed, nightstands, and lamps. We added three smaller decorative pillows, the blanket, mirror, curtains, and gold chandelier.  We thought about buying new gold-coloured lamps, but instead decided to spray-paint the ones she already owned. They turned out so well, and we saved a significant amount of money! I love all the gold accents in the space. They are subtle, but bring warmth and personality to this mostly neutral room.

There is a small niche created by one of the windows, which makes a bit more room on one wall, where the bed used to be. So, we decided to use this space for an efficient and functional little office area.

Adding a Big WOW Factor

A TV in the bedroom was a must for my friends. This was where we got to add the big-ticket WOW item that felt justifiable because of all the money we saved using budget items elsewhere! I recommended the most beautiful TV in the world, and they went for it. The Frame, from Samsung, is an actually truly beautiful TV. It is gorgeous in any room, but makes an especially big impact on a bedroom. When not in use, the TV acts as a piece of art. It looks truly stunning. 

Small Tweaks To Existing Furniture

For the finishing touches, we styled the space with accessories that my friend already owned, and spray painted the hardware on their dresser gold. This was another low-budget strategy that really made an old piece look new and part of the overall look we created in the room. Since we all change our styles and preferences over the years, it is so good to remember that rather than all new things every time this happens, we can look for small tweaks to existing furniture we already own to make these changes for almost no money.  

Here is a look at the finished little office space! Due to the pandemic, my friend’s husband is working from home most of the time. This is a nice bright corner to work in. Our changes added a comfortable, peaceful place to work that fit in with the feel of the room. 

The Power of Paint

When we first started talking about the peaceful bedroom makeover, my client didn’t know what to do with the walls. Just like in many new-ish homes in Edmonton, the trim was painted a light greige colour. She knew she wanted to change the blue, but didn’t know what to do with all the trim and the entire lower half of the walls. A light wall colour and slightly darker trim and wainscoting had been popping up everywhere in the design world at this time. I knew if we left the trim alone and changed the wall colour to white, the entire effect would be gorgeous. And it’s true! I love the way it turned out. The white is bright and cheery, and the trim and wainscoting are so warm.

Let me say it again because the before and after pics make it hard to believe. We didn’t paint the trim and wainscoting. They are the same colour they have always been. I love it when I can bring a dramatic change about by NOT doing something! 

It has been such a joy to be able to help my friend with her peaceful bedroom makeover. We started more than a year ago and it is so satisfying to see it completed! I hope I was able to show you with our choices that sometimes, even though it is tempting to go shopping for all new things to try and change the feel of a space, the biggest and best changes can be brought about by spending almost nothing and using what we already own. We were able to paint existing lamps and hardware, use existing furniture, pillows, and a rug, and NOT paint half the walls on this particular project. All these thrifty decisions led to the joyful and stress-free purchase of a few other accessories, and of course, the most beautiful TV in the world! 

What is one way you have saved money on a renovation or design project? What was your important splurge item? Tell me in the comments below!