Master Bedroom Refresh - How We Saved

Bryan and I had a lot of giggles when trying to come up with a title for this post.  Let's just say when you add, "in the bedroom" to anything, the innuendos start to fly.  So I decided to keep it simple and PG, you are welcome.

Earlier this week I gave you a little tour of our master bedroom.  It is not high end or designer but it is "us" and we were able to save quite a few pennies by putting a little extra thought and effort into the items we brought into the space.   I thought it would be fun to share all of the ways we have been able to bring in our creative touches, without breaking the bank.

1.  Switch Things Up!   

If you have been reading my blog for awhile now, you know that I move things around on a daily basis.  A tealight votive here, a decorative box there... I have been that way since I was a child and just can't seem to help myself.  I love how simple movement can change the entire feeling in a space.  So when it came to updating our bedroom, I did just that.  I made an internal switch of furniture from our son's bedroom to our bedroom.  I didn't lose storage, in fact, I gained since the new dresser is deeper than our previous option.  And all the old dresser needed was two coats of glossy white paint and some spray painted hardware.  A total cost of zero dollars (we had everything on hand already),  and we had ourselves a whole new look.

2.  Be Inspired!

I have been lusting over the Kate Spade nesting boxes for eons now.  They just feel so chic and glam with the pretty pinks and golds.  But really for what you get, the price seemed high.  I knew I could do better by getting creative with crafts, so I did just that.

I started the project by pairing some cardboard nesting boxes I found at the craft store (similar), with spray paint in similar hues as the inspiration boxes (also found at the craft store).  Once the paint had cured, I taped off the lip of the boxes and applied a coat of liquid gold gilding.  Last step was to stick on my favorite adhesive bookplates and boom!  Beautiful DIY storage!

3.  Curtain Call!

Because our bedroom is in the lower level of our home, we have an awkward ledge running the full length of one of our walls, just under the window.  The ledge has not allowed me to hang curtains, leaving me with a roman shade as one of my only options.  Our window is not a standard size, and custom roman shades are crazy expensive!  After a few hours of Googling and attempting to source something affordable, I finally found a generic white shade being sold on Amazon.  The shade was discounted because it was sold through the marketplace and had a small imperfection (some dirt I was able to spot clean).  The shade also had tabs to hold a decorative rod, totally not my cup of tea, but that didn't stop me.

Once the shade arrived, I dug through my ribbon and sewing items and pulled out everything I needed to give the shade a more modern feel.

4.  DIY Gold Foil Art

The art above the bed was made at home using supplies I had on hand.  I used my Silhouette to cut out the letters and paired them with some gold leaf on black poster board.  I used frames that were previously hung on the opposite side of the room.  Changing out the contents of frames is one of the easiest ways to breath new life into a space.  I love framing DIY art, as well as decorative papers, fabrics, calendars, book covers, etc...

5.  SIY = Sew It Yourself!

As I was sourcing out pillow options for our bed (which definitely needed something up against all the white), I fell in love with these pillow covers.  Lucky for me, the fabric used was mentioned in the description, so I was able to purchase the yardage for much cheaper and sew the pillows at home.  I was able to get two pillows out of a single yard, saving me around $70 by sewing them myself.  Actually, I had the help of my sewing pro neighbor, but you get the point. :)

6.  DIY Rolling Caddy

When making over the room, I didn't just want to add in pretty layers, I also wanted to make it a function a little better.  I like to wind down at the end of the day by checking in on emails, jotting down daily thoughts and reading magazines, which means I always have a pile of electronics and books next to my bed each morning.

I initially grabbed an old wire basket I had purchased from HomeGoods years ago, which worked fine, but with the addition of a scrap piece of wood and some rolling casters, it now rocks!

7.  It's Not So Hard!

One of the easiest ways to update any piece of furniture is with decorative hardware.  For the white painted dresser pictured above, I just spray painted hardware we already owned to give it new life.  The nightstands were a gift from my mom when I moved out after High School, so although they are aging, they were given a little face lift with pretty Anthropologie pulls.  And my vanity was a simple white desk, but the addition of some fabulous black and white knobs found on sale at Hobby Lobby, and it was suddenly much more chic (even if they are not all currently turned the same way... oops).

8.  Dish It!

I love collecting small dishes from thrift stores.  They are perfect for corralling everything from pocket change to keys to my daily bobby pins and jewelry near by bedside.  The small white dish next to my bed received a foil treatment, making it thrift store gold!

Another thrift store dish now corrals my earnings on my dresser.

9.  Display It!

I have been displaying my jewelry collection within my closet for a few years now, and I will never go back.  I have limited closet space (by choice), so I make changes to my wardrobe by playing with accessories.  Each morning after I get dressed, all I have to do stop by my display, select a necklace, earrings and some arm candy, and quickly move on with my day.  And it feels very boutique-like for me, but it was a super inexpensive DIY.

The necklace board was made from a $10 cork board found at Target, covered with linen fabric and given a nailhead border with thumb tacks.  The earring dish was found at a thrift store and the bracelet stand was crafted out of a cardboard paper towel roll.


10.  Dress It Up!

This one is blog-obvious, but it is always worth mentioning.  When trying to cut costs on furniture, head to IKEA, pick up something simple, and then dress it up on your own!  One of the easiest ways to do so is with Overlay's.  We added decorative detailing to the fronts of our MALM dresser years ago, and after recently painting them white, they look better than ever!

11.  A Bright Idea!

Lighting can be expensive!  Especially trendy lamps with gold or brass detailing and curvy bodies.  If you are able to track down a shape you are drawn to, your color options are limitless thanks to spray paint.  I was able to avoid purchasing the $200+ lamps I loved, by finding a pretty navy and brass spray paint and coating some of our existing lamps instead.  Money saved yet the same look was achieved!

12.   The Floral Treatment

Carnations are not just for prom corsages & boutonnieres.  Once the cold weather hits, I find ways to bring fresh flowers into our home all winter long (serious sanity saver).  Fresh flowers can get really expensive, especially when you are purchasing them for an entire season.  But if you gotta have 'em, consider carnations.  Seriously guys, I had this mug of carnations for THREE weeks!  And they looked great day after day!  Keeping a bunch in a single color is so simple and pretty.  I am a fan.

Of course the bonus tip is being brought to you by Captain Obvious, but for those bigger purchases, wait for sales and coupons.  I love RugsUSA because I can find 6x9 and 8x10 rugs for around $200 during their sales (typically 60-80% off).  I also joined the World Market loyalty program (for free), so I receive notifications on sales and coupons all the time.  And because I now shop from the comfort of my home with these grand coupons, I always earn cash back using Ebates.  All ways to make the pill just a smidge easier to swallow.

What DIY projects have you recently completed in the bedroom?  Anyone building furniture, sewing curtains and pillows or creating playful DIY art?