As promised, I’m back with more details about our recent bedroom overhaul for a 12-year-old tween. You can read lots more about the before and after of her room transformation in yesterday’s post.
In terms of the budget, I’m only tallying prices on things we purchased while re-doing this room. Many of the items you see were repurposed from elsewhere in our home, or have been hanging out in her room for years. I’ll make a few notes about older, beloved items because…why not…but in general the final price tag reflects all the items specific to this room re-do.
Bookshelf View
First, let’s all marvel at the fact she has built-ins. I love built-ins and she has made the most of this bedroom feature over the years. Calico Critters and Shopkins have spent many happy hours in all sorts of disarray on these shelves. Recently she asked to pare down her books, and she mostly follows in her Mama’s footsteps by preferring to bring home stacks from the library over owning a large stash of her own.
The lower shelves are kind of useless, so we didn’t bother adding things there because it just would make the room more cluttered. So what you see is either stuff she uses or stuff she made or stuff she loves!
Blue-and-white Striped Bag (Thrifted): $0 because A paid for it with her allowance!!
Fake Hanging Plant (Ikea): $6.99
Times Square Picture (Thrifted): $6
Blue LED Lantern – which I forgot to label (Ikea): $9.99
Blue Bowls (Thrifted): $3.99 (for 2; the other is on her desk)
Letterboard (DollarStore): $4.50
Teal Pillow Cover (Thrifted): $3.99
White Ribba Frame (Ikea): $34.99
Engineering Print Picture for frame (Staples): $27
A LOVES looking at pictures, and is especially enamored with old baby/toddler pictures. She scoured our family photobooks and settled on this one from when L was just a baby. Big art can be prohibitively expensive and I’m a huge fan of engineering prints from Staples. If we had opted for a black-and-white version it would have been less than $6! All you need is a big frame from IKEA and – Bob’s your uncle. [I did actually have an Uncle Bob.]
Thrifted things in this photo we already owned:
- Leather chair ($23.99 from a thrift store years ago)
- Glass storage canisters (4 for $10 from a thrift store) – this is my favourite design hack for corralling little trinkets in an aesthetically pleasing way that’s also practical because the kids can quickly find what they’re looking for since the jars are see-through.
Special things of note:
- The long canvas landscape is a picture we brought back from Denmark in 2015 and it fits perfectly in this room!
- The other two canvases are pictures that A has painted!
- The blanket over the chair is a “mermaid” throw she got years ago and the colours happen to perfectly match her new room!
Closet (AKA My Favourite Part of the Makeover)
Her old closet was drab and dated and just…ugly. It looks so happy to me now. Just look at that painting. I dare you not to smile!! Isn’t it happy? And the disco light! What 12-year-old doesn’t want a disco light in their bedroom closet?
Abstract Art (Thrifted): $5
Laundry basket (Thrifted): $8
Wooden Dancer (FREE): When someone moved out of a house in our neighbourhood they left a table full of free items, including this IKEA figurine. The arms are PERFECT for storing scrunchies and hair elastics (A’s brilliant idea, not mine).
Alex Drawer Unit (Ikea): $159.99 (A’s old dresser was huge and old and free! My father made it for her before she was born. It now serves a new purpose in our basement holding craft supplies. I love, love, love that her new dresser can fit neatly inside her closet (so much less wasted space this way).
Pegboard + Whiteboard (IKEA): $29.99 + $17.99
Bed
What a cozy view! Funny story about this bed. Years ago, we purchased a queen bed. We loved it for a while, but fairly quickly it started to sag and was downright uncomfortable. When we decided to replace it nearly a decade later, I went back to the same store and said: Anything but a Kingsdown bed. Our last one did not hold up well and sagged a lot. The saleslady proceeded to tell me it might be covered under warranty. Long story short – we got a brand-new mattress replaced for free under a warranty I didn’t even know existed…which is now in A’s room (we upgraded to a king; best thing ever). So this mattress was, in a way, free!
Curtains (Amazon): $47.99 (x2) = $95.98
Bedframe (Amazon): $255 – She inherited our old queen bedframe that was a decade old, showing its age, and had been on clearance at the furniture store. We sold it for about $60 when we were redoing her room!
Comforter (Thrifted): $15.99 – This blanket couldn’t match her room any better if we tried! It’s reversible, too, and the other side is a teal that matches Tropical Pool, well, to a “T.”
White shag pillow cover (Thrifted): $3.99
The banker’s lamp is also an old thrift find. We had it on our master bedroom dresser but it never quite fit; it’s perfect in her room and it can be adjusted to all sorts of different heights. Plus, she is embracing all things GOLD, and it fits with that aesthetic perfectly.
Bedside Table
This is A’s first time having a dedicated bedside table. Before the makeover, she used her dresser as a table-top beside her bed. When we went to IKEA we let her browse all the options and I was thrilled (and quite proud) that she thought they were all fine, so said: “Let’s just get the cheapest one that seems sturdy.“
Bedside table (IKEA): $59.99
Under the Bed
Okay, if the closet is my favourite thing about this room, I think under-the-bed storage crosses the line for the silver medal. It feels life-changing! Her previous bedframe was very chunky and you could squeeze a pair of dirty socks under there (ask me how I know) but then never get them out. This new bed has a lot of clearance. The far side of the bed has some cardboard shoe boxes full of different memorabilia (yearbooks, photobooks, letters/postcards from friends and family), the big white tote has extra clothes (cold-weather PJs, leggings for winter), and the wire basket is a catch-all (her travel-sized hair dryer – free at the same time we got the wooden Ikea figurine, purses). The only thing we bought new was the white bin (Ikea) for $26.99.
She got a set of butterfly stickers from a friend years ago for her birthday and she has been storing them until the “right time.” She arranged them artfully on a corner of her mirror and I just love the whimsy of it!!
The watercolour was painted by a friend; she wrote a note to Abby on the back and we had this painting resting on her bookshelf for over a year. I am so glad it’s been framed and has a permanent home in her room!
The New York City book was a hand-me-down from a friend. You can’t really tell, but it’s a cutout, accordion-style book and A loved to look through it long before she actually went to New York City. It also looks darn cute on a shelf.
The Math
Paint: $189.24
Painting Labour (priming + painting everything, in some places this required three coats + the ceiling, filling holes): $542.50
Room items: $776.36-$60 (for the sale of her old bedframe) = $716.36
Grand total (before tax): $1,448.10
With tax…*SIGH*: $1,665.32
There you have it. Our first bedroom makeover – EVER! Our master bedroom is next on the docket, but really…this was the room I cared about doing most. And it’s done! A confetti of gold stars.
Your turn. What’s something old in your bedroom? Something new? If you had to renovate or upgrade one room in your house, which room would you choose and why?
Header photo by Ilana Gotz on Unsplash
sarah
Love the end result! Dorothy wants to paint her room white, and after seeing this, I am ON BOARD. The shelves are my favorite– both the built-ins and the ones by her bed. So cozy and grown up!
Elisabeth
White is just…so versatile. And I love how it makes it easier to mix and match things. I don’t know if I would have gone so light if she was younger, but at this stage it just feels very zen for a teenage room!
Kyria @ Travel Spot
I think that you did a great job, did not spend too much, and have given her such a nice gift by doing this. I am sure she is very excited to live in a room that is all her own now! It also has room to grow with her, and later when she is in high school, a simple duvet swap can really change the look again if she wants it.
Much of the stuff in my house is free or was very cheap (I bought my bed frame and kitchen table from a friend who was getting rid of them, so it was really just a minimal amount) and none of it matches, but when I first moved in, I spent a lot of time painting a bunch of the items white so they would “match” and it did a wonder of difference. Now it makes me want to tally up my costs, as I too ALWAYS want to know how much people spent on stuff!
Elisabeth
Yes to all of this re. A’s room.
I love free things the best; thrifted is next in line. It feels good to keep things out of landfills and show it love. It feels like a rescue of sorts…and a treasure hunt <3
I'd love for you to do a house tour sometime! And white is just so classic and really does make things look more clean and modern for relatively minimal effort (not that I'm painting much myself, but I DID help a friend paint our back shed).
Jenny
Well, now I want to renovate Angie’s room! It’s already painted white (it was bright pink when she was little- at her request- but then also at her request we made it white a few years ago) and I’m think maybe an accent wall? Honestly, her room is super cluttered. I love how A’s room is now actually decorated nicely. I also love how you can’t tell the difference between the thrifted items and the things you bought brand new- everything is beautiful. You really transformed the room for not that much money. She must be thrilled!
Elisabeth
She is – it has been a really rewarding and fun experience. I’ll admit I was overwhelmed at the start because it felt like there was so much to do, but now that it’s done it just feels…great. It’s amazing (for me at least) what my surrounding environment/aesthetics can do to my mood and productivity.
Suzanne
This looks SO fabulous!!! I love the color combos and the curtains and the CLOSET, omg. And I am drooling over those built ins! What a fantastic makeover!
My daughter’s room is in the process of being made over right now! Woo! There is something so much fun about doing a kiddo’s bedroom. I feel like there’s more opportunity for whimsy and color than there is in other rooms of the house… but maybe I am just being too much of a fuddy duddy about those other rooms!
Elisabeth
The built-ins were happily there when we moved in, but the rest has been overhauled…but just with minor tweaks like paint.
I do think you’re right about bedrooms being more whimsical. Also, they tend not to be shared spaces (for kids at least), so they can really “put their mark” on something which is a special feeling. Everyone has to agree about the layout of a living room, but a bedroom can be a fun place to experiment and make it your own.
NGS
Wow! I can see why A is thrilled with the space now. It’s so pretty!
Something old: We have my husband’s grandmother’s trunk in our bedroom and that’s where we keep putting all of the family heirlooms my FIL keeps giving us (like a set of silver that we’re never going to use).
Something new: When we moved into our house, the only new furniture we bought was our bedframe and two nightstands. It was such a splurge and I love it.
Room to renovate: Bathroom. Our bathroom situation is DIRE, but we can’t afford to do anything about it just yet. Soon. I hope.
Elisabeth
You have so many incredible heirlooms!
We also need to do something about every single one of our bathrooms. They feel like disasters waiting to happen. One toilet has never flushed properly, the shower leaks, and the caulking on the tub is peeling. The other bathroom is soo old and dated, and the final bathroom – in the basement – has ceiling tiles caving in and a toilet that looks like it may be original to the house. For now, I’m just ignoring all of it. If we can’t paint a room, we obviously can’t swap out toilets or showerheads either – le sigh.
Lisa's Yarns
I think this was a very economical and high impact upgrade!! Especially in this inflationary environment! The oldest thing in our bedroom are pictures above our fireplace of Phil and his late brother with their grandparents and a picture of Phil’s late father. The newest items… hmmmm… we haven’t bought any home decor. So the newest big purchase would be the recliner we bought, I think in 2021. I use it a lot in the winter when I read in front of the fireplace.
If money were no object, I would redo our primary bathroom. We have a huge soaker tub that is just a collector of dust. We are not bath people. The boys have their own bath so we do not need one. The layout of our bathroom is SO AWFUL. Like the towel bar is across the room from the shower. WHY. But I don’t know if it’s worth the cost to do a remodel.
Elisabeth
Family photos are such a treasure.
That towel bar is so frustrating. That’s one reason why building a house seems completely overwhelming to me – all the choices you have to make and you don’t think about a towel bar placement when you’re fully clothed at the hardware store! You have to live in a space to understand the nuances and pain points.
Nicole MacPherson
AHHHHHHHHHHH
Between you and Suzanne, today you are filling the need I didn’t know I had, which was to vicariously live through someone else’s daughter’s bedroom makeover! I AM LOVING THIS. Gosh, it’s a gorgeous room and such a great job on a budget! I am IMPRESSED. Also, did I mention yesterday how much I love that paint colour? We had so much colour in our old house and not much here, but we do have windows and a view so I guess it all evens out. But I have a soft spot for unique paint colours! Also I love the bedding and the curtains, they are really lovely.
Elisabeth
Awww. I LOVED the design options for Carla’s room and can’t wait for a big reveal.
I love the paint colours we ended up with. I was very fretful about Tropical Pool but on ONE wall it’s perfect. On all the walls I think everyone would have found it too much. I’m just so, so happy with how it turned out.
The curtains are really nice quality. I tried HARD to find ones at thrift stores, but they almost never come with four panels. So I would have had to mix and match different curtain sets for each window. But I’m very impressed with the quality for the price. They’re not blackout, but close and the gold detail is just so pretty to me.
Nicole MacPherson
Also, what’s the something old in my bedroom? MY HUSBAND! Lolololol.
Elisabeth
Good one 🙂 I just texted you a meme that made me think of this comment.
Elinoora
Something old: my grandmother’s dressing table 😊 at some point I’ll paint it white (or my father in law might do it) as it needs a bit of love and care, but I love the fact that it’s in our bedroom now. We also still have our PAX ikea wardrobe, which we bought in… 2007? And has been through 4 moves by now.
We upgraded our son’s bedroom earlier this year. My mom wanted to get rid of my youngest sister’s bed, and it was exactly the model we were after (said bed is over 20 years old, again ikea going strong). We got him a new mattress, and a thingy to go against the wall to display his figurines.
Renovation wise, we’re about to start 🫣 adding on to the back, moving the kitchen and putting in a new bathroom. Things are about to get messy and dusty!
Elisabeth
Ikea stuff is really pretty incredible. We have friends that have been using a table from IKEA for almost 30 years. If you pay attention to what you’re buying, you can get some really high quality things for extremely low prices.
We only have one PAX and it’s mounted to a wall in our entry. I love it. One of my favourite IKEA purchases ever. Horrible to build, but amazing to use.
J
If I could re-do one room, it would be my kitchen. EXPENSIVE. I dream of cabinets with pull outs and fancy corner inserts and what all, I’m not sure of the proper names for those things. We’ve lived here for 25 years, and early on we decided to paint our kitchen cabinets (because they looked terrible). Well, we are NOT DIY people, and we did a terrible job, and the paint looks dirty and you cannot get it clean and it chips and blah blah blah.
I can’t afford to fix it up, and I don’t want any more debt, so we just live with it. We also need new floors. Sigh.
I’m not sure there is anything really old in our bedroom, except my Smokey Bear (which I got in 1974) and a little vase my mom gave me that her Great Aunt gave her when she was 16. I don’t know if it was purchased new at that point, or if it was old even then.
2022 was our 29th anniversary, and I looked online and found out that the themed gift for your 29th anniversary is furniture. We took that opportunity to buy a new bed frame, which I LOVE because we previously hadn’t had one for years, our mattress was on the floor, which I HATE.
Regarding your daughter’s beautiful room, I love the built in shelving, she is VERY talented (the canvases she painted are lovely), and the disco light / art combo in the closet has a vibe (in pictures at least) that it is stained glass with light coming through it. Nice!
Elisabeth
I’d also love a kitchen reno – also not happening anytime soon. We *might* paint the cabinets, but it’s old and would need so much rearranging. For example, we can only fit an apartment-sized fridge in under the cabinets as is! But it works and we eat well, so I don’t lose any sleep over it 🙂
We also had a mattress on the floor for years, so I can relate! So glad you used the happy occasion of your wedding anniversary to get a bed frame.
San
I love everything you did and I will confess to being a fellow Ikea enthusiast. We have a lot of stuff from Ikea and – IMHO – it’s timeless, practical, and affordable. What else could one ask for?
Elisabeth
The majority of furniture in our house is from IKEA. It is sturdy, inexpensive, and lasts a really long time. Also, I love the aesthetic. I can see how all that white and minimalistic lines wouldn’t be for everyone, but it is right up my alley.
Rachel
The room looks amazing! I know it seems expensive however redoing a whole room is a huge undertaking and you’ve done an amazing job thrifting and reusing. I don’t think I’ve ever done a full room makeover before – we do things mostly piecemeal, which probably obscures the cost of any room. I LOVE the disco ball closet. My kids would go mental for it. The whole room is just so relaxing and lovely now – you did an amazing job!
Elisabeth
Thanks! I’m so glad we have access to some good local thrift stores (and IKEA) – it definitely makes doing a room makeover easier on the budget.