You finally bought the fixer-upper house of your dreams! Now to reward yourself, it’s time to create the bedroom you’ve always wanted.
For whatever reason, bedrooms are more often than not the last place people focus on when it comes to renovating a fixer-upper.
Your bedroom is where you probably spend most of your time, whether it’s relaxing or sleeping, this space should be your sanctuary.
With this in mind, we’re sharing design tips for your fixer-upper bedroom that will help you transform your bedroom without a major investment of your money or time. Keep reading to find out how.
First Things First
Take a look at your room and first assess some of the cosmetic issues that need to be taken care of before you get to the fun part, decor.
Some of these issues could be removing and replacing a rotten carpet or even smoke odor removal. These issues need to be tackled first.
After tackling these issues, sit down and take some time to ask yourself these questions when thinking about the bedroom of your dreams.
What Does Your Room Need?
What are the changes and adjustments you need to make you happy?
Is your room too bright? Too dark?
Can your problems be fixed with a simple furniture and layout rearrangement or a fresh coat of paint?
What Is Your Personal Style?
What does your dream bedroom look like? Is it bright and airy? Or is it a cozy and dark place you can escape to sleep? Also, think about your ideal color palette and style like boho-chic, modern glam, cozy rustic, etc.
Pick a style that resonates with you and stick with it so your bedroom’s decor stays consistent.
What Are Your Limits?
Love the look of crisp, bright white bedding but have pets with dark-colored fur that shed like crazy? Choose bedroom elements that work with your habits and lifestyle.
How Do You Need to Use Your Room?
What else do you need in a bedroom? Do you use it as your office? A home movie theater? If there is no way to reserve your bedroom for sleep alone, be sure to keep its other uses into consideration when designing your space.
Once you’ve answered all these questions and are ready to turn your dated fixer-upper bedroom into the bedroom of your dreams, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty.
Organize and Purge
Nothing makes a bedroom look as cramped and smaller than it really is than clutter. An easy way to open up your space is with a good purge of your belongings.
Go over your belongings and get rid of anything that you no longer need or find unattractive. This includes knickknacks, accessories, or items that should be kept in other rooms of your home.
A bland and bare room isn’t the goal, but neither is a cluttered and messy room. Find a happy medium with a few personal touches.
A good rule is to only decorate with items that you feel a special connection to, not just decorating with items for the sake of “decorating”.
Color Appeal
Painting a bedroom is probably the cheapest and fastest way to change the look of your bedroom. Choose a paint color that will give you the ambiance that you want in your bedroom.
Whether it’s light and modern, cozy and warm, or eclectic and loud, there is almost an endless possibility of colors to choose from. It’s also important to note that if the first color you choose doesn’t work for you, you can always paint over it and choose a new one.
One of the most common fixer-upper hacks is using light-colored neutral paint colors like soft whites and light grays. These colors create the perfect backdrop for almost any color scheme of your choosing.
Light colors also make a small bedroom feel more bright, relaxed, and spacious.
Consider the Size of Your Furniture
If you have a smaller bedroom, you don’t need to stick with tiny furniture. A bed in a reasonable size paired with a dresser that matches your bed in scale should do the trick. In smaller bedrooms, a tall and narrow dresser works better than a short and wide one.
Fixer-upper queen, Joanna Gaines, has a different approach that she swears by. It may sound counterintuitive, but she says putting larger furniture pieces in tighter spaces can make your room look bigger.
An excellent example of this fixer-upper hack is placing a king-sized bed in between two smaller side tables as nightstands, rather than opting for a smaller bed with heavier pieces on either side.
If you have a small bedroom, remember these tricks if you want to make your bedroom look more spacious and see which one works for you.
Update Your Furniture
Sometimes all you need is a fresh coat of paint or varnish to transform the character of your nightstand or dresser. You can find DIY inspiration all over the internet, but you don’t need to give every piece of furniture you own a DIY makeover.
Something as simple as a neutral-colored table runner can hide the surface damage on a dresser. Adding new hardware to your dated furniture is another one of our fixer-upper hacks for transforming your bedroom.
Get Good Lighting
One of the most affordable ways to transform your bedroom is by lighting. One of the characteristics of a well-designed room is the type of lighting used.
Go for natural light as much as your bedroom allows. If your room lacks natural light, there are other ways to achieve the natural light look without having to install another window.
Look for light bulbs that are labeled “warm white” and you can have your bedroom looking like a brand new space. Swapping out an old light fixture often takes less than an hour.
Warm light has many benefits, such as promoting relaxation and softening our skin tones. This is why warm lighting is the lighting choice for most romantic restaurants.
Up up the ante by putting hanging bedside lamps with warm white bulbs.
Hanging bedside lamps are chic and add some unique character to any room. You also save extra valuable surface space on your nightstands.
Switch Up Your Bedding
Your bed is the focal point of your bedroom. Switching up your bedding and throw pillows is one of the most effective subtle changes you can make to transform your bedroom in your fixer-upper house.
Comfort is most important, and style should come second. Stick with the basics and go for simple colors or basic patterns.
White bedding is a tried-and-true favorite. White linen is fresh and works in all seasons. White or any other neutral-colored bedding makes the perfect backdrop for patterned or textured pillows or throws.
Layer a cozy and textured wool blanket in the winter and lighter pillows in complementary colors in the summer. If bold patterns aren’t your thing, opt for simple designs like stripes in periwinkle, navy, or gray stripes for some contrast.
Dress Your Windows
Make the most of the natural light your bedroom has to offer by optimizing your windows. If you need curtains that block the early morning light but don’t want dark something heavy and dark, consider thick velvet or cotton in light colors
Also, keep in mind that the higher you hang your curtain rod, the taller your window will appear.
Place your curtain rod closer to the ceiling than the top of your window (if possible). A common rule to follow is placing your curtain rod 4-6 inches above the window frame.
Large bedrooms can get away with using blinds and drapes that contrast with the walls. When it comes to smaller bedrooms, match your walls and window treatments for a more spacious look.
This hack keeps the eye moving across your room and tricking it into seeing the bedroom as a tad bit bigger than it really is.
Make sure your curtains sit flush on the floor. For a romantic look, go for a curtain length that allows them to pool slightly on the floor.
Avoid hanging short curtains as this could make your room look smaller than it is.
Find out more tips on curtain sizes here!
Mind Your Floor
Like switching up your bedding, changing or adding a rug can make transform your bedroom. Rugs are also a great way to get creative with textures and patterns.
Nothing feels better than waking up to something soft under your feet. Try adding a faux fur rug or a thick shag in an eye-catching pattern.
Rugs are a fun way to tie an entire room together, so choose a rug that complements the color scheme you chose for your bedding, pillows, and curtains.
Finishing Touches
Now that you got your bases covered, it’s time to add the finishing touches. When adding the finishing touches, try to keep them as sentimental as possible and decorate with intention instead of decorating just for the sake of decorating.
Adding personal touches transforms your fixer-upper house into a home, whether it’s your favorite flowers, or hanging vintage photos of your family.
Here are some tips and things to consider when adding the finishing touches to your bedroom.
Go Green
Adding plants or fresh flowers is a fantastic way to add a touch of natural beauty and can make any dated room look fresh. Not only are plants pleasant and calming to look at, but they are also known for improving the air quality of any room.
Live plants and fresh flowers also help reduce feelings of anxiety and stress. Here are some of the best indoor plants to keep in your bedroom.
Hang Up Art You Love
Make the most of whatever wall space you have in your bedroom. Whether it’s paintings, photographs, or even kid’s drawings, display artwork that means the most to you.
If you prefer an uncluttered and clean look, choose one or two pieces of art that speak to you and make a statement. If you love a more eclectic look, you can fill up your wall space with as many pieces you want.
Frame special and meaningful cards, source pieces from local artists, and print photos you love in black and white.
Be sure to choose frames in a consistent style, whether it’s sophisticated black to shiny gold. You want your gallery wall looking clean and not messy.
A Good Mirror
Mirrors are a pretty magical way to add some serious wow factor to any bedroom. Whether you choose to hand one up or lean a full-length mirror against your wall, they are one of the easiest ways to trick the eye into thinking a room is bigger than it is.
Not only do mirrors transform your bedroom and open up your space, but they also brighten up your room in the most magical way by reflecting and bouncing light.
The Fixer Upper Bedroom of Your Dreams
To reward yourself for buying the fixer-upper house of your dreams, why not take the time to create the bedroom you’ve always wanted?
Bedrooms are more often than not the last place people focus on when it comes to renovating a fixer-upper. Your bedroom is where you probably spend most of your time, whether it’s relaxing or sleeping, so you want this space to be your sanctuary.
It is easier than you think to transform your bedroom without a major investment of your money or time. We hope you found our design tips for your fixer-upper bedroom helpful.
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