DIY Rental Master Bedroom on a Budget

The master bedroom, or any bedroom for that matter is a place to sleep, but so much more it is the one personal space that you have in a home. It should reflect your personal style and give your mind pause and rest from world. Even more so if you have children you know that there aren't many places to hide in the house. Sneaking away to a place where I can dare I say indulge myself in a novel, prepare and plan for the next day, or just rest my head for what seems nowadays a 15 minute nap I wanted our room to be that place. Everyone needs some time to decompress and recharge alone, and although I do allow Landon, Lizzy and Lily to spend some time in there I wanted it reflect a more soft and mature style than the rest of our cheery, kid-friendly abode.

So I started to pour over magazines, Pinterest boards and seek inspiration from the amazing design blogs I follow on Instagram and became so immersed in the mood and style I wanted for our room. I had paint swatches and grandiose plans of wood planks and drama. For a brief moment I drawn into my design bubble where anything is possible. Then I remembered that we are renters. Being a military family it just hasn't made sense for us to purchase a home. We never know where we might end up and the thought of being saddled with a mortgage and orders to another state or dare I say country is something we just didn't want to deal with. 

Dialing back my aspirations was frustrating, but caused me to create a space that I think others might find inspiring especially if they do are dealing with less than lackluster white walls and a small budget. It was an exciting project that I can say I am proud to share with you. Along the way I found out some tips and principles that you can use and apply to any budget bedroom makeover or refresh. They are....

1. Use soft colors to create the illusion of more space.

I have lived in just about every size master bedroom. I have had more space than I know what to do with and I have lived in about the tiniest space I thought I could ever shove a dresser and queen size bed into. Luckily this bedroom is a good medium of the homes we have lived in. Not overwhelmingly large, but not so tiny I can't create a pathway from the door to the bed without tripping on the furniture. Even so, with two adults in the room and no walk in closet you have to add furniture for storage. To combat the feeling of that we choose a white wrought iron frame for our bed and I used pale coral, grey and white linens to create a softer look. The curtains are also a pale turquoise so it lets in the light and blends into the already white walls. While I would have loved to used a nice creamy light beige or gray on the walls I had to compromise in light of the fact that we are renting...

2. Create a multifunctional space

Back to being a busy mom and finding time to get away. I have such an amazing husband that will take our kids and allow me time to work on projects that I am passionate about, but since we don't have a basement and our kids rooms are not the largest our office space has to double as a playroom. That means our desk is in the midst of chaos most of the time. Also we do have a bathroom in our room which is a blessing (especially since our last rental only had one!), but it is on the smaller side so when I need to do my make up I was invariably hogging the mirror space. So I took a desk and put it beside the bed and created a vanity, desk, and nightstand combo. Now I have storage for all my make up, a place to write, and also a surface to house my latest reading material for bedtime. Using the space beside your bed wisely can create extra space in your house and give you more room to do the things you love. 

3. Don't be afraid to Do It Yourself

I love a craft project. The feeling I get when I complete a project is unlike any other. It might be better than chocolate... maybe. For this room I decided to tackle just a few projects. I made the curtains and button pillow cover on the reading chair and I created some wall art. They were all very simple and I was able to make 4 curtain panels for the two windows for less than $20! That I would say is a major score. Whether you are constrained by your budget or you haven't been able to find that perfect piece there is a wealth of diy resources online that can make any dream come true.

Could the room be more like my HGTV dreams? Of course but design is an ever evolving process for me. I'll probably wake up tomorrow and decide to add another piece of wall art or move the chair. I have to continuly tweak, add and subtract. That's what makes it so much fun! For now though I think I will take my own advice and relax in the space. Well at least for a minute then it's on to the next project, the girls shared space...