Bedrooms

February 8, 2013

Budget Bedroom Decorating Tips

Give yours a new look for less!

Install a mural or eye-catching wallpaper on a single wall for an affordable focal point.

To create a sense of serenity, designer Theresa Casey used softer colours throughout the second floor and combined subtle Asian accents with flower motifs for a romantic yet worldly feel. She divided the huge principal bedroom into two sections with a character-building panelled archway. A delicate, bamboo-look brass canopy bed from South Hill Home adds height.

Find more inspiration in our photo galleries of Rooms With Warm Metal Accents and Budget Bedroom Decorating Tips.

Photographer: Donna Griffith

Source: House & Home February 2013 issue

Products: Brass bed, South Hill Home; dresser (as bedside table), lamp, Ribbehege & Azevedo; wallpaper, Sanderson Meadow Flowers in Cream Charcoal (S260 WP), Télio; floral drape fabric, Kravet Canada; wall colour, Cloud White (CC-40), Benjamin Moore.

Repurpose items from around the house to craft a one-of-a-kind look.

"We used logs from our property as bedside tables. I painted the old trunk, which came with the cottage, a soft white. It stores extra linens. We got the striped blanket in Mexico. It's perfect for here: light but warm," says homeowner Karyn Gordon. An affordable net canopy creates the island vibe at home.

See more of this cottage in our photo gallery, plus find more budget bedroom makeover ideas in this photo gallery.

Source: House & Home July 2012 issue

Products: Pillows, Crate & Barrel; lantern, W.H. Kilby.

Paint auction and thrift-store finds with a fresh coat of white paint.

Dark wood twin headboards, bought at an auction, feel light and airy after the paint transformation. Keeping new and second-hand finds in the same white brings a cohesive look to a room. Here, everyday white linens are given a fresh look with pale blue and white quilts and accent pillows.

Find more budget bedroom makeover ideas in our gallery.

Photographer: Janet Kimber

Source: House & Home July 2012 issue

Products: Star pendant, Universal Lamp; Dash & Albert runner, Elte; quilts, HomeSense; pillow fabrics, Schumacher; table lamp, Pottery Barn.

For an undecorated country look, pair second-hand finds with crafty pieces.

In Don Howell and Ray Camano's weekend home in New York's Catskill Mountains, the "little bedroom" has a true rustic feel. He refinished the vintage Danish chair (a thrift store find) himself, and stitched the pillow from a swatch book of suedes left over from his days as a menswear designer. The "yard long" photos are thrift store and tag sale finds, and the rag rug comes from Don's mother's house.

Find more budget bedroom makeover ideas in our gallery.

Photographer: Philippe Kress

Source: House & Home October 2012 issue

Products: Don Howell furniture and Caviar20.

A ceiling-mounted canopy gives an ordinary bed a new look.

When renovating her Toronto home, H&H senior design editor Margot Austin used curtain rod hardware, ceiling brackets and ready-made linen drapes to craft this look.

Source: House & Home September 2012 issue

Products: Headboard, bed frame, West Elm; striped duvet cover, shams, Au Lit Fine Linens; curtain rods, brackets, The Home Depot; bed drape panels, square pillow, Ikea; window drapes, Tonic Living; headboard wall colour, Skimming Stone (241), Farrow & Ball; wall and armoire colour, Cloud White (CC-40), Benjamin Moore.

Designer: Margot Austin

Paint walls with stripes for a fun (and cheap) take on wallpaper. This striped wall cost $120.

Homeowner Emily Norris found these vintage tufted bedframes for $80 and painted the frames but kept the gold velvet upholstery as-is. For drapery, Emily bought outdoor fabric off-season for $4/yd. and splurged on custom sewing.

Find more budget bedroom makeover ideas in our gallery.

Photographer: Ashley Capp

Source: House & Home June 2012 issue

Products: Bedframes, Frontier Sales Furniture; rug, Y&Co; yellow quilts, Virginia Johnson; drape fabric, Fabricland.

Anchor a bed with wall-mounted task lighting for easy reading in bed.

Inject colour into a room with a decorative pillow. This principal bedroom hits a contemporary note thanks to modern art and a clean-lined canopy bed.

Source: House & Home December 2012 issue

Get the look of wallpaper for less with a wall stencil.

In this girl's bedroom, designer Trish Johnston updated a builder-basic bedroom with new crown moulding, a custom duvet cover and a fun pink-and-white wall.

Photographer: Jason Stickley

Source: House & Home Online TV episode 135

Products: Silk Road Suzani Stencil, Royal Design Studio.

Consider alternative furniture options for a nightstand.

In addition to offering space for a lamp and accessories, this vintage trunk provides storage and complements the light blue headboard and linens.

Source: House & Home May 2012 issue

Products: Side table, Halo Styles; headboard fabrication and upholstery, Bisson et Choquette; bedding, Frette; lamp, Décor NW; wall and trim colour, Snow White (OC-66), Benjamin Moore.

Designer: Alyson Wood, Knock on Wood Design.

Use a vintage map for artwork.

Hanging velvet curtains at the back of this canopy bed adds a high-end touch to this simple white bed. Placing a console table and bench in front provides much-needed storage for a small condo unit.

Photographer: Jason Stickley

Source: House & Home Online TV episode 124

Products: Bed, Ikea.

Designer: Joel Bray

Combine sumptuous duvets, cosy quilts and rumpled linens for a layered look.

A flax-coloured sham and earthy headboard suit the dishevelled imperfection, as do leaning artwork and books scattered beneath the bed.

Source: House & Home June 2012 issue

Products: Lamp, printed pillow, headboard, Kantelberg & Co.; artwork, Absolutely Inc.; green duvet, white duvet, West Elm; beige sham, Ikea; sheets, white pillow cover, Elte; green and white quilt and pillow cover, bedskirt, Au Lit Fine Linens.

Install simple panel mouldings to add depth to a plain room.

Instead of running drapes right to the floor, stop them at a wide window ledge for a tailored look that saves on fabric costs, too.

Source: House & Home February 2012 issue

Products: Wall colour, Lamp Room Gray (88), Farrow & Ball; millwork, Lowe's; DwellStudio drape fabric and accent pillow fabric, Robert Allen (to the trade); drape sewing, National Drapery; table lamp, Crate & Barrel; artwork, Elte; headboard fabric, Designer Fabrics.

Designer: Joel Bray

Consider unconventional headboard ideas.

"Rather than the commitment of wallpaper or a typical painting, I wanted to add texture, frame the bed, and add depth and richness to the room," says designer and TV personality Lisa Rogers. Textiles on the bed add colour.

See more gorgeous bedrooms in our photo gallery. Plus, tour the rest of this bright lakeside townhouse in our Online TV segment.

Source: House & Home April 2012 issue

Products: Rug (as wall hanging), Elte; side table, blanket, Constantine Living; DwellStudio sheets, Hollace Cluny.

Create a simple and cottage-like room with mismatched furnishings. Save on wallpaper costs by installing it on one side of the chair rail.

This home's only bedroom illustrates Richard Ouellette and Maxime Vandal of Les Ensembliers' approach to decor: nothing matches yet it melds together effortlessly. Bird-print wallpaper acts as a neutral backdrop for modern ikat pillows and weathered-wood pieces.

See more designs from our 25 Top Designers in our photo gallery.

Photographer: Jean Longpré

Source: House & Home August 2011 issue

Products: Bedding, Toile Sur Rendez-Vous; bedside tables, chest, Antiquite? Michel Prince; Schumacher wallpaper, throw pillow fabric, Crescendo; bed, Les Ensembliers; lamps, Fleur de Juin.

Mix affordable furnishings with high-end wallpaper.

The lower-level guest suite of the 2011 Princess Margaret Showhome offers a private haven, perfect for a young adult. Like most of the furniture and fittings on this floor, the bed, chest and chair are courtesy of Ikea. A bold modern Pierre Frey damask-print wallpaper inspired the room's raspberry accents.

See more from the 2011 Princess Margaret Showhome in our photo gallery and watch Lynda Reeves tour the space.

Source: House & Home October 2011 issue

Products: Pierre Frey wallpaper, through Primavera Interior Furnishings (to the trade); sisal carpet, Elte; bed, bedding, chair, rug, dresser, lamp, Ikea; trim colour, Cloud White (CC-40) from the Designer Classics collection, Benjamin Moore.

Stylist and designer Nicola Marc brought a sense of warmth, thoughtfulness and elegance to her corner unit by mixing casual items with luxurious ones.

To complement the swaths of sky outside the windows, she painted walls in celestial shades of soft blue, cloud-grey and white. The bed in the principal bedroom is well-layered with Nicola's trademark elegant-casual mixture of fabrics: neutral-coloured linens, velvet pillows and charcoal lace pillowcases. A sisal rug brings a relaxed, natural feel.

Get Nicola's holiday decorating ideas in our photo gallery. Plus, see more gorgeous bedroom photos.

Photographer: Monic Richard

Source: House & Home November 2012 issue

Products: Lamps, The Home Depot; vases, flowers, Fauchois Fleurs; bedding, pillows, quilt, Qui Dort Dine; wall colour, Sky Light (205), Farrow & Ball.

Paint your doors in a bold colour for an unexpected touch.

Graphic bedding and velvet pillows in rich jewel tones liven up this principal bedroom. Homeowner Trish Magwood slipcovered an old side table in white cotton to hide its flaws.

Source: House & Home June 2010 issue

Products: Duvet cover, patterned Euro shams, white coverlet, Lucca; rug, Angus & Company; teal vase, Hollace Cluny; velvet pillows, Constantine; green door, The Door Store; blackout blind, headboard construction, The Sewing Studio by Gail Leger; headboard design, Rebecca Muha, Muha Interiors.