A $127 Makeover Gives This “White Box” Bedroom Chic “Private Train Car” Vibes
An ADU, or an accessory dwelling unit, is an auxiliary space located on the same lot as a primary residence like a house. Often, it’s a single-room space (think: no kitchen or office) that can be used for sleeping or working or recreation. And often, it comes as a blank box.
That’s essentially what Paul Overton’s (@ghostlightvintage) looked like when he bought his place in Los Angeles. “This ADU was just finished,” he explains. “It is built from what used to be an old workshop on the property, so when I took ownership, it was just a white box. All the other rooms started to come together pretty quickly, but the bedroom just didn’t feel cozy.”
Paul did a $127 project to give the space some oomph.
A DIY beadboard headboard anchors the room.
“Something needed to ground the space and give it some visual interest,” Paul says. “I disliked (or couldn’t afford) all the headboards online, so I decided to do a beadboard headboard.”
Paul got his materials pre-cut at his local hardware store. “You only need very few tools if you have the lumber supplier make your cuts for you,” he says. “After that, you could basically finish this project with a hammer, a jigsaw, and a paintbrush.”
Because this room already had baseboards in place, all Paul had to do was attach the beadboard and chair rail with a brad nailer.
The green paint is irresistible.
Before Paul added the detail to the wall, he painted the molding and beadboard green (Behr’s Classic Avocado). The hardest part of the entire project “was having the bravery to stick with my idea of avocado green,” Paul says. “I mean, it’s not hot pink, but it’s a pretty bold move in an otherwise neutral house.”
Paul’s advice to anyone completing a similar project is to double check you got the lengths you needed if you’re going the store-bought hardware route. He ended up having to make two trips to the store because the pieces weren’t cut correctly the first time, but in the end it was a small blip for major payoff.
“It feels amazing in there now,” Paul says. “The green headboard … makes the room feel kind of like a private train car or a small room at a B&B or something. Everything went from disconnected and floaty to calm and integrated. Every time I pass the bedroom door, that green makes me want to spend the day in there.”
Inspired? Submit your own project here.