The 10 Best Bedroom Redos of 2022 Prioritize Comfort, Calm, and Clutter-Busting Fixes

It can be pretty easy to ignore a cluttered, uninspired bedroom. Since you often only go into that space to sleep, you can literally shut your eyes and block it out. But that doesn’t mean that a beautiful bedroom isn’t worth the effort. The last space you see at night and the first space you see in the morning should be one that brings you comfort and joy.

All of the bedrooms featured in this year’s “best of” lineup started as “good enough” spots for sleeping — but with a little tinkering, became so much more. The homeowners and renters behind these transformations saw the benefits beyond just practicality and invested their time, effort, and creativity into leveling up their bedrooms. The results are colorful, efficient, and calming, which are all much better adjectives than “good enough” to describe a place where you’re supposed to get rest and relaxation. Read on to see the 10 best bedroom redos of 2022. 

You know when you see beautiful mural wallpaper, fall in love, and then immediately have to adjust your expectations because of the price? Let this $100 paint project from DIYer Lianne Luce give you hope that there’s a more budget-friendly solution. Her guest room was once a plain white storage unit, until she finally gave it some style. “It’s the perfect size to become a nursery/playroom down the road,” says Lianne. “But for now, I just wanted to clean it out and paint a forest and sky mural.” It took eight weeks, a Photoshop mockup, and a color palette, but now the room has that pricey wallpaper look for much less.

Madison Bess, the blogger behind The Blushing Bungalow, planned to do something very nice for her family: Add some style to this boring, gray bedroom. “I love my brother and sister in-law so much, so when I found out they were moving to a new place with a clean slate, I wanted to make it as special for them as I could,” she says. “I also felt like that room had so much potential, and I really wanted to bring that to life.” They wanted something bright, but this being a rental, she also had to get creative with how to go about that. Thanks to a rattan headboard, thrifted nightstands, and new lighting, they got a coastal bedroom for $1,000.

Lilly Skjoldahl was used to not giving much thought to her bedroom as part of an always-moving military family, but decided to make an exception. “I wanted to feel at peace when I was at home,” she says. “I wanted my own space to relax and decompress. I decided it was time to get over the mindset of temporary living and make our house into a home.” The biggest statement she made was a windowpane wood pattern on the main wall, which adds texture and a fun feature to a room full of personality. 

Interior designer Ashley Izsak’s twin daughters had been asking for their own bedrooms, and so when they finally got the chance to split, Isla was given the gray-meets-drab space in the basement. “We had never painted or replaced the carpet,” Ashley says of the space. “In contrast, the before room that Isla shared with her twin sister was lovely.” Her husband Andrew replaced the floors and drywall, and she created a cool pink-ombre effect on the walls that make this space totally dreamy for a tween.

DIYer Tina (@tinadawnmarie) was also recently tasked with updating her three-year-old daughter’s bedroom, except she didn’t like pink. The room was mostly a blank slate, so she incorporated projects and colors to turn it into something appealing. For all of $600, Tina created a blue-slat accent corner around her bed, a rainbow reading nook with a macrame swing, and cloud details on the upper perimeter. Her advice for others says it all: “Have fun! Add a SIGN!!! Use bright rainbow colors!” she says.

Santeka Grigley wanted a hotel-like space. Instead, her bedroom was beige and filled to the brim with furniture, making it feel cramped and far from relaxing. So she and her partner Reggie switched things up by painting the room a dark, moody blue and adding a slat-wood headboard. With mounted nightstands, a new light fixture, and luxe bedding, now the room feels fit for a hotel. “I love that I stepped outside of my comfort zone; I love bright colors and bold patterns, but I decided to incorporate darker hues and textural fabrics to transform my bedroom,” she says. “[And] I’m most proud of the slat wall. It truly is the focal point of the room.”

Kristy DeGina lives in a 1920s Hollywood Hills property that was once a hotel, so charm and character were not a problem. Her bedroom had 12-foot ceilings and an arch that was an ideal defining feature for a bed — and after she scored a stone fireplace from Facebook Marketplace, she had yet another interesting detail to incorporate. She painted the mantel black and added pavers to make it higher, and then sourced furnishings to fit a black-and-white palette. “I love the mix of contemporary and deco styles that not only coordinate with the rest of the home but also pay homage to the Hollywood hotel it once was,” Kristy says. 

Brooke Russell (@brooke.casa.del.sol) had a guest bedroom in her lake house that was straight out of the 1960s: Essentially, orange-hued wood paneling was its defining feature. She and her husband Brandon also found mold, creating the perfect lemonade-from-lemons scenario. They painted the room white and added a built-in dresser in a calming blue shade, which also has a diamond pattern above it made from molding. That same shape can be found on the main wall behind the bed, which was outfitted with wallpaper, coordinating with the overall coastal makeover. “I truly believe that you can breathe life into a rundown space or piece of furniture if you just look at it from the standpoint of what it could be instead of focusing on the ugly staring back at you,” she says.

Designer Michael Carr had a 130-year-old antique bedroom set — which included a bedroom, wardrobe, and washstand — and he wanted to figure out how to incorporate it into a contemporary design. The bedroom itself was from the 1980s, complete with orange-colored wood floors and blue walls. He started by painting the walls white, and then covered the wardrobe and washstand in a shade of forest green. The bed’s headboard was painted black, as a contrast. Now the set doesn’t look so matchy-matchy, and the space is decidedly trendy. As for reusing vintage furniture: “Understand that you will probably have a lot of repairs to furniture that is 130 years old, not just refinishing,” Michael advises.

Sisters Marni and Willa Blank purchased a century-old farmhouse together, and they aimed to blend its traditional features with modern flair. In one bedroom they intended to use for kids, that meant changing its purple walls and dated furniture and figuring out how to include two beds. “Our goal was to maximize space while still leaving room to put your clothes or bags away,” Willa says. The results are paired-down and cozy, complete with a $70 Facebook Marketplace find and a dark blue accent wall filled with storage.