Before and After: A $3,000 Bedroom Redo Uses Simple Swaps to Create a Taller Look
Adding trim or paneling to walls is certainly a popular DIY project in bedrooms these days, and for several good reasons. First, it’s a relatively inexpensive upgrade that can be done with low-price lumber, a nail gun, and paint. Second, there are several ways to iterate on it — try board and batten, zig-zags, or vertical paneling, for example. And third, the DIY accent wall is sure to add drama (and color, if you choose) behind any headboard.
DIYer Jordan Miranda (@boho_onabudget) went with vertical paneling and blue-green paint to revive this bedroom, which hadn’t been refreshed in 10 years. Jordan designed the room for clients who wanted “a space to reset that was clean and quiet,” she explains. “The whole space needed to be brightened up and simplified.”
The project started with an easy, affordable accent wall.
Whereas before the walls were a plain greige, in the after, they’re the star of the show. “Doing the floor-to-ceiling board and batten accent wall behind the bed really made the space feel bigger,” Jordan says.
To create the wainscoting, she used 1x3s for the vertical pieces and 1x4s for the horizontal piece at the top. The whole entire wall is painted a bright-yet-serene blue (Sherwin-Williams’ Sleepy Blue) “for a relaxing environment,” Jordan says.
“The board and batten really made the room feel more custom and unique,” she adds. “It’s affordable and easy to do!”
Sconces and curtains make the room feel cozy.
Two other touches that made the room feel just a little more special are the wall-mount sconces from Wayfair on the accent wall and the drapery (from IKEA).
“The IKEA HANNALILL floor-to-ceiling curtains were so easy to hang and made a big impact with elongating the room,” Jordan says — and best yet, they were $25 for the pair.
“Another budget-friendly trick we used here is hanging sconces and using screw-in remote control puck lights,” Jordan adds. “You get the look and function of added lights without having to hire an electrician to run wiring for new lighting.” And she says they’re great above nightstands for before-bed reading.
New furniture completes the space.
Waiting on new furniture to arrive was perhaps the most difficult part of the $3,000 total project, Jordan says. Before, the room had a beautiful wrought-iron bed from Anthropologie, but Jordan says because the ceilings were so low, the bed just felt too big and too dark for the space. (Spray painted gold or white or placed in a room with taller ceilings, though, that thing would be a beaut!)
“All of the previous furniture was purchased 10 years ago, so it was time for a refresh,” Jordan says. “The biggest setback was that the bed we originally ordered kept getting the ship date pushed back. Luckily, while we were waiting, World Market came out with the Leith Wood and Rattan Cane Platform Bed.”
Jordan was able to cancel the original bed and go with the low-profile, organic-textured beauty pictured above — and best yet, it was ready to ship. “As a bonus, this bed is even prettier than the one we had originally ordered!” Jordan says. The nightstands are from Amazon, and the pillows are from Target.
But the true takeaway from this space is that simple swaps and additions can make a space seem magically taller: Low-profile furniture, elongating curtains, a floor-length mirror, and simple DIY trim can all work wonders.
“If someone has the itch to tackle a room transformation or DIY board and batten, I would love to encourage you to dive in!” Jordan says. “The hardest part is getting started. Once you get going, you’ll really enjoy it.”
Inspired? Submit your own project here.