Before and After: A $1,365 Totally Custom Bedroom Redo Has the Coolest Floating Nightstands
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From headboards to closet doors to nightstands, there are so many little details to perfect in a well-designed bedroom. And because Preethi, the architect and interior designer behind The Nomad Studio, spends so much time thinking about special details for her clients, she wanted to make sure every last detail in her own bedroom was perfect, too.
“I asked my husband if he had anything in mind,” Preethi says of her initial design process. “He simply said, ‘I want it to be fancy and want my own nightstand.'” Preethi’s new design majorly delivered on the nightstand, and featured a custom accent wall, an upgraded closet door, and cool light fixtures to boot.
Before, the bedroom hadn’t been touched since 1993 and was “bland with white walls, wood trims and baseboards,” Preethi says. Although it got great lighting through a large window, Preethi thought the personal space lacked “character and personal touch.”
Because they were no longer living in a rental, Preethi and her husband, Naveen, had a little more freedom to make personality-packed additions.”This is our first home, and we wanted to personalize it to our style,” Preethi explains.
Preethi designed the DIY wall behind the headboard (which also a DIY project, made using pine board and upholstery materials) using shiplap boards painted in Behr’s Nocturne Blue. (The new moody color is one of Naveen’s favorite elements!)
Preethi also decided to upgrade the closet door, which before was a very basic and builder-grade brown wooden option, using plywood and a sliding door hardware kit from Amazon. She wrote on her website that building and installing the door was much easier than expected. “It’s very simple and looks elegant,” she says.
But her favorite part of the bedroom overhaul is the fancy nightstands that were on her husband’s wishlist. She attached floating nightstands made from plywood to the feature wall on both sides of the bed.
“In addition to the drawer storage, it has a clever storage with access from top to hide the cables and extension cords,” Preethi says of her design. “No more visible ugly cords.”
Her floating design looks especially seamless because she painted the tops of the nightstands in the same navy shade as the walls — a trick worth stealing for your next bedroom makeover.
Preethi had previously built a hybrid mirror/shelf dressing unit for one of their rental bedrooms, and “it fit perfectly here,” she says. She finished off the room with new white IKEA curtains on the windows, Whisper White paint for the rest of the walls, custom-made towel hooks in the corner, and gold wall sconces above the nightstands.
“It’s a personalized minimalist design with practical approach,” Preethi says. “There is nothing I would do differently.”
Because so many elements of the space were DIY, Preethi’s total cost was only $1,365, and everything is customized to her liking. “We enjoy the space every day,” she says.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.