Before and After: This DIY Bedroom Looks Like it Belongs in an Expensive Spa

When Bridgett Shepherd realized the black-wall Instagram trend she originally loved was making her bedroom look less spacious, she knew it was time for a decoration do-over. She and her husband saw the room as “cold and uninviting,” in large part because of the black walls and orange floors (which they always hated). “Nothing about the room made us want to hang out in there,” Bridgett says. Thankfully, paint is an easy thing to change!

But the paint wasn’t the only thing the couple was looking to update. They decided to start from scratch and create a “luxurious, sophisticated, yet intentional and practical” room that would act as a retreat from their hectic days of raising four kids. 

In the end, their bedroom makeover project took six weeks and cost $1,500. The majority of the money was spent on new windows, since the originals weren’t energy efficient; the rest went to material for cool new minimalist DIY closet doors, a new fan, floor sanding and refinishing, and a fresh coat of paint. The best part? They did it all themselves.

Bridgett says that the couple saved hundreds on their project by utilizing their leftovers. After they purchased the materials for the closet doors, they realized they had a lot remaining. “We were able to build a DIY slat headboard with a floating table and nightstand,” she says. The headboard fits on a simple bed frame; the nightstands are topped by art-like LED lamps. Moving the bed to the adjacent wall made better use of the room’s space.

The rest of the space is filled with expensive-looking (but not expensive!) minimalist touches, like cream-colored linen curtains, a freestanding oak-framed mirror, a linen duvet cover, and a super cozy chunky knit blanket.

After weeks of hard work, Bridgett and her husband are ecstatic with the serene neutral tones and textures. Now, she says, “Nothing in the room is distracting or overwhelming. We can’t think of a single thing that we would do differently in this space!”

Inspired? Submit your own project here.