A Basic Bedroom Transforms into a Cozy Boho Oasis in This $1,500 Makeover

“Kennedy had a bit of an eclectic style to begin with and leaned more into the boho vibe, which we really wanted to carry into her new room,” Brooke explains — and color was going to be the key to enhancing that vibe.

“Kennedy loves to nap (as do most teenagers) mostly because she works hard at school and her job,” Brooke says, so choosing a dark, calming teal really helped make the bedroom a zen zone, as did the addition of sun-blocking curtains.

“The paint color went on amazingly well for how dark it was over the builder-grade paint,” Brooke continues. “I did opt for a better quality of paint, which more than likely made a huge difference.” Brooke used Behr’s Beta Fish and used the same eggshell finish, on the walls, door backs, and trim. 

“Just to be safe I did two coats, and the color is absolutely stunning,” Brooke says.

Kennedy had a list of must-haves for her mom before starting this makeover, and a new bookshelf for her collection of books was at the top. But Brooke was well aware that a large bookshelf could cost hundreds — so she decided to save a few bucks and get crafty instead.

“Instead of buying her a bookshelf, I bought three unfinished shelving units from Home Depot to create one larger built-in piece,” Brooke explains. “This was a huge challenge for me as I normally refinish furniture, not build or modify pieces.”

It took Brooke a bit of trial and error to figure out how exactly to build the piece. But eventually she was able to use trim to make the separate units look like one cohesive unit, and stain made gave the bookshelf some much-needed character to match the eclectic aesthetic she was going for.

“The new bookshelf looks like a vintage piece,” Brooke says.“It was the longest part of the whole project and I ran into problems … in the end it all worked out and looks even better than I had envisioned and [Kennedy] loves it.” It also provides way more storage than before!

Besides the bookshelf and a few other pieces like the record player stand, armchair, and the bedding, a lot of the furniture in Kennedy’s bedroom was sourced secondhand. 

“I’m a huge advocate for buying secondhand whenever possible,” Brooke says. “Her desk was already a secondhand store find, [and] we reused her rug she already had. Her dresser was actually the first piece of furniture my parents bought in the early ‘70s, and I also used it in college and when I first got married.” Brooke also found a mid-century modern storage headboard that she modified to work with Kennedy’s mattress. 

Even just rotating the furniture, like Brooke and Kennedy did here, can make a bedroom feel brand-new.

“Kennedy’s room just looks so much more mature and so cozy,” Brooke says of the completed makeover. “I love the things that she picked and I love how much color she has in her room … Her room is so much different from her sister’s room and even from the rest of the house, and I love that it’s Kennedy’s personality.”

A personality-packed room is one of the great perks of a DIY project. “Every project I have ever done there has been some kind of hiccup that I’ve needed to change from my previous plan,” she continues. “But truly that’s the beauty of doing DIY and designing your own spaces; you get the creative freedom to make the changes you need,” Brooke says.

This project was completed for the Spring 2024 One Room Challenge, in partnership with Apartment Therapy. See even more of the One Room Challenge before and afters here.

Inspired? Submit your own project here.