DECORATING YOUR FIRST HOME BEDROOM ON A SMALL BUDGET

Category: Design SOS

DECORATING YOUR FIRST HOME BEDROOM ON A SMALL BUDGET

Your bedroom is and should be your private sanctuary where to unwind, relax, rest, and recharge. It’s the perfect place to practice self-love and implement self-care routines. Your personal time deserves a space that brings joy, happiness, and peace.

I know you agree, but why is it that so many of us focus on creating beautiful living rooms, dining rooms, or even pretty guest bathrooms, leaving the bedroom the last room to spotlight

Why is that?

We are conditioned to think that the most important areas in our homes are the ones everyone sees. We are drawn to the notion that no one will see our bedroom, so we don’t prioritize them. Couple that with the new expenses you are now facing as a first-time homeowner, and you have the perfect formula to an unfinished, unattended, and uninspiring bedroom that tends to stay like that for years.

I challenge you to rethink this idea that a beautiful bedroom is costly.

1-Define a Realistic Budget

When I started my homeownership journey, money was really tight and I needed to be mindful of how I spent it. Often our dreams and our budget are not in alignment, but something we ~~can all do~~ must do is deciding how to allocate our funds before any spending is done. Start by making a list of everything you wish to have in your personal sanctuary, and then separate the list into wants and needs.

For example, you wouldn’t want to invest a large portion of your budget on a new fancy mirror only to find out you don’t have enough to purchase a much-needed dresser. Or over-spending on a headboard to later settling on a poor-quality mattress. Having a realistic budget and sticking to it will ease the decision-making process and help create the beautiful space you desire without breaking the bank.

Whether I am working on my own home or with a client, there are 6 basic tips I use in my business (regardless of the room or the spending amount):

Establish your ideal budget.
Create a list of everything that would make this the perfect bedroom.
Prioritize those needs and be clear about the reasons behind the order of each item. For example, homeowner A will have different reasons why purchasing a reading lamp over a mirror, and homeowner B may prioritize drapes over a writing desk. Both should understand why one item is more important than another before venturing out shopping.
Estimate the cost of each item on your list.
Do some window or online “shopping” BEFORE making any final decisions.
Total the cost of your list and compare it with your ideal budget. Is it balanced? Do you have to make any adjustments?

These steps will guarantee that the bedroom will have what you need first, will avoid over-spending, and the so common buyer’s remorse.

2-Organize first… then make it beautiful

As a professional designer that has transformed many bedrooms, the first step is to address any clutter that exists in the space. You can purchase the most fabulous pieces of furniture, bedding, wallpaper, or lamps but if the space is cluttered, none of those things will matter.

I have concluded that there are usually one of 3 issues that need to be resolved:

A struggle with letting go of existing items,
A purchasing problem, perhaps emotional spending or buying items without a specific purpose.
Lack of storage.

Whichever of these 3, or a combination of them, they need to be addressed before investing time and money on styling a room. Hiring a professional organizer to tackle the clutter and understand some of the emotions that are behind it might be the solution to ending it for good. But if what you need are more storage solutions, book a complimentary design consultation with me here.

3-Aim for a layout that works for you and a high cohesive factor

Now, let’s talk about designing the bedroom you love, and the starting point is, not the color, not the bedding, but THE LAYOUT.

Whether your bedroom is smaller or larger on the spectrum, accomplishing a functional layout that maximizes the physical and visual space is your very first step. In a previous blog post, I shared 12 steps to make your room look larger (you can read the full post here).

With a winning furniture placement, your next design target should be a cohesive design. A simple strategy where everything works together begins with the perfect canvas or background. Keep your most predominant pieces neutral in color, lines, and patterns. Use your bedding, or artwork to create visual impact, and the smaller decor pieces like pillows, lamps, or throws to sprinkle color throughout the space. For some practical how-to, check out my “How to Accessorize” guide where I share 4 easy steps to achieve a cohesive design.

4-Inexpensive & Creative Headboard Solutions

Although not essential, a headboard will provide any bedroom with a more finished look because it becomes a focal point and creates visual impact. Regardless of what a key role the headboard plays in bedroom design, when taking possession of our very first home, our limited budget might be earmarked for the couch, mattresses, tables, and chairs.

Bedroom sets tend to cost a couple thousand of dollars, and separate headboards, under a thousand. But if your list of priorities pushes the head of your bed toward the bottom of the shopping pole, a little creativity and vision can go a long way. I have put together 11 headboard solutions that’s for under $100.0.