Shabby Chic Dreams

RMS user mysweetsavannah gave her 11-year-old daughter’s room an incredible candy-inspired makeover while she was away at camp. An abundance of DIY artwork and decor, like the PEZ dispenser shadowbox collection, candy and white tissue pom-poms, helped keep the project budget-friendly.

Elegant Design, Happy Budget

When walking into this spacious and elegant master bedroom, you would never guess that every piece of furniture is from a discount store, wholesale club or budget-friendly home store like Ikea. From the Target headboard to the Walmart area rug, RMS user BeachBrights was able to save hundreds of dollars to put toward the other rooms in her home remodeling plan. She stuck to the budget and didn’t sacrifice style — now that’s a win-win situation.

Traditional Cottage

Create a budget-friendly bedroom by learning to do it yourself. RMS user kblalock and her husband designed a sophisticated headboard from an old door and even built their own cornice boards in rich shade of chocolate brown to highlight the windows.

Bright and Sunny Bungalow

In this 1935 restored bungalow, RMS user CvilleJanice wanted to create an inviting room filled with soft hues and natural light. First, she painted a soothing blue color on the walls and left all the molding and trim stark white. The most eye-catching pieces of the room, however, are the antique Victorian headboards that she took from the home next door, featuring true period trim and crown molding. With a little scrubbing, sanding and paint, CvilleJanice was able to turn the headboards into the perfect bed backdrops.

French Inspiration

Inspired by Madeline prints her father gave her, RMS user MrsLime designed a gorgeous French-inspired bedroom around them. A combination of hand-me-downs and savvy purchases create a stunning yet simple space for her out-of-town guests.

Colorful, Multipurpose Master

RMS user freshchickdesigns wanted to create a soothing bedroom retreat that could serve as an inspirational home office space, too. To form the best of both worlds, she used crisp, white bedding with a variety of colorful throw pillows, added an oversized floral area rug and placed DIY artwork above the headboard.

Classic Black and White

The key to creating your dream bedroom is to let your artistic side out. RMS user amartin35 was inspired by a wallpaper design she saw in a model home. Her savvy solution: create a stencil out of cardboard and hand-paint the design to create a focal wall in her own space.

Coastal Inspirations

RMS user KarenSpirit wanted the look of custom wood-paneled walls in her guest bedroom, but cost was a concern. Rather than adding the more costly 1 x 4-inch judges paneling, she added a thinner, more budget-friendly option in less than one week. To make the molding stand out even more, she painted the top half of the walls a nice blue-gray hue and the ceilings an asparagus green. Apple-green accents throughout the room really set off the crisp white walls.

Eclectic Escape

Christine and Mark-Anthony of Mahzer&Vee know color. They’re constantly searching for statues and figurines to paint in fun and exciting hues to sell in their shop, so it’s no surprise that their bedroom is just as colorful and eclectic as all the home accessories in their Etsy shop. To save money, Mark-Anthony hung the wallpaper (his first time!) on the back wall behind the bed. Budget-friendly decor and furnishings in a vibrant palette help complete the look, although Christine claims they constantly change out the pieces on the dresser.

Parisian Getaway

You won’t believe this: The only new purchases in the bedroom were the window treatments and black silk accent pillows. RMS user room4change was determined to create a retreat on a small budget, so she saved money by repurposing almost everything in the room or making it from scratch. \”I made the headboard and painted the lamps, shades, chandelier, picture frames and dresser hardware,\” she says. \”I made the artwork over the bed and painted/re-covered the side chair.\” We’re certainly impressed!

Collected Style

Try to source pieces of furniture from other rooms in your home. You would be surprised at how quickly you can pull an entire room together by simply borrowing a nightstand or chair from your living room or home office. RMS user mfranc did just that. \”My guest room needed updating and I didn’t want to spend a lot of money, so I pulled the room together with all different pieces from my home,\” she says. The rest of the makeover was completed on a jaw-dropping budget. \”I spent less than $150 on paint, the stencil and the two knockoff imperial trellis pillows to update the room,\” she claims, \”I purchased the pillows at Target for $10 apiece when they were on sale, and the stenciling of the wall only took a couple of hours.\”

Savvy Hand-Painted Walls

Although RMS user LeeshaVay spent 26 hours hand-stenciling and painting this accent wall, it was well worth it. She says the room previously featured plain beige walls and a sponge-painted ceiling fan (among other decorating faux pas). After discovering this hand-painted \”wallpaper\” idea from Jones Design Company, she immediately decided to replicate the look in her own master bedroom by downloading the template for free.

Fireplace Focal Point

You can save lots of money by taking on your own remodeling projects. When RMS user leela4493 moved into her new master bedroom, it came with a stunning gas fireplace she couldn’t wait to start using. She felt it desperately needed a stone surround to make it the centerpiece of the room, though. To save money, she and her husband spent approximately $700 on the entire project, including cement board, stone and all other materials. Now, it’s without a doubt the focal point of her master bedroom, and, according to her, it gets used every single day.

Flea Market Finds

If you really want to stick to a budget, one of the best ways is to scour local flea markets, thrift stores and yard sales for vintage furnishings. Here’s some key advice: Pay attention to the frame, build and overall structure of the piece. Upholstery can be replaced in hours, but the condition of the frame is the most important. RMS user whitecanvas71 found two vintage chairs for $5 each to incorporate into her spare bedroom sitting room. She removed the seats, then sanded, primed and painted them a modern black hue. The final product is two sleek black chairs with brand-new seat cushions and upholstery. Plus, she learned how to sew pillowcases, so she added a hand-painted monogrammed accent pillow for practically nothing.

Timeless Zen

With some low-cost purchases and simple DIY projects, RMS user tiffer40 transformed her bedroom for only $500. Her husband helped her build the lighted headboard, they stained their existing furniture and updated the space with smart buys from favorite design stores.

Repurposed Furnishings

Can you believe that this Swedish bedroom was once dark, tiny and unappealing? RMS user LiveLikeYou saved the windows from an old house nearby and installed them to create a source of natural light. She then painted the floor, walls and ceiling stark white and integrated color through her use of accessories. The most eye-catching piece in the room, the nightstand chest, was a vintage find that she painted a vibrant turquoise hue for practically nothing. Other repurposed and salvaged finds include the wooden blue and white desk as well as the matching chair.

Designer Style on a Dime

RMS user cgrawson wanted a young, funky and hip bedroom retreat, so she created a Jonathan Adler-meets-Domino Magazine space by using a cool color palette mixed with vibrant hues and chic accessories. Since she had a small decorating budget, she had to get creative and repurpose most of her furnishings — or make them herself, like the plush patterned headboard.

Airy Elegance

Save money by getting crafty. RMS user Herkamerk pulled out her sewing machine and turned curtains into a coverlet, pillow cases, pillow shams and even a dog bed.

Headboard That Wows

According to RMS user Thrifty and Chic, this bedroom was once covered in an unflattering paint color, wall murals and outdated wallpaper borders. Past due for an update, the room was revamped for less than $400. What’s even more impressive is the cost of this headboard — less than $20! Using plywood, screws, batting, fabric, a staple gun and tufting buttons, she created a stunning, designer-worthy headboard without the cost. You can get the instructions for this quick-and-easy headboard project at her blog, Thrifty & Chic.

Soothing Escape

Since moving into their first home, RMS user carrielott3 and her husband had not embarked on many design projects until starting their master bedroom redo. With a budget in mind, they decided to build their bed frame, hand-stencil and hand-paint the walls, and buy all of their bedding and furnishings from discount stores like Bed, Bath and Beyond, TJ Maxx and Overstock.com.

Contemporary Boutique

After spending most of her budget on her living room, RMS user evansjm1 had just enough left over to create a dreamy boutique-inspired bedroom. By scouring websites like Overstock.com and the sales sections of favorite home decor sites, she found amazing deals like this Nicole Miller bedding for only $99.

Modern Minimalism

Artwork can be expensive, so grab a paintbrush and create your own. RMS user lilpolarbear made over her entire bedroom for under $2,000 (and that includes all new furniture!) by painting her own artwork to coordinate with the room’s chocolate and green color palette.

Low Budget, High Style

RMS user kraigkelsey designed this small bedroom with a clean and modern aesthetic in mind. To stay within the budget, he built the wooden plank headboard and used floral serving platters as his primary art display.

Eclectic Streamlined

Smart shopping is all you need to achieve a chic yet cheap bedroom. RMS user trickygurl found a bed for only $200 and purchased a nightstand at Goodwill for $6 that she updated with spray paint and brand-new hardware.