A GUEST BEDROOM MAKEOVER: UNDER $100

2 Materials

$200

2 Hours

Easy

Today is an exciting day for us because we finally get to show you our guest bedroom makeover. When we first moved into our home we basically tried to match the home to our furniture we bought things that couldn’t have been further from the look we wanted but we felt trapped by the brown and tan paint that covered nearly every wall.

In an attempt to match the rest of the house when I started this journey, I designed our guestroom in a more rustic playful vibe, fast forward a few years and many design realizations later and this space has become the one space (that has been touched) that doesn’t match the look and feel of our home.

I knew that I wanted to update it to feel more light and cohesive with the rest of our home but honestly, we have tons of things we need to spend money on right now and this space just isn’t one of them. So I started with a budget under $100 on the entire space and got to work.

Before we dive in I want to give you a look at what the space looked like when we took ownership, umm those red walls had to go!

For links to items used head over to my website here.

and here is what it looked like after we updated the space the first time. As you can see it was very loud and very dark which is totally not my style.

The one thing I am very adamant about when it comes to furniture pieces and preach to all of my readers is to BUY NEUTRAL! Times like this are the perfect example of why I feel so strongly about that. Furniture pieces are literal investments and I have blown way too much money on pieces that couldn’t evolve with my style.

Once I started purchasing neutral pieces it just made things so much easier when it came time to change things up. I mean who wants to go out and buy brand new everything if you don’t have to? Plus buying neutral allows those of you that like to change things often the ability to do so without spending an arm and a leg with each update!

My vision for this space was to tone things down, I mean I love a touch of black but the brown and black rug plus the black striped curtains just became too much for my new much lighter aesthetic and I began to compile a list of changes to keep myself on track.

Guest Bedroom Changes

Curtains: I love the playful nature of the old curtains but I am a white curtains girl to the core so there was really no question.
Rug: This room is the one room in our entire house that has laminate floors and as much as I have been daydreaming about updating the tile throughout our main area to laminate or wood look tile I really questioned why I was covering so much of it up in the one room that has what I actually want! Using something smaller or nothing at all in this space would allow more of the floor to show.
Pillows: The leopard was fun while it lasted but I am just over it at this point and wanted something much more calm and neutral.
Floating Shelf Style: When we first made over this space we hadn’t installed the floating shelves so I wanted to do something fun to really showcase these beauties.
Artwork: The longhorn artwork was great with the faux cowhide rug but I wanted something more in line with the rest of the house.

Staying Staples

Daybed: This daybed was one of my very first neutral purchases and it has been wonderful having the extra space when we have visitors, when not being used by visitors we are able to stack pillows along the back and utilize it as a sofa which is super cool to me plus I love it so it stays!
Acrylic Chair: Like its neutral cousin above this chair will literally go with anything and it gets used all over the house and I don’t see it going anywhere in the future.

Making Changes

Since I wanted to keep this makeover as budget-friendly as possible I really had to make sure I didn’t go overboard on things like pillows and artwork. After searching a bit I remembered how great and affordable the pillows were at H&M, honestly, their entire home decor line is amazing and I am going to make it a point to utilize it for accessories as much as possible. Because I love to save money, don’t you?

Using these neutral pillow covers would allow me to swap them between rooms in our house so these cream and black options were a no-brainer! I was seriously shocked at how great the quality was once they arrived, they’re made of nice thick material and I love the woven feel. They are available in black, cream and a rust color option and the huge bonus is they only cost $6.00!!!!! Who else sells quality pillow covers for six dollars….. Because if you know a place I need the details.

For the art, I wanted to do something different and adding these a few fun hats that had laying around was just the ticket. I love adding this pop of unexpected instead of strictly using traditional wall art.

The art print is actually a recent photo my little sister took while vacationing in Jerusalem over the summer and I fell in love with the shot as soon as I saw it so I had it printed at the local drug store in 20×30 at 50% off and used this frame I had on hand from Art To Frames.

Don’t get me wrong I loved the bull print that was there before but this seems so much more me, plus who doesn’t love a good camel print, right? I’ve linked some similar prints for those of you that want the look.

Camel 1

Camel 2

Camel 3

Camel 4

The curtains were the one thing that bothered me the most in the space before, maybe because I am a die-hard Ikea Ritva fan and I use them throughout our home but the black and white just wasn’t doing it for me anymore. So it should be no surprise that a white Ritva set was my go-to for quality white curtains that wouldn’t blow the budget. Ikea can be a little high on shipping so using Amazon with the prime feature is always something I prefer because the total price is typically the same or lower plus I can have it in my hands in two days.

On my way home from work yesterday I stopped into At Home to check out their rug options and when I turned down the aisle this rug was crumpled up on one of the shelves as if someone had stuffed it where it didn’t belong, I grabbed it and walked out of the store! Ha first time in the history of ever that I didn’t spend hours walking around and probably the only time I’ve ever left with just one item.

Unfortunately At Home doesn’t have an online shopping option but I have linked the rug so you can see if the store near you carries it. If your city doesn’t have an At Home I have linked some rugs that are similar in size, style and color here and here.

Overall updating this space was really easy and the fact that it cost very little is even better since I am making it a point to spend less money and make smarter purchases when it comes to my home and this room was the perfect start.

Although there are still a few things I would love to do in this space I am very happy with the way a few simple changes completely changed the look and most of all I couldn’t be happier that this room no longer stands out, instead it blends well with the rest of our home.

Also, I am glad I was able to show you all an example of how easy it can be to update your own space when you have neutral furniture pieces. So next time you are about to make a large furniture purchase ask yourself if the piece will evolve with you. If not then do you love it enough to love it forever? If I can’t answer yes to at least one of those questions its a no go for me.

I hope this article has inspired you to update a space in your home with a small budget and a little creativity anything is possible.

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3 questions

Donna Hartline on Oct 09, 2018

I've just downsized and bought a house with all white on white (white walls with white trim). I'm wanting some color but I can't handle the "dark, rich, tones". I was wondering what colors you had used in this room? They look lovely.

1
Jo on Oct 11, 2018

How did you hang your hats, love that idea

0
Jo on Oct 11, 2018

How did you hang your hats, love that idea

1

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3 of 8 comments

Project Allen Designs on Oct 11, 2018

Of course, you're very welcome!

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Heje on Oct 23, 2018

I love the simple design and how quickly the decor can be changed. The day bed is perfect in coloring. I am needing to do my guest room and this gives me inspiration as to the colors that will work well.

1 Reply
- Project Allen Designs on Oct 23, 2018
  
  So happy to hear you enjoyed it, thank you so much for your kind words!
  
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