Small bedroom decorating ideas on a budget

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Sharing small bedroom decorating ideas on a budget and the bedroom that Jim and I refinished for my son at Jim’s house when he stays over on weekends. One of the biggest things after divorce if you have kids, is to make sure your kids are comfortable with your new relationship and that means making sure they have a place stay if you are spending the night. Keep reading, I will share that awkward moment of sleepovers and how I handled it with my son.

Small bedroom decorating ideas on a budget

If you have been following us for a while, you know that we partnered with Raymour & Flanigan for my “Lady Loft Makeover” and our “Patio Makeover” last summer and I cannot even tell you how amazing their furniture is AND at an affordable price.

Westhighland Wall Paint – Sherwin-Williams / Extra White Trim – Sherwin-Williams / Wall Primer – Sherwin-Williams

The bedroom was being used for storage and was on the darker side featuring blue paint. I wanted to brighten up the bedroom and create a bedroom design that my teen son would like but also be gender neutral and appropriate for adult guests if need be.

My son stays overnight with me at my boyfriends two or three times a month so it’s nice that he has a bedroom to call his own and a place he is comfortable in.

Here is the room before we painted it white.

Want some tips on how to paint over blue walls without getting streak marks? Check out this post!

Here is the room after we painted it white.

Cheap decorating ideas for bedroom walls

The budget friendly navy pin board is perfect for hanging photos and the map wall decor above the bed is perfect for a teen or adult. 

Big difference right? The Sherwin-Williams Westhighland paint color is my go-to white color for all my room projects. In fact, my entire first floor and 2nd floor hallway is painted this color. It’s not a bright stark white but it’s also not a yellow white. It’s a neutral white that can be either cool or warm depending on the decorative elements in the space.

Curious about the white color Westhighland? Be sure to click through this post, my Westhighland Paint Review, to learn all about the undertones, what colors coordinate best and see how we used this color throughout our entire house!

For me personally, I prefer a light bright paint color in a bedroom especially if the bedroom is small with minimal natural light. This guest bedroom has 1 window so the goal was to maximize the natural light.

Design Tip: One of the biggest ways to let the natural light in, is to hang sheer or “see through” curtains. I prefer a linen/cotton texture drapery panel and I always hang my curtain rod higher and wider than the window trim. Usually about 2-3 inches higher (I like to almost touch the crown molding) and wider. This gives the illusion that the window is bigger and your curtains don’t “box” in the window allowing more light in. I always purchase curtains that will either touch or puddle on the floor.

The plush velour gray headboard with matching bed rails is absolutely gorgeous and so soft. The Pottery Barn duvet cover coordinates perfectly with the headboard.

The gray neutral tone is perfect for either gender and can be dressed up or down. I used a plaid bedding set that I had from my son’s bedroom (so that didn’t cost me a cent! ) when he was younger and I absolutely love how sophisticated it looks in this space.

We picked out the distressed off white night tables because they were not only gorgeous but the iron handles offered a new texture to the space and lent a hint of rustic industrial flare to the space. Topped with a glass jar lamp, the transitional guest bedroom was taking shape.

How to decorate a room with simple things

As you can see, most of the decorations in this bedroom are fairly simple. The stacked books, small faux cactus and inspirational pottery saying are all inexpensive ways to style a tabletop.

Shopping at Raymour and Flanigan was so much fun. We must have tried out 15 different mattresses and the adjustable base bed option was something I definitely wanted to try. Did you know that you can add an adjustable base bed frame to just about any mattress? I had no idea! I always thought you had to have a special mattress but that is not the case.

The laundry basket is from Homegoods and the pillow on top adds a cozy layer to the basket. The bango was Jim’s grandfather’s so that added a personal touch to the space.

One of my biggest issues with adjustable beds in the past was they never looked pretty. Well guess what, they are now pretty! Raymour and Flanigan has  so many beds that disguise or hide the adjustable base. You would never know by looking at this bed below, that it’s adjustable.

Needless to say, my son has a lot of fun playing with all the height and adjustable positions that the bed has to offer. The adjustable base frame sits on the floor and the headboard and bed rails attach to the frame.

There is also a bar at the foot of the bed frame that keeps the mattress from sliding off as you raise the head of the bed. It’s a pretty “smart and clever” bed!

Simply press a button on the remote and your head or feet can be raised or lowered. If you have a teen-aged child, you know they love to sit on their bed and use their phone or laptop. My son loves to position himself in the “sitting position” on the bed and watch Netflix on his laptop. His two favorite things in the room are the adjustable bed and the new down alternative pillows. I ended up keeping the stomach sleeper pillow I got him for myself 🙂 I love it!

The adjustable base bed is also great for watching tv, a person who needs to sleep in an upright position or needs to lower the bed due to mobility issues. This bed would have been perfect for my grandfather or grandmother as their mobility declined.

The hanging coat rack is also a perfect addition to a small room offering functionality and style. 

We chose the Serta iComfort Hybrid Blue Fusion Plush Full Mattress which is SO comfortable. I told my son that he was one lucky kid! I remember the first time my son said, “hey mom, when do I get to go to Jim’s house and stay over with you?” I was shocked and somewhat relieved at the same time. That was territory I wasn’t sure how to handle and I think I made a bigger deal out of it in my head. Do you know what I mean? He was so on board with it and excited and I was nervous and not sure how he would feel about it. It always amazes me at how quickly kids can adapt to things.

Disclosure: Thank you to raymourflanigan.com for kindly sponsoring this post. All opinions are 100% honest & completely my own.