10 Clever Ways to Update Your Bedroom for Under £100
A little goes a long way, as these inspired ideas prove
Fallen out of love with your bedroom, but can’t face a complete revamp? These simple ideas can be easily adapted to suit most rooms and offer plenty of bang for your buck, with the added bonus of being quick projects that can mainly be done in a weekend.
…or stick to wood
If florals aren’t floating your boat, adding a graphic-style wood headboard like this one is another cost-effective way to rev up a bedroom. If you don’t even want to bother with an actual headboard (or three planks nailed together, as here), you could simply paint a design like this straight onto the wall behind the bed.
If florals aren’t floating your boat, adding a graphic-style wood headboard like this one is another cost-effective way to rev up a bedroom. If you don’t even want to bother with an actual headboard (or three planks nailed together, as here), you could simply paint a design like this straight onto the wall behind the bed.
Start at the bottom
If the question is how to totally transform, the answer is usually to paint the entire room a new colour. But if you don’t want to go the whole hog with a colour, how about this halfway house? Taking the shade across the door as well is a clever idea that gives the room more of an edge.
If the question is how to totally transform, the answer is usually to paint the entire room a new colour. But if you don’t want to go the whole hog with a colour, how about this halfway house? Taking the shade across the door as well is a clever idea that gives the room more of an edge.
Make a canopy
Swags and four-posters might seem a bit too Henry VIII for a modern bedroom, but a patterned fabric canopy is an unusual but effective way to add interest, as this scheme proves. Something along these lines would also be a good option in a rented room if you’re not allowed to redecorate the walls with paint. You’ll need two curtain rods to hang your canopy.
Swags and four-posters might seem a bit too Henry VIII for a modern bedroom, but a patterned fabric canopy is an unusual but effective way to add interest, as this scheme proves. Something along these lines would also be a good option in a rented room if you’re not allowed to redecorate the walls with paint. You’ll need two curtain rods to hang your canopy.
Get creative with crates
In this cool room, a collection of crates has been fixed to the wall behind the bed to make a unique bookcase. Plan your design by laying the crates out on the floor, then taking a photo with your phone so you can easily replicate the configuration on the wall. You will obviously need to ensure the wall is strong enough to take the weight of the crates, so check with an expert if you’re unsure.
Crates and even vintage tea chests also make great bedside tables or occasional storage, so keep an eye out in second-hand shops.
Find out which other vintage pieces to look out for at second-hand sales
In this cool room, a collection of crates has been fixed to the wall behind the bed to make a unique bookcase. Plan your design by laying the crates out on the floor, then taking a photo with your phone so you can easily replicate the configuration on the wall. You will obviously need to ensure the wall is strong enough to take the weight of the crates, so check with an expert if you’re unsure.
Crates and even vintage tea chests also make great bedside tables or occasional storage, so keep an eye out in second-hand shops.
Find out which other vintage pieces to look out for at second-hand sales
Lighten up
Ditch the standard pendant and add some oomph with bulb lights on coloured flex. There are plenty of options available, and when strung across the ceiling and held in place with cheap-as-chips cup hooks, the result is very effective.
Ditch the standard pendant and add some oomph with bulb lights on coloured flex. There are plenty of options available, and when strung across the ceiling and held in place with cheap-as-chips cup hooks, the result is very effective.
Work in a shelf
Modern bedrooms can be a bit featureless – plain boxy rooms with nowhere to display bits and bobs. Here, a mini half-height false wall has been created to act as a headboard-cum-display shelf, but a simple narrow ledge-style shelf would work just as well. Consult a pro if your DIY skills are a bit shaky – you won’t want your carefully curated display to come crashing down onto the bed!
Find a local handyman on Houzz
Modern bedrooms can be a bit featureless – plain boxy rooms with nowhere to display bits and bobs. Here, a mini half-height false wall has been created to act as a headboard-cum-display shelf, but a simple narrow ledge-style shelf would work just as well. Consult a pro if your DIY skills are a bit shaky – you won’t want your carefully curated display to come crashing down onto the bed!
Find a local handyman on Houzz
Jazz up your drawers
A new coat of paint is entry-level stuff for most deco enthusiasts, so why not up your game with a bit of pattern? In a plain bedroom, chevrons, stripes, dots or even freehand designs will add a unique touch to furniture, from a chest of drawers like this one to a bedside cabinet or even wardrobe doors. Draw out your pattern first, then mark out the lines with a high-quality painter’s tape to ensure a neat finish.
Find more revamp ideas for drawers and further details on how to recreate this look
A new coat of paint is entry-level stuff for most deco enthusiasts, so why not up your game with a bit of pattern? In a plain bedroom, chevrons, stripes, dots or even freehand designs will add a unique touch to furniture, from a chest of drawers like this one to a bedside cabinet or even wardrobe doors. Draw out your pattern first, then mark out the lines with a high-quality painter’s tape to ensure a neat finish.
Find more revamp ideas for drawers and further details on how to recreate this look
Paint it black
For a modern take on a feature wall, how about painting a big black chalkboard behind the bed? Proving this look is not just for kids’ rooms, the deep colours of the bedspread and velvet curtains, along with elegant peacock-motif cushions, give this space a grown-up feel that is then playfully skewered by the chalk rainbow on the wall. And if you wake up in the night with a brilliant idea that won’t wait till the morning, grab the chalk, write it down, then go back to sleep. Genius!
For a modern take on a feature wall, how about painting a big black chalkboard behind the bed? Proving this look is not just for kids’ rooms, the deep colours of the bedspread and velvet curtains, along with elegant peacock-motif cushions, give this space a grown-up feel that is then playfully skewered by the chalk rainbow on the wall. And if you wake up in the night with a brilliant idea that won’t wait till the morning, grab the chalk, write it down, then go back to sleep. Genius!
Decorate the doors
Whether you use a roll of wallpaper or offcuts or even a length of fabric, turn your attention to a plain wardrobe door to add colour and interest to the bedroom. This door uses wallpaper offcuts that are all the same size to add a sense of unity to the look.
Have you got any bright ideas for ramping up a bedroom on a budget? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Whether you use a roll of wallpaper or offcuts or even a length of fabric, turn your attention to a plain wardrobe door to add colour and interest to the bedroom. This door uses wallpaper offcuts that are all the same size to add a sense of unity to the look.
Have you got any bright ideas for ramping up a bedroom on a budget? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
If you don’t want curtains and have reached peak cushion overload, fear not – there is another way to add pattern to your bedroom with fabric. With a length of your chosen design, it’s easy to either re-cover an existing headboard, using a staple gun to attach the material to the back, or create one from scratch.
To create your own headboard, get a piece of MDF and foam (available online or at many bigger fabric shops or craft suppliers) cut to the size you want your headboard to be. Next, cover the foam with a layer of wadding (or batting) for a softer feel, then fix both layers by using a staple gun to attach the wadding to the back of the MDF (this will hold the foam in place). Finish with your fabric as the top layer, again using the staple gun to attach the material to the back of the MDF. Secure the headboard to the wall using flush mount brackets.