Simple Bedroom Decorating Ideas: Looking for budget-friendly ways to make your bedroom look and feel nice? These 16+ DIY ideas are a great way to decorate your room with simple things and DIY home improvements–because heck, we all want a relaxing bedroom to come home to every day!
SIMPLE BEDROOM DECORATING IDEAS
Bedrooms are often the last decorated, and in my opinion, the most overlooked room for decoration. We don’t spend nearly as much time in many rooms in our house as we do in our bedrooms, so why not create a beautiful, relaxing sanctuary for ourselves? Our master bedroom makeover cost a mere $1,000 which encompassed new lighting, new accessories, new headboard, new curtains, paint, a faux fireplace, and new bedding! It’s amazing how far $1,000 can go for a room makeover with some simple bedroom decorating ideas that anyone can do!
Related: See how How To Make Your Bedroom Magazine Ready!
Below, I’m sharing my favorite decorating ideas that we’ve used in our bedroom and/ or my friends’ have used in theirs. Sources are listed below the photo, so please check out their full room reveals for details!
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#1: Add a gallery wall
We loved adding an inexpensive gallery wall to our bedroom, and it made such a difference in how the room felt. By using inexpensive frames, and photographs from our trip to London that we printed out ourselves, we were able to make an entire art installation for less than $85 (you can buy the frames here but they cost more online than in the store). Your master bedroom is the perfect place to display meaningful artwork or a gallery wall of photographs–do a collage of family members, your wedding, or favorite trips you’ve taken! See all my favorite affordable artwork sources here.
#2: Make or Buy a Headboard
We made our bed–a simple DIY platform bed six years ago; but, only two years ago we added a nice homemade DIY headboard. It was a simple project and added a huge wow factor and polish to the room. See how to make your own DIY headboard here (hint, we’ve made three and know all the tricks now!) If you aren’t interested in making your own, there are tons of affordable headboards out there–I rounded up my favorites under $200 in this post.
#3: DIY Matching Bedside Tables
We used inexpensive Ikea Rast tables with stain and regular semi-gloss paint to create two matching side-tables; but, if that’s not in your budget (our’s ended up costing $100 total, so $50/ a piece,) consider painting second-hand furniture matching colors.
I’ve done this with HomeGoods tables and old vintage furniture we inherited. Paint them the same color, use the same lamps, and use books to make the lamps the same height! See my all favorite sources for bedside tables in this post.
Learn How to Paint Furniture The Easy Way HERE
#4: Add curtains to add elegance (and privacy)
Adding curtains to our bedroom was a game changer. We always loved our room for the views it provides; but, we needed privacy. By installing simple DIY curtains using Ikea fabric, we were able to create an elegant look without a hefty payout. See my complete guide on DIY Curtains here including how to hang them, and how to make different kinds–including the look for less curtain rods we used from here–they cost a fraction of what we would have paid at West Elm.
#5: Add Mirrors to Magnify Light
Every room needs a mirror–especially small bedrooms. While our bedroom is quite large, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t need a mirror. By placing this mirror (shown above) in between two windows, I created the illusion of a third window, magnified the light, and created a beautiful vignette with the reflected colorful gallery wall on the opposite wall. Depending on your point of view, it bounces around light and fun reflections of the headboard or the artwork over the mantel.
I’ve also used the trick of using two mirrors–each above a nightstand to create symmetry and bounce light around in my son’s nautical bedroom. See his mirror and all my favorite my favorite decorative mirrors here that look great in bedrooms or anywhere else in your house!
Want to DIY it? Learn how to paint your own gold mirror here–I’ve done it three times now using a variety of HomeGoods and/or vintage mirrors I had inherited.
#6: Add an Accent Wall of Wallpaper
This is something I am working on in our bedroom. We recently purchased a new bed frame and mattress, and it has me reconsidering our DIY headboard even though I love it so! See how elegant This is Our Bliss’s master bedroom looks with her black and white wallpaper accent wall? It makes me really want to install a blue and white floral wallpaper in our’s that I’ve been eyeing forever.
See This is Our Bliss’s master bedroom here.
#7: Replace your throw pillows & upgrade your bedding
You might think this is a really expensive step; but, it doesn’t have to be! You can buy a plain white duvet cover from Ikea! Treat yourself to some new bedding, and mix up your accent pillows. We switched up our’s and used our DIY Leopard pillows formerly in our living room, on our master bedroom and it added just enough pizazz that makes the room look fresh and new!
Bedroom styling tip: For kings use three euro pillows across, for queens and doubles–two euros, and singles–one. See my favorite throw pillow combinations here that are all budget-friendly!
Ikea sells the best inserts or West Elm (on sale), and you can always make your own pillow covers or buy inexpensive pillow covers to switch out seasonally!
Monogrammed Bedding/ blue and white throw pillow from here
DIY Leopard Throw Pillows/ Blue and White Duvet Cover
#8: Install a Show-Stopping Light Fixture
One of the biggest decorating squabbles my husband and I ever had, was over replacing our master bedroom fan. He loved it, I hated it. At the time, I hadn’t yet discovered stylish ceiling fans (I found some shortly after a reader request). We ended up installing a beautiful brass flush-mount light fixture above our bed which functions well and looks pretty.
However, if you have the space, you can install a gorgeous chandelier like Young House Love did over the foot of their bed. Think light fixtures as jewelry for your room and install a show-stopper! You can see how the capiz chandelier adds a level of finish to their room that elevates it even more!
Young House Love master bedroom
#9: Add Greenery to Your Bedroom
You guys, I am good at keeping humans (and dogs) alive. I am not good at keeping plants alive. Recently my mother in law tasked me with keeping her four little indoor plants alive while she was out of town. In less than 24 hours since inheriting them, I nearly killed them. Whoops! So faux greenery it is–and our bedroom is no different! Every room needs a touch of life (even if it’s fake). See my favorite faux plants for your home in this post here.
#10: Level Your Ambient Lighting
Each room should have several levels of lights. Don’t rely only on overhead lighting–it’s the least flattering! Use a combination of multiple lamps and if necessary, an overhead, to create the most flattering light. I love using a salt lamp in each bedroom–they make great night lights for kids or consider using twinkle lights in a vase for a beautiful and fun warm light.
Diffusers are also a great way to add some gentle light (and improve your air quality!) I love using my Young Living Lavender in my diffuser every night along with some DIY Lavender linen spray. If you are Nanny Diaries fan like I am, you will get a kick out of the lavender water 🙂 Just call me Mrs. X 🙂
Find out exactly what wattage and temperature of lights I recommend in my Decorator’s Cheat Sheet–it has everything you need to decorate your own home!
#11: Add a Faux (or Real Fireplace)
While I would love to install a real fireplace in our master bedroom, its position on our priority list is WAY WAY WAY at the bottom (got to finish our office, makeover our kitchen, our family room, and the girls room first…then the laundry room, master bathroom, and then kids bathrooms.) Hah! Yeah, it’s not happening for many years!
So, we added a faux fireplace. If adding a functioning one is something you are interested in, make sure you check out Chris Loves Julia’s post on it below.
Chris Loves Julia master bedroom
#12: Create a Lovely Dressing Table Vignette
So this is not something in my wheelhouse. I mean, I consider a win if I remember to brush my hair and reapply natural deodorant in the morning before preschool drop off. So putting on my face is not happening 😉 But, if it’s your jam–then power to you–create yourself a beautiful little dressing table!
#13: Install Artwork Over the Bed
We always make sure to use art in our living rooms, our family rooms, heck, even our hallways; but most of us neglect our master bedrooms! Use the space above your headboard (if you have some) to install meaningful or DIY artwork to your liking! See my favorite affordable art choices here 😉
Look how Two Twenty One updated her master bedroom with this fabulous art ledge with abstract prints!
Or you can install an art series like At Charlotte’s House did in her master bedroom!
#14: Add a Throw Blanket
Nothing is better than snuggling up in bed and reading a book. I prefer to only get under my covers in pajamas (I’m a weird germaphobe), so I always have a throw blanket at the foot of my bed. Try making one like A Place of My Taste did–see this arm knit blanket tutorial. Doesn’t it look so incredibly cozy? It would look lovely at the foot of a bed!
A Place of My Taste Arm-Knit Blanket Tutorial
#15: Install or Paint a Statement Ceiling
Bower Power completely changed the feeling of their master bedroom by repainting their tray ceiling a dramatic color. You don’t have to have a tray ceiling either–you can always just use a very light complementary color!
Bower Power Master Bedroom Makeover
#16: Add an Area Rug
If you have a large master bedroom, you might want to break it up into smaller spaces to create smaller areas. Tasha from Kaleidoscope Living added a colorful overdyed oriental to her room which made such an impact! You can do this to frame an area even if you have wall-to-wall carpet.
Kaleidoscope Living master bedroom
16+ BEDROOM DECOR IDEAS CHECKLIST
- Install a gallery wall
- Buy or make a headboard
- Matching bedside tables
- Mount new curtains
- Add one or more mirrors
- Install an Accent wallpaper wall or accent paint color
- Mix up some throw pillows and upgrade your bedding
- Add statement-making light fixtures
- Add greenery
- Layer your ambient lighting
- Install a faux or real fireplace
- Add an elegant dressing table
- Use original artwork
- Put a throw blanket at foot of your bed
- Make a statement ceiling with paint
- Add an area rug
With all these easy and simple decorating ideas, your bedroom is sure to be one of your favorites in your house (at least mine is…it might also be that there are zero children in there!) But seriously, after making over our bedroom, I finally felt like I had a cozy place to retreat to after a crazy day. Bedrooms should be restful, restorative, and relaxing–so make it a priority to make yours that way too!
TIPS FOR DECORATING YOUR BEDROOM
- Take it one project at a time. Makeovers are made of a series of smaller projects. We tackled our six week makeover, one project at a time so it wasn’t overwhelming.
- Change little and inexpensive things that make a big impact…new curtains and throw pillows are easy to switch out and don’t cost much!
- Paint your bedroom a relaxing color!
- Use the Decorator’s Cheat Sheet! I am sharing all the exact measurements you need to be using in your house below! I share all my secrets for creating a cohesive and beautiful home for real life!
I love your post – really helpful and inspiring! All the ideas are just wonderful!