If you love home decor challenges and before and after pictures, the One Room Challenge is right up your alley! I have decided to participate in the fall 2019 challenge where I am going to attempt a master bedroom makeover on a budget ($500) in six weeks!
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WEEK 1 | WEEK 2 | WEEK 3 | WEEK 4 | WEEK 5 | WEEK 6
$500 Master Bedroom Makeover on a Budget
The One Room Challenge is here and you will not be disappointed in the caliber of designers and guest participants partaking in it this fall! If you are not familiar with the challenge, it was started by Linda, from the blog Calling It Home and is now sponsored by Better Homes and Gardens! Twenty designers and influencers are invited to participate each year along with guest participants.
I have been dreaming about this moment forever!
Related: $100 Room Challenge Week 1
As soon as I found out about the challenge, the wheels began to turn in my head. Which room would I eventually do? What color scheme would it include? One of my favorite past-times is to day dream about room makeovers, so I have thought about several in my head!
Since I have had two years to scheme and dream about the One Room Challenge, I have had plenty of time to chose which room I’d like to update. I made my decision based on our needs and budget. The living room is off the table, because we need two new sofas on top of several other updates, and that is out of the budget right now. My son’s room is off the table, because he’s five and changes his mind about what he likes every week…and because he said the wants red and orange walls.
Because of those reasons, I decided to chose our…
The Room
…master bedroom!!! It really was the obvious answer, because it was manageable for me to do by myself in six weeks, and it can be updated on a small budget!
Our house is about 1,800 square feet, so it is not very big. It has a fair amount of rooms for the small space, so that helps with feeling cramped. Our master bedroom is no different. It is 12’x14′ and sits in the front of the house, which gets a lot of light.
The layout is determined by the three doors and two windows in the room. We have a door to the bedroom, a door to the closet, and a door to the roof of our porch! The roof door is no longer useable and doesn’t even open, but it presents an issue with furniture placement.
The previous owners had their bed one the wall as soon as you walked into the room. Although the bed was smaller, you basically would run into the bed as soon as you opened the door! I’m not into Feng Sui, but that can’t be good. It definitely felt off.
BEFORE
(Previous Owner)
BEFORE
(Current Situation)
As you can see, it is in need of some updating! I could have sworn I took a picture of the bed when it was actually made, but alas, my phone wants to ensure that I look like slob. Please excuse my little cherubs.
You can see all four walls of the space and see that we flipped the layout from the previous owner. I used drapes to cover the door and serve as a backdrop. This way you had room once you walked into the room as opposed to walking right into the bed.
The Plan
Here’s where it gets crazy! I have decided to update my master bedroom for only $500! I’m sure there will be people spending thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars on their space. That’s awesome and oh so fun, but not a realistic budget for many of us!
I really wanted to take part in the One Room Challenge, not only because I will end up with an awesome updated master bedroom in the end, but also to show you that you DO NOT have to spend a lot of money to create a classic look that you love!
Related: The Best Chalk Paint
Here is what I need to accomplish each week to stay on track:
Week 1:
- Paint walls and trim Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore
- Hang these bamboo blinds from Overstock
- Hang this gold drapery rod from Bed, Bath, and Beyond
- Hang these gray drapes from Ikea
Week 2:
- Sand both dressers to prep for paint (Technically they don’t need to be sanded, but I’m going to.)
- Paint both dressers Chicago Gray by Annie Sloan chalk paint
- Change out the knobs with THESE, THESE, or THESE acrylic and gold knobs (still deciding)
Week 3:
- Paint nightstands Pure by Annie Sloan chalk paint
- Change knobs to these gold ones
- Put together small white desk
Week 4:
- Make headboard cover using these old linen colored drapes from Ikea
- Bleach bed skirt
Week 5:
- Paint thrift store lamp and add shade from old lamp
- Hang brass wall sconces from Lamps Plus
- Make artwork and frame it using old frames
Week 6:
- Accessorize for REVEAL WEEK!
The Inspiration
My goal, besides staying on budget is to brighten up the space and make everything look more current. I want to lighten the walls and furniture by painting them white and gray, and add some soft seafoam blue and gold touches to the space. I love mixing textures and materials in a space, so I plan to mix them in through the windows, fabrics, and accessories.
White spaces with a modern coastal vibe are what I am drawn to. I find them so relaxing! Here are some of the inspiration photos that I have been loving over the past few months while gearing up to begin my $500 master bedroom makeover on a budget!



These spaces are minimal and neutral and right now in my life, this is what I crave! I find them very calming compared to my crazy life with two kids and a mom trying to do it all!
Below is my mood board that shows how I plan to pull off this room makeover! I’ve included the items below if you are interested in them! I’ve linked similar items if I can’t locate the exact pieces.
*Check back for source details of my One Room Challenge $500 master bedroom makeover on a budget design board!*
I’ll be posting about my progress each week, and will send out the updates to my email list, so make sure you sign-up if you want to see exclusive pictures!
Now go take a look at the other guest participants in this year’s One Room Challenge!
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