This bedroom, formerly the domain of the household's now-college-student daughter, needs an update that will transform it into a cozy yet functional home office/guest room. To achieve this goal, host Joan Steffend and designer Ann Sundet put their expertise to work to dramatically revamp the decor for less than $500. First, Sundet decides to create a striped pattern of ivory and antique gold for the walls. After the old wallpaper border is removed, a primer is applied to each wall, followed by a coat of ivory paint. Next, Sundet and Steffend paint four-inch-wide vertical gold stripes from floor to ceiling every 16 inches around the room to complete the wall treatment.
Sundet then turns her attention to the window, where she replaces the existing pouf valance with a new one made from soft green brushed cotton fabric. To refresh the room's chair and ottoman, she covers each piece with a homemade slipcover; she also brings in a sawhorse desk, sofa sleeper and bookshelf to complete the furniture arrangement. Accessories include a gold-painted fireplace surround and mantel, an antique fireplace screen, accent pillows for the sofa (one handpainted) and a framed bulletin board. Finally, the walls are decked with a gold-framed mirror and magazine covers (matted and framed) of The New Yorker.
Itemized Design Elements
$55 - paint
$35 - window valance
$50 - slipcovers
$125 - fireplace mantel
$20 - fireplace screen
$40 - sawhorse desk
$80 - pillows
$50 - magazine art
$5 - framed bulletin board
$20 - framed mirror
$480 Total cost of makeover
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