Tour a Main Bedroom Makeover That Cost Less Than $150

When we moved into our house, the main bedroom was dreary. The gray-green color on the walls, dark furniture and a lack of any color scheme or enthusiasm about the room whatsoever did not help with the general bleakness of the space. A makeover was desperately needed, not only for the room, but also for our attitude toward it! We spend loads of time in here but it was somewhere we never wanted to spend any time. The catch was, I had a budget of only $150.

Challenge accepted!

After choosing paint colors, I realized that I had a tablecloth in the exact shade of the new pink wall. The tablecloth had not been used in years and was in perfect condition. After washing and steam cleaning the cloth, I was left with several yards of fabric that were easily turned into a cover for our old wood headboard.

White sheets are so versatile because they are easily bleached, match everything and always look clean. Here, I paired them with turquoise-blue pillowcases to make the bed feel fun and bright — without feeling too childlike.

To start, I dug through my in-laws' barn, my parents' basement and our own things to find furniture, rugs and fabric to create the new space. The color scheme for the room was influenced by an antique Oriental rug from my husband's family. I knew the enormous rug would end up setting the tone for the whole room but I didn't want it to make the room dark and stodgy. I chose to pull out a shade of pink from the highlights to paint the wall directly opposite the bed and a dark indigo for the dressing area.

My grandmother had this secretary table in her house as long as I can ever remember. It was a family heirloom from the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. I have always adored the little desk, but it's a tad too small for actual work, so I turned it into a dressing table. The little nooks are perfect for holding jewelry, note cards and makeup. A pile of scarves, pearls and other jewelry finish the dainty look.