Wake Up Your Bedroom
When a Long Island family bought their new home, it came with a dumpy, dated master bedroom. HGTV Magazine stepped in for a redo.
By:
Erin Zammett Ruddy
From:
HGTV Magazine
Related To:
Your Home’s Wish List
When Gail and Aaron Siegel found their 1950s ranch in Long Island, NY, it had four bedrooms and five bathrooms, high ceilings, and a big landscaped yard, but the master bedroom was a bummer.
From:
HGTV Magazine
Drab Decor
Drab carpet, odd corners, and stuffy wallpaper led the list of decorating dilemmas. They had plenty of space, but setting things up was a challenge. Gail, a fashion stylist, brought in hand-me-down furniture, but then did nothing to the room for months. “I was at a design dead end,” she says.
From:
HGTV Magazine
Bright and Shiny Update
However, designer Elaine Griffin saw loads of potential in the sunny space, starting with a pretty gray and yellow color scheme. “We made it a multitasking room, with zones for sleeping, working, and relaxing,” Elaine says. Gail’s reaction to the redo: “Gorgeous! The room that was once sad and dingy is now our favorite place in the house.”
From:
HGTV Magazine
Cherry Art
Elaine made the four pieces of artwork above the nightstands using stencils and paint, then hung them in IKEA Ribba 9-inch-by-9-inch frames.
From:
HGTV Magazine
Neutral Carpet
Wall-to-wall Stainmaster TruSoft nylon carpet from Lowe’s in a subtle gray, similar to the wall color, makes the room feel soft and cozy. Its durable nylon fibers won’t look shabby over time.
From:
HGTV Magazine
Bright Headboard
The old woven faux leather bed was big and bulky, so Elaine swapped in a curvy yellow velvet headboard (ballarddesigns.com). She added ivory and white Ralph Lauren Signature Classics bedding (bloomingdales.com/rlhomestylist) and a block-print throw (fullmoonloom.com) for some pattern.
From:
HGTV Magazine
Tufted Bench
A bench makes a bed look finished like a footboard would, but it’s more inviting. “Choose one at least two-thirds as wide as the bed,” says Elaine, who picked a 53-inch-long linen version (overstock.com).
From:
HGTV Magazine
Nightstands
The bed is flanked with white lacquer bedside tables (wisteria.com) and topped with a pair of Regina Andrew Design mercury glass gourd lamps (shopcandelabra.com).
From:
HGTV Magazine
Pretty Desk
In place of the dark walnut desk tucked in a corner, Elaine put a lightly stained oak desk and wishbone style chair (both overstock.com) in front of the window. She dressed up the area with ikat linen curtains and sheer roman shades (both smithandnoble.com). The lamp is from HomeGoods.
From:
HGTV Magazine
Bedroom Before: Odd Spaces
Before Elaine get her hands on the space, the large master bedroom had a TV crammed into an inset wall, outdated furniture, and dingy wallpaper.
From:
HGTV Magazine
Bedroom After: Wall-Mounted TV
An electrician hung the television on the wall directly facing the bed, which freed up space for a restful corner.
From:
HGTV Magazine
Multiuse Dresser
The painted dresser under the TV (wisteria.com) not only serves as storage space but also hides the cable box, which can be controlled even in a closed drawer with a transmitter from Best Buy.
From:
HGTV Magazine
Painted Etagère
Elaine salvaged the dinged-up shelf unit, which used to be by the bed, with gray paint (Dovetail by HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams). It’s a bit darker than the walls, so you can see the shape of the shelves.
From:
HGTV Magazine
Reading Corner
This awkward corner turned cozy with a slipcovered IKEA chaise, a trellis-pattern rug (homedecorators.com), and colorful pillows (ikea.com and janetkain.com). The metal stool is from HomeGoods.
From:
HGTV Magazine

Photo By: John Bessler