DIY Small, Modern, Minimalist Kid’s Bedroom on a Budget
When we downsized our house 2 years ago, we knew we wanted to create a house that instantly felt like a home. We didn’t want to fill our new home with a ton of store purchased items that are in thousands of other homes. Ours should be unique to us and our story. The same goes for our children’s bedrooms. Just like we want our living room and kitchen to speak to us and make a statement, we wanted to allow our kids that chance in their bedrooms too. I thought we would have an easily clutter-free way of life with the shelving in our daughter’s closet. As it turns out, those shelves just turned into more places to shove junk and toss unfolded clothes. We had to do something. So I set out on a mission to start a DIY modern, minimalist kids bedroom on a budget.Â
*This is a sponsored post in which I was compensated through product or payment. All opinions are my own.Â
Using sentimental items
A minimalist home is all about using items that hold meaning or spark joy in our lives.
Save money and avoid clutter
When I began designing this minimalist kids room for my daughter, I knew I wanted to use the bed that my grandmother had painted for me when I was young.
Not only is this bed sentimental to me, but, is also goes right along with my belief that we should start decorating with what we already have.
Using items that we already own is a great way to not only decorate a bedroom on a budget, but we avoid bringing additional clutter into our homes.
Repurposing old keepsakes
Under the window, I strung pieces from my daughter’s baby mobile across a thin strip of wood.
These little butterflies and cherry blossoms have been with her since she was born and I wanted to incorporate them into the design of her new, more modern kids bedroom.
Hand made items
On the other side of the room, draped over a chair, is a small pink blanket my other grandmother knitted just for my daughter.
It’s so special to have little pieces of our family history keeping her cozy at night.
Again, making good use of sentimental items you already have the best way to create a minimalist bedroom on a budget.
Paint the walls with light colors
When you are decorating a small room, it’s important to remember to keep the walls light in order to help the room feel open.
Searching for beautiful, modern paint colors is so important when creating a welcoming minimalist kids bedroom. We want them to feel cozy and at home instead of feeling cramped in and uncomfortable.
The importance of the perfect color
Choosing a color for a kids bedroom is actually super important and can even affect their moods and behavior.
I chose to avoid bright colors in order to avoid too much chaos. Plus, keeping colors basic allows for easier re-painting as they grow.
Creating focal points
Keeping the walls lighter also allows you to create better focal points for accent pieces that you really want to show off. When you have a low clutter, minimalist bedroom, you want to make sure to highlight the pieces that bring you the most joy. Having a more simple color on the walls makes this possible.
Decorate the walls
Instead of over-loading a small bedroom with props and decor, try sprucing up the room by sprucing up the walls.
Clutter-free decor
By choosing to decorate the walls, you are avoiding additional clutter, but at the same time, you are working to create a unique space.
For my daughter’s room, I chose to paint a cherry blossom-like tree since that was the theme of her nursery as a baby.
If you are not one for freestyle design, there are always decorative stencils you can use to create beautiful works of art with minimal effort.
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Use Chalk Paint® to create your own style
When you can’t seem to find the right piece of furniture to add to your room, it’s time to create your own!
Repurposing can be budget-friendly
This has been one of my favorite parts of living in our small home. I will thrift shop for months just waiting for the perfect piece to bring home. I love looking for items that have character and are still in my budget range.
As I said before, my daughter’s closet was becoming a storm of chaos and clutter. That’s why I set out on the hunt for the perfect dresser. I knew we needed quite a few drawers and something stable and sturdy that hadn’t been previously painted.
Creating a unique space means really taking your time and being patient so you are getting exactly what you want.
The best paint for repurposing
After I found the perfect dresser, I needed the perfect paint to get started.
More than anything I needed some high-quality brushes that were designed specifically for Chalk Paint®. I had previously used whatever paintbrush I could find at the local hardware store.
I quickly learned this was not the most effective method.
There are actually several different types of brushes that work best for refinishing furniture.
Best brushes for painting projects
(Click on any item to learn more.)
Luckily, Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan had every single thing I needed in order to help me create a professional looking dresser for my daughter. The paint color I wound up selecting was called Antoinette. It was a very light, elegant shade of pink that I knew would fit in with the small bedroom, calm feeling I was going for.
If you are just working your way into furniture painting for the first time, I want to just take a moment and share with you some of the things that I have learned so that you are sure to succeed the first time and can create pieces that you truly love.
Mistakes to avoid
- While Annie Sloan’s line of paint doesn’t require sanding before painting, it can be a good idea if you are working with a really roughed up piece.
- Be sure to clean up your piece before you begin painting. This is especially important if you have sanded, or if there is residue built up on your item.
- Make sure you use the correct brush! You may be able to see in the photo above that I was so excited to start painting, I got my wax brush mixed up with my flat brush! I didn’t realize this until I started re-watching some of Annie Sloan’s painting tutorials. –Don’t worry, I caught myself before it went too far!
- Make sure you allow time for your paint to dry in between coats. After applying my wax, I let the dresser sit for an entire day before bringing it inside.
I’m so thankful I took the time to ensure I was working with top quality brushes that were designed specifically for chalk painting. My daughter is so proud of her new dresser and she loved watching me create it for her step by step. Check out the finished product.
This dresser wound up making such a perfect statement in our daughter’s small bedroom! It created a perfect place to display her favorite books, her antique telephone from my mom, and even gave her fish, Bluie, a more stable place to call home! Poor guy.
I finished off the dresser by spray painting the silver handles into a deep brown color and gave this old hand-me-down mirror a quick spray down as well. If you are trying to redo a bedroom on a budget, always consider making over what you already have before purchasing brand new.
Let the light in
It is so important to keep the colors of a small bedroom very light and airy. Letting that natural light is important as well.
We made sure to use sheer curtains in our daughter’s room to keep it looking and feeling fresh. The room is small, and so is the window, but you can tell by the photos just how much light was allowed to stream in.
Let them have a say
If you are creating a minimalist kid’s bedroom on a budget, make sure you let them have their say.
I know it can be hard as a minimalist mom, for me to allow my children to have their toys. Sometimes it causes me anxiety. But who’s to say what is or isn’t important to them?
When completing the finishing touches in my daughter’s bedroom, I made sure to keep out some of her favorite things. Stuffed animals, knick-knacks, and her guitar.
Now more than ever she plops herself into her chair and starts strumming away. I’m so glad to have created such a minimalist, peaceful, kid-friendly place for her to feel at home in.
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