I finally put the last touches on the third bedroom at the beach house. Read on for what we hacked, diy’d, and thrifted and the two items we splurged on!
This bedroom, like all of the bedrooms at the beach house, is small at 10.5 x 11 feet. It also lacks architectural detail — just two small windows and a small closet. Thankfully, there are hardwood floors. So my goals were to{
maximize storage space
maximize the natural light
create a “young” space that would blend with the rest of the house.
Here’s the before:
I knew I wanted a bohemian vibe in here to reflect the spirit of the two young women (my daughters) who call it home from time to time. They are both moving in many directions as they pursue their education and plan their futures.
We already had the twin beds, purchased at an auction almost 20 years ago. I think we paid a whopping $35 for both! They started out as stained wood which we painted white at one point when our girls were little and most recently black.
I found this campaign dresser at our local Habitat Restore for $29. We popped off all of the chrome hardware and spray painted it gold and gave the dresser a fresh coat of white paint. 
With the furniture in place, it was on to decor. The jumping off point was the graphic banana leaf curtain panels from CB2.com. The curtains, were a splurge at $79 a panel and I needed 4 of them. Love those American Express reward points to pay for things like this!
The curtains are layered over natural bamboo roman shades which we used throughout the house. Some of them were thrifted and the rest I purchased from Walmart.com. The key was to hang the shades high and the curtains wide so they don’t block any of the precious light. And, at the same time, make the windows appear larger than they are. Look at the difference this simple technique makes:
With the bold banana leaf curtains taking center stage, I knew immediately that the rest of the room would be neutrals – black, white and cream with lots of texture and a few plants tucked in here and there.
On the beds, I purchased these “fishnet” sheets from the Pottery Barn Teen Emily & Meritt collection (no longer available). They are graphic yet slightly feminine. And they are silky soft and wrinkle minimally. When it comes to bed sheets, you really do get what you pay for! The sheets were the second splurge for this room.
I found the lightweight white channel quilts at Target. I can’t find them online any longer but they were part of the Project 62 collection. With the channels going horizontal instead of the typical vertical design, they look modern and fresh. The diamond throw pillows are Target Opalhouse and are super textural. I like how the diamond design mimics the diamond pattern in the sheets. Repetition is a good thing!
The creamy fringed throws were purchased over a year ago on clearance. They were part of the Nate Berkus line at Target. I decided to hang one of them on the wall to hide the electrical panel door (which you can see peaking out on the right). I used 3m command hooks to hang it so it can easily be taken down and used as bedding if needed. The throws are so textural which is what I love about them.
Between the beds I added a small rug from Target. It feels good underfoot and it ties in the texture, color and pattern of the throws, sheets and pillows.
At the foot of each bed are my knock off x-benches. I always like to put a bench or chair at the foot of the bed because it is so functional — a perch for luggage, extra pillows, blankets, books, whatever.
My inspiration was this beauty from Serena & Lily:
But at $698 per stool … yeah, no!
My knockoffs started out as two director’s chairs that I found along the road for free. Here’s what they looked like before:
I’ll do a tutorial post with the steps I took to transform them. But I’ll tell you a little secret now — they cost me a mere $5 for both!
For the wall art above the beds, I purchased these two digitized prints from Etsy.
My daughters picked these prints out and I love them — they feel young and hip and add interest to this room. I had them printed at a local print shop and then framed them myself using basic black $15 frames from AC Moore. The total for the digital downloads, printing and frames came to about $80.
Lighting is all Target. I love the oversized black rattan pendant in this room! I can’t find it online any longer but Target has several that are similar like this pendant from their new Leanne Ford collection. I purchased the two desk lamps on clearance at Target about a year ago.
With only one wall remaining, we needed to come up with a place for clothing storage. We decided to install six Ikea Trones shoe/storage units because of their very shallow depth. They come in sets of 2 for $25.
To make the units look like one cohesive piece of furniture, we “wrapped” them in pine boards across the top and down each side. I gave the boards a clear coat of polyurethane to protect them. It’s a simple, minimalist look and fits the space without making the room feel cramped.
For accessories, I brought in a few plants that can tolerate low light. The snake plant container is from Target and I perched it on a $3 Goodwill plant stand.
The wood bowl that the fern sets in is another Goodwill find. Incidentally, wood bowls are easily found at thrift stores and I love using them for plants (just don’t plant directly in the wood or it will split and crack from the moisture).
I hung a small wall mirror between the closet and the door to the room — when both daughters are home, mirrors are at a premium! This gold mirror is from Target. The “makeup” washcloths are from Etsy.
The woven leaf shaped basket was a $3 Goodwill find. The remaining accessories (mug, watering can and wood beads) are all Target.
Like most of my projects, this room was a process and took about 6 months to find all the pieces I needed. I’ve learned from experience that if I try to rush the process, I end up purchasing things that I don’t really love and ultimately regret.
I love how this small, non descript room functions and looks. Most importantly, the two free spirits that occupy it from time to time love it too!
