our year-long bedroom makeover reveal + my fav Amazon home buys

When it comes to leveling up your home a budget, I think the operative word needs to be patience. I LOVE how my space feels right now, but I started my bedroom makeover a full year ago in January 2018, which goes to show that it’s been a long process! And I’d honestly still label it as in-progress given that I still have a small list of accents that I’d like to swap out and new window dressings and lighting to get around to.

Like most 20-somethings, I used to collect furniture on a whim, loading used side tables from random curbsides into my backseat, inheriting old couches from clients, doing the Craigslist hustle, and splurging for occasional pieces without a vision for the space. But as I approached my 30s last year I found myself drawn to the idea of having more whites, soft pinks, grays, golds and a more minimalistic, bright, and clean-looking aesthetic.

We began the official transformation with the bed a year ago. If you want to change the entire feel of your room very quickly, then definitely consider a new bed (or new bedding and accents for a cheaper alternative!) Our mattress was ten years old and I was lucky enough to get to collaborate with Lull mattress and level up to a king mattress (PS: getting a king memory foam has totally transformed my nights’ sleep and may be the best choice I made all last year btw, zero exaggeration! I went from having terrible sleep quality to literally never waking up in the middle of the night.) I documented the process on YouTube, which you can watch below:

Along with our new king sized mattress we ordered a new bed frame from Overstock.com followed by new bedding from Amazon, choosing to go with a grey, white, and pink palette. (I still want to eventually buy one of those massive chunky knitted throws and some gold accented feather pillows, which I linked below!)

In December we decided to swap our hodgepodge bedside tables for matching white ones that fit within our budget, and immediately that brought a more polished look to the room. Last month, I repainted our slated accent wall grey, as the green color we originally chose no longer worked with our color scheme. Here’s a little before and after inspo:

our bedding buys↴

When you’re on a budget, repainting furniture is a fabulous idea for saving serious money and so last month I decided to repaint a black desk we had, transforming it into my vanity and YouTube filming station! The process was actually super easy: I removed the hardware, and then primed the desk with a thin coat of all-in-one primer from Home Depot, eliminating the need for sanding. I painted four very thin coats of bright white over the course of three days, letting it dry completely in between. Once finished, I replaced the hardware and ordered a custom piece of glass for $80 from a local glass store. I literally couldn’t be more thrilled with the look of the desk now. Here’s what it looked like before:

To create more space, I used a compartment with accented bins for added storage under the vanity. For the tabletop I bought a new mirror and spacial organizer for my skincare products (though I’m hoping to eventually upgrade to having all gold accents in the room, like the ones I shared below!).

our bedroom accents↴

The final touches included adding decorative lights to the headboard (mainly because they look super cute blurred out in YouTube vids), getting a large Ikea mirror because #ootd documentation, and a hanging macrame plant on the side of the desk (since millennials + macrame = <3.)

Onto the middle room (or “dressing parlor” as I call it when I’m feeling fancy).

This room was originally just the TV room with an extra futon bed for guests, but I wanted it to be a bit more functional as an extension of my bedroom and walk-in closet, which is housed in this room.

When I realized that I didn’t have a great system for organizing bras, underwear, socks, tights, tank tops, and swimwear and didn’t want to take up more space in the home by buying a dresser set, I came up with the solution to hack the classic Ikea Kallax unit by organizing it with cute bins and stacking clothing dividers inside! Folks: it’s literally TRANSFORMED the way I manage these clothing items and made my life so much more organized! (PS: I made a short little IGTV vid of the process, which better shows how it works.)

Last month I also repainted the room from dark blue to a light grey, which completely opened up the space! (We’ve heard it said over and over again, but it’s really incredible just how powerful color is for transforming the perception of room size!) We then got rid of an old brown ottoman storage unit/ side table and replaced it with a clothing rack where I now organize my Poshmark inventory and set aside items for YouTube hauls and trips.

Eventually, once I reduce my inventory for Poshmark, I’d like to use a few of the shelves for storing a plant! We also bought a thin, rectangular side table and a couple new pillows to work with the colors in here!

shop this room↴

And there you have it! The transformation is definitely not over, but the space has been completely transformed and is so much more functional as well! And I have to say, my quality of life has absolutely increased as I’ve improved these spaces too (less anxiety, mess, wasted time, and better sleep and productivity!). I’ve linked everything we bought for our home along with my wish list for a few more touches and home decor items that I intend to get! For full disclosure, I have recently been approached as an Amazon affiliate, which means when you buy and love something that I recommend I earn a small percentage (like 3-10%) So THANK YOU for trusting me and supporting the online content I bring to you all in this way!

Be sure to send me a DM on Instagram if you end up getting any of the items here and using them in your space! I’ve love to see and share your own #homebodydiva transformations with the tribe! Or, feel free to tag me in your stories @ellevalera.

Love,