This chic bedroom makeover is full of clever DIY hacks - plus an unusual upcycle

If you've ever been bored with your decor, but feeling the pinch then you'll know exactly how frustrating it can be not to be able to afford the items you'd like. That's why this latest bedroom revamp is such an inspiration, with budget bedroom ideas and clever upcycles that made it possible to do, despite a low budget.

We're talking a wardrobe update, stylish paint tricks and a refresh of a clock that has given a dated scheme a new lease of life – not to mention using banana boxes for storage!

Hotel style bedroom makeover

Faced with a less-than-stylish design, mum of three Lynda Chadwick from York was desperate to brighten up her room on a budget. 'I struggled with illness for three years until I was diagnosed with a parathyroid tumour,' she told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk. 

'Once I had it removed I began to get better, so I decided it was time to sort my house out. With help from my best friend Fiona, we started on my bedroom. 

'It was a mess, and I had very little money as I couldn’t work due to my illness,' Lynda continues. 'My parents bought me a new bed as I had a king-size, and it was taking up a lot of space. I got a double instead and began thinking about ideas for the room.'

Before

Having been inspired by other makeovers on Facebook group 'DIY Homes On A Budget' and those she'd seen on TV, Lynda had an idea of what it was she wanted to do with the room.

‘The first step we took was to strip the walls and put up backing paper,' she says. 'Then we painted it white until I decided what colour I wanted. I really wanted black solid wood furniture, but when I looked online I realised how expensive it was. It was £1,000 just for a large wardrobe!

‘I began to think about how to get the effect I wanted on a budget, and came up with the solution of painting my wooden furniture, as it was solid pine. I did get several people warning me not to do it. They said black wasn’t the right colour, and I would ruin the room.'

Not to be swayed, Lynda went ahead and the results are stunning…

After

The new monochrome scheme is a far cry from how it looked before, and it's all thanks to Lynda's creativity. 'I went to B&Q and bought their own-brand black matte durable paint,' she says. 'It’s amazing. I used just one tin for all of the furniture and it only cost £20. I had a solid chest of drawers that I painted as well as the wardrobe, and I also bought some tall, thin wardrobes from Facebook Marketplace for £15 to paint.'

The furniture wasn't the only thing to get a lick of paint. 'I began thinking about how to change my clock without buying a new one,' explains Lynda. 

'I’ve had it on the wall for years, but I didn’t like the colour of the face. It was a dark cream with Roman numerals, and I wanted something different. I took the face-off and painted it white, then bought some wooden numbers for £14. 

'After that I painted them black and stuck them on the clock. The outer border of the clock is metal, and I wanted to brighten it up. I came up with the idea to get some ink pads for just £1 each. I used black ink first as a base, then I went over it lightly with a silver ink pad – it looks great now.'

Having painted the wardrobes, Lynda turned to her attention to the area above them. 'I wanted some nice boxes for the top of the wardrobe,' she says, 'but new ones were just too expensive. Instead, I went to the supermarket and got three banana boxes! 

'Banana boxes are so thick and solid. I bought a throw that matches the one on my bed and covered the boxes with it. The effect is great and it was so cheap to do.'

Having decided leave the walls white, Lynda finished the monochrome scheme by buying an armchair from Facebook Marketplace for just £20. 

‘Now the room is complete it feels so much better,' she says. 'It cost me hardly anything – I just recycled what I had, and bought second-hand bargains on Facebook. I’m glad I stuck to my idea of black paint for the furniture as I've managed to pull it off.’