My New Room

Getting a redecorated bedroom in my house is kind of like a rite of passage. As my brothers and I turned twelve or thirteen, my mom would work with us to create our dream room! On my turn, I was real into the PB Teen matchy-matchy look, complete with the turquoise and brown polka dot everything. I did love that room! As I went through high school, I started to get rid of most of the polka dots and brown, and started to add some more pink and navy (my preferred colors) and it all started to kinda not match so much anymore.

But, last summer, I spent every dime (exaggerating) on dorm bedding and decor. And I didn't really have the time to contribute to designing a new room. So, over Christmas break, I sold most of my furniture and bedding on Craigslist, and started to plan for a fresh, new room!

I wanted it to be more "clean" and mature, since this will be the way the room looks until I move out for good. And, I didn't want a whole bunch of *stuff*. After living in a 10x17 dorm room, I was ready to not be suffocated by *stuff*.

The color scheme was based off of this print (she usually has a website but it's under renovation). I knew I wanted a lot of gray and white, but still with a few pops of color. And, just a fun fact about me, I really prefer navy over black.

Here are a few "before" photos that I took super candidly...

 Lots & lots of turquoise

My mom has been a huge help with this project! While I was at school this semester, she was painting the walls, hanging curtains, and assembling furniture. Every time I came home this spring, my room would have something new! 

And without further ado...

 My new room!!! I really wanted this room to be somewhat budgeted. I managed this by just avoiding any "expensive store". There isn't much in here now that isn't from Target, HomeGoods, Michaels, or World Market. My mom found this couch on a whim at HomeGoods and bought it before I even responded to her text. (And that's why we're related. :)).

A few tips about this room:
1. I've tried to compile a decent amount of wall decor over the past few years between my old room and my dorm. But, an easy way to save money is instead of buying prints off Etsy and having them ship to you, buy the downloads instead! Just go to FedEx and have them print the download on nice paper. You'll probably save about $25 on paper and shipping if you just DIY. (or if you're feeling fancy...go to dafont.com, download a font, and try to recreate a print!)
2. I hung most of the frames on the wall with command strips. That way, I can change them out as my taste changes.

3. Instead of buying pre-made, custom pieces, I tried to do as much of it as I could by myself. This was an old frame we had--I just spray painted it and covered the back with a piece of cork and some fabric I found online. Total cost was about $15!

 4. I had a ton of books in my previous room, so I tried to spread them out under lamps and bins.

 Color coded, of course.

 Bookshelf from Target! This shelf probably won't look so full once I go back to school as I'll take some decor items up there with me.

5. Also, I tried to avoid buying a ton of knick-knacky things to save a little money. The little succulents I found in the dollar section at Target!

 Floor-length mirror is from HomeGoods, and small mirrors are from Target. I don't love the way the mirrors look side by side in this photo, but the long mirror makes the room look so much bigger in real life. All bedding is from Target, except for the velvet pillows that were super cheap from World Market.

And that's my new room! I didn't want to include a ton of photos, just a few snaps. Comment below if you have questions about where things are from.