This is a guest post by Jeremy who loves writing about living green, saving money and DIY. He is from EasyApplianceParts, a DIY resource and retailer of appliance replacement parts.

We spend almost one third of our life in the bedroom. The bedroom is our space to relax, unwind and leave the stress of the world behind. Creating a bedroom that is your own sanctuary can be done without having to spend a fortune redecorating. How?  The answer is upcycling. This means taking existing items and repurposing them to build the bedroom of your dreams. The recipe for an upcycling designer is a layer of personal design style, followed by a cup of creativity, two cups of the materials you’ll need and a sprinkle patience, topped off by a do-it-yourself attitude.

Create your own furniture

Buying a brand new bedroom set can be expensive. Most of the bedroom sets currently available from furniture stores are made from particle-board based wood.  Create your own durable and stronger bedroom set by using previously used wood such as boards, planks and wood pallets. Solid wood pieces can be found in antique stores, yard sales, estate auctions or old barns.

Making your own bed – Wood pallets used to transport goods can be obtained from nurseries or home stores. They can be transformed into just about anything – desks, chairs, end tables, benches and beds.  Homedit has developed a stylish and easy to build platform bed made from wood pallets. The best part of this idea is that it costs next to nothing to build.  The only materials that are needed are wood pallets, hinges and casters. Add your mattress, paint and you’re done. An extra added benefit to a wood pallet platform bed is it can be enlarged or reduced as required.

Extra seating – If your bedroom is large try adding in a bench at the edge of the bed or by the window for a window seat.  Old coffee tables or a small garden bench can be used to make your own bench – just add some paint, cushion and the bench is ready.

Creating texture and depth

Adding fabrics in your rooms design creates visual interest by giving the room texture and depth. Give your room some personality using existing materials you have in the closet, attic or basement. Old sweaters, jeans, dresses, shirts, blouses and towels can all be transformed into pillows, curtains or even bedding.

Quilts – If you’re a seamstress or seamster or have access to one then make a quilt. Quilts are fantastic for having an afternoon nap or in the winter for wrapping yourself up and staying warm. Making your own quilt is also a great way to capture your family’s history.  This can be achieved by having everyone in the family contribute a selection of fabric that has significant a meaning. Coordinate the colors and textures to create a unique piece of art.

Lighting

Lighting adds to the overall atmosphere you are trying to create. When thinking about lighting take into consideration the amount of natural light the room is getting. Also, the color on the walls will also affect the lighting – darker colors absorb the light and light colors reflect it. Everyday objects such as wine bottles, mason jars and even your blender can be transformed into a lighting solution.  Instructables has put together a step-by-step process to transform your blender into a desk lamp.

Adding personal touches 

Use your imagination and create some unique personal touches that reflect your personality and your overall design plan. Candles give the room an extra touch of class by helping to create a warm comforting feeling. Create your own candle and candle holder using an old butter dish. Take used candles lying around and melt them together in a sauce pan. Poor the candle mixture back into a butter dish and add in new wicks or the existing ones and let the wax cool. Take the candle out of the butter dish and use the dish as the candle’s holder viola you have a new stylish unique candle holder.  If the candle doesn’t easily pop out of the dish put it in the freezer for about 30 minutes. The wax will freeze which will make it easy to remove.

 

Eliminate Bare Walls

Tie the look of your room together by selecting and making design pieces for the wall. Mirrors are a simple and easy way to make a smaller room look bigger. Take your existing mirror(s) add some paint to the trim to coordinate with the room’s new look. Another suggestion is to take a group of smaller mirrors and hang them together to form different geometric shapes. Reusing mason jars is becoming more and more popular and can be transformed from empty jars sitting in your cupboards into wall mounted candle holders and/or vases.  You can create unique pieces of wall art using place mats too. They come in a variety of textures, colors and patterns and can be used as decoration in a couple of ways – try cutting out a section of one and putting it in a picture frame or hang a few of the mats together to create a piece of wall decor.

Upcycling adds a lot of value to your bedroom’s design. You’ll have the satisfaction of being able to save money and help the environment while receiving a great sense of achievement from showcasing your design/DIY abilities. Keep your eyes peeled at yard sales, friends and families garages for resources to make something that’s yours and yours alone.