We moved into our fixer dream house four years ago when our kids were just one and four years old. Among the five bedrooms on the second floor were two, pint sized, seven foot wide rooms, split by a bathroom. And from what I could tell, they had all gone unused for what looked like decades. As a result, this side of the house had the most extensive water damage and most outdated mechanicals. It required major repairs and a giant scoop of TLC.
One of these cozy, mini rooms became our son, Everett’s bedroom. After repairing the rain soaked plaster, I covered his walls in a full dip of rich blue, created a curtained sleeping nook, and furnished it with some of my favorite second hand finds. Next we updated the neglected bathroom. The other pint sized kids' bedroom remained frozen in time, including the water stained, original, faux bois wallpaper.
The room before:
Over the last few years, Everett filled his side of this split, bedroom lair with toys and piles of books. This fall, I set out to create a double-use bunk room for overnight, kiddo guests and an every day play space-- all housed in the other, 70 square foot, twin bedroom.
Paint
I wanted the entire split bedroom lair to feel like one cohesive space. I used the paint that envelops Everett’s bedroom on the trim and ceiling in the bunk room. I mixed the paint for his bedroom from leftover half cans, from various DIY projects, creating a cozy shade of blue.
Wallpaper
After selecting a treehouse bunkbed as part of a collaboration with local Homemakers Furniture, I knew I wanted kids' bedroom wallpaper with a woodland feel. I showed Everett some options and he selected a traditional toile pattern in blue. I’ve wallpapered a few closets, powder rooms, and small entries over the years, but this tiny room was still my largest install to date.
The selected wallpaper was pre-pasted. Like I always do before starting a project, I watched tutorials on different DIY how to wallpaper methods. After trying a few, including rolling additional paste on the walls, I landed on spraying water directly on the paper. It took six rolls to wrap the room in whimsical trees.
- Find all our blue bedroom ideas.
Gel staining the floors
After the fresh paint and wallpaper were up, I couldn’t get over how rough the floors looked in comparison. I decided to freshen them up by using a gel staining technique.
Painting the blinds
I had a blind that fit the window, leftover from my daughter’s all pink bedroom, we’ve since given a less princess makeover. I used two cans of chalk paint to give the window covering a new look fit for the bunk room. I coated the front and back so the blind would be opaque even when hanging on the brightly lit window.
Bunk assembly
Because of the narrow width of the small kids bedroom, the bunk needed to be assembled in place which complicated the process. Our entire family pitched in during assembly, squeezing into the tight space to ensure every screw was secure.
The results:
Real costs: a breakdown of materials
By choosing to DIY and getting creative with some materials I already had, I was able to pull off a very cute look for less than you'd expect! I'm so pleased with the results.
- Bunk Bed: *$867 from Homemakers Furniture
- Wall sconces: $130 from Target
- Wallpaper: $245 from Amazon
- Paint: Mixed from leftover paint
- Sheets: $18 from Target
- Quilt set: $50 from Walmart
- Blind: $16 Spray paint I got from Walmart to update the old blind
- Curtains: DwellStudio already owned
Total: $1,326
After finishing the bunk room, something unexpected happened. Everett moved into the top bunk and has forsaken his bedroom. I’m currently dreaming up ideas to lure him back into his own bed before cousins arrive to celebrate the holidays. It’s been great to have the extra space for both our kids to play.
*Received as a promotional product in collaboration with Homemakers Furniture.