10 Must-See Before and After Bedroom Makeovers

Before: Blank Slate

When you're bursting with home design ambition yet living in a rental apartment, compromises must be made, according to home blogger Medina Grillo at Grillo Designs. She keenly understood this with her plain apartment in Birmingham, England. Except for painting the lower half of the walls, no significant changes were allowed, and that included the "built-in ugly melamine wardrobe." Also, Medina's husband held firm about keeping their king-size bed in their small bedroom. 

After: Magic Happens

Medina was able to turn a problematic space with numerous obstacles into an utterly enchanting bedroom. She began by painting the bottom half of the walls black. Medina maintained a straight and true line with a laser level and painter's tape. She dip-dyed the midcentury modern dresser, which became the room's focal point. The wall became a gallery wall of asymmetrically arranged curios and fun objects. The coup de grace, Medina tamed the melamine wardrobe by painting the melamine and wallpapered the inside with a beautiful Moroccan-inspired tile-effect paper.

Modern Vintage Small Bedroom Makeover from Grillo Designs

Before: Gray and Dreary

Chris and Julia of the popular blog Chris Loves Julia were tasked with remaking a bedroom that already looked pretty good, and they had one day to do it. The bedroom's gray walls were dreary, and the ceiling light picked up too much of the popcorn ceiling texture. This bedroom was a prime candidate for a quick refresher.

After: Love and Light

Major elements such as carpeting couldn't come out due to budget constrictions. So one solution to the dreary carpeting woes was to add a colorful area rug on top of the carpeting. Walls were painted a slightly lighter gray with Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray. Chris and Julia's brilliant solution to the ceiling problem was to install a new, lower light fixture. The different angle of the new ceiling light picks up less of the peaks and valleys found on a textured popcorn ceiling.

Before: Flat and Cold

This primary bedroom felt lifeless and flat, according to lifestyle blogger Jenna, of Jenna Kate at Home. The paint scheme was cold, and nothing about it was cozy. Most importantly, the bedroom needed brightening.

After: Serene Space

Now Jenna adores her transformed primary bedroom. By sticking to a palette of pale gray and white with touches of taupe, it lightened up the room. Pretty pillows adorn the bed, while bamboo shades give the room a warmer, more natural feeling.

Before: Blank Canvas

Most bedroom makeovers will benefit from added color. Mandi, from the lifestyle blog Vintage Revivals, realized that her daughter Ivie's bedroom was a plain white box with a dresser that needed more flavor.

After: Color Splash

Now, a cheery Southwestern-inspired pattern graces the walls of her daughter's bedroom. Extended shelves provide plenty of storage for everything that a kid wants to show off. A single swing hammock chair ensures that Ivie will have a dreamy place to read books and play with friends.

Ivie's Bedroom Remake from Vintage Revivals

Before: Zero Storage, No Personality

When Kristi of the popular lifestyle blog Addicted 2 Decorating first moved into her condo, the bedrooms had "old dingy carpet, textured walls with glossy white paint, white metal mini blinds, and popcorn ceilings with old white ceiling fans." And, worst of all, there was no storage.

After: Show-Stopping

Kristi's makeover livened up the small bedroom with a floral headboard, new curtains, and a sunburst mirror. She added instant storage by adding two standalone closets flanking the bed.

Small Condo Bedroom Makeover from Addicted 2 Decorating 

Before: Tired and Plain

Worn and weary, this bedroom was in pressing need of a style intervention on a razor-thin budget. Interior designer Brittany Hayes of the home blog Addison's Wonderland was just the person to revamp this bedroom on a tight budget.

After: Surprise Party

Budget boho style was the order of the day when Brittany and her friends made over this ultra-inexpensive bedroom as an anniversary surprise for friends. The high ceilings of this empty room disappear with this Urban Outfitters tapestry catching your eye with the room's much-needed color pop. A new comforter, fur rug, and wicker basket complete the look.

Budget Boho Chic Bedroom Makeover from Addison's Wonderland

Before: Small Room, Big Challenge

Small and dark, this bedroom makeover was a challenge for Melissa Michaels of The Inspired Room, who wanted to transform this into an inviting queen-sized bedroom.

After: Relaxing Retreat

This relaxing retreat received new window treatments, a luxurious, traditionally-styled headboard, and a fresh coat of paint from a palette of calming colors. The headboard covers the short window line but still allows light to brightly bathe the room.

Small Bedroom Makeover from The Inspired Room

Before: Time for a Change

This neglected bedroom was too stuffy, cluttered, and dark. Cami from the lifestyle blog TIDBITS sprung into action and took on a bedroom makeover that would make this unremarkable space a place of beauty.

After: Timeless

This bedroom boasted a giant bay window, making this room's makeover from TIDBITS easier since the lighting was not a problem. Cami painted the dark upper half of her walls, brightening the place even more. With fantastic buys from thrift stores, she completely refurnished the room for next to nothing. The result was a timeless, traditional bedroom.

Before: Too Yellow

Bold yellow paint can make a splash in certain situations, but this particular yellow was anything but mellow. This room needed an urgent bedroom makeover. Tamara at Provident Home Design knew just what to do.

After: Tranquil

Tamara kept the yellow feel in her friend Polly's bedroom makeover but toned it down with help from Behr Butter, a paint hue at Home Depot. The tired brass chandelier was spray-painted a soothing silver. A bedsheet became drapes. Best of all, the feature wall was constructed from scratch out of inexpensive medium-density fiberboard (MDF).

Before: Devoid of Personality

This bedroom was a dimly lit box that had no flavor and no personality. Even worse, this was to be a bedroom for a ​nine-year-old girl, Riley, who was battling brain cancer. Megan, from the blog Balancing Home, has four children of her own and decided that Riley should have a fun, lively bedroom.

After: Heart's Desire

This bedroom became an inviting, charming folktale forest paradise for a girl to dream, relax, and play. All pieces were donated by Megan, friends, family, and companies that Megan recruited into action, such as Wayfair and The Land of Nod (now Crate & Barrel's branch Crate & Kids).

Woodland Forest Girl's Bedroom Makeover from Balancing Home