Bedrooms are quite possibly my favorite room in a house. They are soft and comfy but also really expressive and personal. As soon as I came across this celebration of faded earth tones and earth plants, I couldn’t help myself – I had to find it… not expensive… ly. I used to just assume that everything that looks this cohesive was expensive, but now I realize that there are helpful things like color theory and cleverness that you can use to help you not spend very much recreating an interior look.
This room is actually an IKEA room. Yes, that means it’s probably already cheap. Fun thing about being broke – even IKEA can be too expensive! And it’s always too expensive if you can find it cheaper somewhere else. I’m pretty confident I can find the elements of this bedroom for way fewer dollars than what it would have cost if I’d bought it new at IKEA.
This room is really just full of cleverly-chosen solid colors and a big ol’ print of what I originally thought was an onion but now do not think is an onion. It’s just a cool… bulby thing. I love botanical drawings and old scientific illustrations, they add a vintage look to everything – remember when people used to draw with pens?!
The colors of this room are what drew me in, though. The softness of all of that life-confirming green mixed up with varying shades of grey (not 50) make me blissfully sleepy just looking at them. Can you imagine waking up surrounded by these colors every morning? It looks really clean and fresh, but also really cozy. Perfect combination for spring/summer. Tip: Using a paint sprayer can help you succeed at home improvement projects (like this one). For convenience, the cordless type is the way to go. Read this article to learn more about it.
So many light greens err on the side of yellow, and I love how this particular minty green has a blue undertone to it, keeping it cooled off instead of making it warmer. The only color with any warmth at all is the mustard yellow, and even that is a bit dampened compared to the mustard yellow I’m used to which is even warmer and more rich.
This room’s colors are loudest in the sheets and the wall color. Obviously, not everyone can paint their walls, so if you happen to be in a place that loves a good medium gray (bonus points for photographers – instant white balance!), then knock yourself out because that’s an excellent color for a cool-toned bedroom.
The Lighting
Okay, about that part where I said I could find these things cheaper than their IKEA prices? Well… It’s kinda hard to beat a $14.99 mint green ceiling lamp, you know what I mean? That’s a sweet deal and there’s really no denying it. But in the spirit of the sport, I think I can maybe find an even cooler ceiling lamp that adds an even cooler vibe to the room. But man. $14.99. Damn.
The Furniture
That bedside table, on the other hand, is most definitely does not need to be $69.99. We can and will do better. The best place to find one of these is at a garage sale or thrift shop, honestly. This isn’t anything a cheap table and a can of Krylon Chalky Spray Paint in Slate ($7.99) or Deco Art Chalk Paint in Vintage ($8.48) can’t whip up for you. Just get a table that’s made from real wood, you might have to sand off a finish coating in order to get the paint to really stick.
If you insist on purchasing one from the internet which, I don’t know why you would but I also will be the last person to judge you for doing so, there is a great choice from Bed, Bath & Beyond and it’s only $16.99 (left) or if you want one a little bit more like the original table, there’s a folding tray table at Hayneedle for $32.31 (right) that’s basically identical, though it still needs to be spraypainted. Run on sentences for the win!
The Bedding
The sheets, on the other hand, might require a little digging and hunting because, as I said, the mint greens I’m used to seeing are warmer – kind of avocado-colored. This is like a mint chocolate chip fake-ass food coloring green, and it’s gorgeous.
I find a ton of good quality sheets on Overstock.com, and the colors are endless which brings me to the digging. I found tons of great light greens, and even some that had that cool tint, but finding the perfect set is going to require your (yes, your) eyes. Look around every time you’re in a TJ Maxx/Marshalls/Home Goods, Macy’s, etc. I found this near-match on Overstock: Coolest Comfort Sheet Set in Aqua for under $40 depending on your bed size.
Underneath the glorious mint sheet in the original photo is… a beautiful light brown comforter. Wait, what? There is a flat sheet (likely a California King size) over a comforter. Merchandising, what a sport.
That being said, I love that comforter and how neutral and earthy it is. Bigger blankets mean bigger price tags, but if we can find a bed-in-a-box full of taupe-y browns, we’re in good shape because that, in combination with the mint green sheet set (which includes pillowcases), the bedding will be pretty much complete!
This is the One Allium Place Atlee Set (Allium! So appropriate!) for $84.99. It has the right kind of grey-brown and that delightful texture that the original room’s comforter set has. This is actually on the nicer end of bedding, as far as quality goes, which explains the higher price tag so if you can find something less expensive but still taupe-ish (I never know what to call that color, ok?), by all means go for it. The only catch with this one is that this set has a quilt instead of a comforter, which is different from the original, but I like quilts better so this is a selfish departure. Deal with it.
As for the one. single. kelly green pillow case in the middle of everything – don’t torture me. Finding a single green pillowcase is a job for people who thrift and/or dye their own fabrics. On the off-chance that you don’t mind having two really nice green pillowcases, try these two from Amazon for $14.99, one of which you can use to copy this room, and the other you can… turn into a t-shirt for your dog. Or cat. Or… lamp. I don’t know.
The Wall Decor
Botanical prints can come from anywhere, but ironically they’re kind of hard to find – especially big and beautiful like the one in the original bedroom. Obviously, my first stop is Etsy because I love the idea of having real illustrations from other hustlers hanging in my house, but also because that’s where most of them seem to be!
I couldn’t find a more perfect choice than this set of six illustrations from Lettered and Lined for $58:
It’s impossible to pick a favorite – good thing you get to choose six!
Here’s another one for palm enthusiasts and even one for lemon blossom superfans – each are 18″ x 24″ for $36.95:
So freaking cool! Plants are rad.
The Tabletop Thingies
The teapot next to the bed is so sweet but so unrealistic for me past the first week that this room is inhabited. Buuuut, I love teapots, so there’s no reason not to throw a bunch of cute, green teapots into this post, right? Right.
English Tea Store Hunter Green Tea Pot, $11.59; Chatsford Green Stone Teapot with Red Filter, $23.95; Jenny & Co. 4 Cup Teapot, $40.
The, um, floortop item looks to me like a very rare and expensive milk carafe, which you can get from pretty much any Target or general goods store. Amazon has carafes for $11 each, or if you want more they offer some killer price breaks. It’s up to you to add Baby’s Breath, though, if you’re into that.
Did we miss anything? There’s the room! As far as bedrooms go, this one is pretty high on my list of favorites – and that’s saying a lot. Don’t believe me? Check my Bedrooms-themed Pinterest board. It’s regularly updated. Prefer Tumblr? Well, I have a big ol’ bedroom tag there, too. I am a bedroom junkie.
Tag me in your favorite interior photos on Instagram if you want to see them remade!
View Comments (0)