By Jeanelle D. Horcasitas
Buying furniture is an expensive endeavor, but living on a tight budget doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice your sense of style. It can be an opportunity to be creative.
For those with small bedrooms, having too much furniture can make the room appear cluttered and even smaller. Fortunately, you can do without bulky items, such as a nightstand, dresser or armoire, and replace them with organizers to make the room appear more spacious.
There are beds that you can purchase with built-in drawers; however, that can get a little pricey. Additionally, many of these beds are not raised, which can be problematic if you like underneath bed storage. So now it’s time to get creative. First, purchase an organizer cubby to place at the edge of your bed. You can choose to store extra pillows, blankets, shoes or anything you please in the compartments. For smaller items or clothing, I would suggest purchasing storage bins. You can buy fabric, wood or plastic storage bins in any shape, size and color.
For more hidden storage options, consider hanging closet organizers, double-hanging closet organizers, or even sterile drawers from Target, Ikea or Big Lots, to utilize as much closet space as possible. Whatever you choose, these new storage ideas will help expand your space. And with more room, there’s more to love.
Can’t live without work? Make your bed into a hybrid desk space with a loft bed. Loft beds are a great space-saver. Loft beds typically get associated with young kids, but they work for adults, too.
If you like the idea of being surrounded by books, but do not necessarily love the height of a loft bed, there is an alternative. Create your own bookshelf headboard. First, purchase a bed without a headboard. Second, purchase two medium- or tall-sized bookshelves that will serve as the pillars to your headboard. Lastly, buy a long shelf (or a flat piece of wood); I would suggest Home Depot or Lowes to get the exact proportions and dimensions, to bridge across the two bookshelf pillars. For your safety, secure your bookshelves by nailing them to the wall. Once this has been done, you should also nail the overarching shelf to the bookshelves to keep everything connected as one unit. Lastly, do not place heavy items on the shelf atop of the two bookshelves, to avoid any accidents from happening. Now your new headboard is complete! Feel free to add books, decor, storage bins — you want it to fit your style. With these alternatives you can stay close to your studies or work from the comfort of your own bed.
Although the previous examples can be bought from a store, for a repurposed DIY feel, use cinder blocks as a bed base. If you’re not too fond of the industrial look, bust out your paintbrush and add some color to the blocks before setting them up. However, be extremely careful that there is not a lot of open space between the cinder block foundation and the mattress; you do not want to fall off your bed. Wooden pallets are another great option as they are easy to paint, and you can add more to create your desired height. For more inspiration, check out the many boards dedicated to bedroom DIY on Pinterest.
