Last year, my younger sister Carrie embarked on a new chapter in Philadelphia, settling into a charming high-rise apartment. Her new abode, however, was a blank canvas yearning for a touch of inexpensive charm. With a modest budget of under $200, we ventured to Ikea, gathering art and accessories that swiftly transformed her space in a single afternoon. (For those curious about her previous design journey, you can read that story here). Fast forward a year, and Carrie’s career path led her back to Northern Virginia, bringing her closer to our family – a welcome move! Yet, she found herself in a familiar predicament: a plain room, ripe for a budget-friendly glow-up. This time, the challenge was even more intriguing: a spacious sunroom that needed to be reimagined as a cozy and functional bedroom.
This room presented a unique design puzzle. It was almost entirely enveloped in glass, creating an open yet challenging environment. Imagine waking up in a space reminiscent of a fishbowl, with sliding doors and five—yes, five!—floor-to-ceiling windows forming an irregularly shaped, five-sided back wall. While the sheer amount of glass initially felt daunting, perhaps even a little scary, our trusted $200 budget and another strategic trip to Ikea filled us with optimism. Our mission was clear: create a private, comfortable, and stylish bedroom without breaking the bank. So, we headed to our favorite Swedish home furnishings store, armed with a shopping list for curtains (lots of them!), essential accessories, and a few furniture pieces that we planned to adapt with some clever supplies from Home Depot, picked up en route. The transformation was remarkable. Just four hours later, the room shed its utilitarian sunroom skin and emerged as a serene bedroom haven. The before-and-after contrast was simply astonishing.
Can you believe that’s the same space? The metamorphosis was truly incredible, proving that even the most challenging rooms can be transformed with creativity and a tight budget. Our design philosophy always starts with maximizing existing resources. For this project, our initial step was to assess what Carrie already owned, a crucial strategy for keeping costs down and making those precious pennies stretch further. As you might recall from last year’s apartment makeover, she already had two versatile black Lack side tables, several colorful throw pillows, and those distinct textured striped curtains. These items formed the foundation of our design. The only minor hiccup was that the black Lack tables, originally intended as sofa side tables, were simply too low to function effectively beside her bed (as evident in the before photo). Instead of discarding them, we brainstormed an innovative plan to repurpose them, turning a potential waste into a functional and stylish element for the room, saving both money and resources. If you look closely at the “after” pictures above, you might just spot their ingenious new role.
If you were clever enough to guess that the **black Lack tables from Ikea became the headboard**, then you deserve a celebratory donut! This brilliant idea struck us as we were driving to Ikea, new catalog in hand, when I spontaneously wondered aloud about the width of those ubiquitous tables. Serendipitously, we discovered that three Lack tables, when aligned, were almost the exact width of Carrie’s bed. This discovery was a game-changer. We swiftly snagged one more Lack table, choosing a rich wood tone to add a touch of contrasting interest and depth to the design. Our excitement was palpable, especially upon seeing the “new lower price” of just $7.99 per table. This unexpected stroke of luck not only allowed us to repurpose existing items but also to create a custom piece for an incredibly low cost, setting the tone for a truly budget-savvy makeover.
With the Lack tables secured, the next step in our DIY headboard project involved just a few dollars’ worth of metal brackets from Home Depot and a single long 2×4 piece of lumber. We had the 2×4 conveniently cut into three 26-inch pieces right at Home Depot, streamlining the assembly process. The construction of this custom headboard was surprisingly straightforward, requiring minimal tools and effort. Here’s a step-by-step guide to how we transformed simple side tables into a chic, functional headboard:
Step 1: Prepare the Table Tops. Begin by unscrewing the legs from all the Lack tables. Then, turn all the tabletops upside-down and carefully line them up, ensuring the new brown square (the newly purchased Lack table) is positioned in the middle to create a visually interesting focal point. This arrangement forms the basic structure of your future headboard.
Step 2: Connect the Panels. Use strong metal brackets to securely connect each tabletop to its neighboring piece. We recommend using at least two brackets per joint for maximum stability. A crucial tip here: opt for heavy-duty, functional hardware rather than decorative brackets, as the primary goal is strength and durability. For an added layer of reinforcement and longevity, consider drilling a 55-inch 1×3 piece of wood across the back of the entire headboard. While not shown in the image below, this extra step significantly enhances the headboard’s sturdiness and is highly recommended for a truly robust finish.
Step 3: Admire Your Work. Once all the tabletops are securely joined, carefully flip the entire assembly over. Take a moment to admire your handiwork! Seriously, anyone can accomplish this DIY project. We didn’t even use a power drill for the assembly; a regular old manual screwdriver and a bit of elbow grease were all it took to create a perfectly stable and stylish headboard.
Step 4: Attach the Legs. The final structural step involves attaching the headboard legs. These are our three 26-inch 2×4 pieces that were pre-cut at Home Depot. Use three, or even six for enhanced reinforcement, right-angled L-brackets to connect these legs to the newly-joined squares that form the base of your headboard. Ensure they are firmly screwed in to provide a stable foundation for the entire structure. This completes the essential framework, making the headboard ready for placement behind the bed.
And voilà! We had successfully created a stylish and sturdy DIY headboard for under $20, ingeniously repurposing some items Carrie already owned. This project exemplifies how a little creativity can yield significant design impact on a shoestring budget. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, this headboard served a crucial functional purpose. The unique architectural design of Carrie’s sunroom meant that the glass walls where the head of her bed rested met at an irregular angle. This awkward space consistently caused her pillows to slip and get wedged between the bed and the window, leading to uncomfortable nights and waking up with her face pressed against the vertical blinds. Thanks to our custom-made solution, that annoying pillow problem is now a distant memory, ensuring a more comfortable and restful sleep.
However, no makeover is without its formidable obstacles, and we encountered what proved to be **the biggest decorating road block we have ever faced to date**. This particular challenge stumped us for hours, testing our patience and ingenuity. We all agreed that Carrie desperately needed soft, billowy curtains to soften the harshness of the existing vertical blinds, which, frustratingly, she was not permitted to remove under any circumstances. So, with high hopes, we acquired an assortment of curtain panels, rods, and even a wire pulley system from Ikea, envisioning a complete transformation from a stark wall of blinds into a soft, inviting cocoon of a bedroom. The unforeseen issues quickly emerged: we knew we couldn’t hang curtains directly from the “back wall” because it was literally composed of five floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Using the vertical blinds’ track was also out of the question, as it couldn’t accommodate any modifications. What we utterly failed to anticipate, however, was that we couldn’t even hang curtains from the ceiling! The ceiling proved to be a rock-solid, concrete-esque material, literally impervious to screws, nails, and even our heavy-duty power drill. It was so incredibly dense, it might as well have been made of diamonds, rendering it completely impenetrable.
So there went our ambitious idea of a complete wall of flowing curtains, right out those floor-to-ceiling windows. It was a moment of significant defeat, but one that forced us to think even more creatively within the rigid constraints. We did manage a partial victory: we realized we could “hang” one striped curtain panel behind the bed, directly across the vertical blinds. This was achieved by physically clipping the fabric to the top of each blind slat using small Ikea curtain-hanging clips. This clever workaround created a soft, stripey fabric panel above the headboard, adding much-needed texture and color. However, this solution came with a trade-off: once clipped, the blinds could no longer be opened or closed. Fortunately, Carrie was comfortable sacrificing the ability to see out of the window directly behind her bed. For the remaining windows in the room, however, we had to leave the verticals as-is, ensuring she could open and slide them daily for light and access. (Again, building management was unequivocally against their removal, and any unauthorized modifications would have been visible from the building’s exterior.) This particular challenge remains an ongoing puzzle. Carrie has since consulted her building’s superintendent and two other renters about hanging curtains in the sunroom, but no one has yet found a viable solution! We’re still brainstorming, though, and you can bet that if we ever devise a method, we’ll be there in a flash, adding soft white curtain panels in front of those verticals to frame out the textured striped ones above the bed. Someday, perhaps!
Despite the curtain conundrum, our creativity knew no bounds in other areas. You’ll also notice the addition of stylish new side tables, which were another fantastic Ikea find. Conveniently shaped like rounded triangles, they perfectly nestled into the small, triangular-shaped spaces on either side of the bed, maximizing every inch of the compact room. At just $29 each, these glass-topped tables were an absolute steal and added a touch of modern elegance. We also snagged some hanging lamps, knowing instinctively that they would truly *make* the space. When designing a small room, anything you can do to create visual drama and free up precious surface area for display or storage is always a significant advantage. This is where plug-in pendants or even sconces shine! At an incredibly affordable $12.99 each, these lights fit perfectly within our strict budget. Huzzah! But how could we possibly hang them from those aforementioned bullet-proof ceilings? After approximately ten minutes of good-natured “woe-is-me” whining, a stroke of inspiration hit. We dashed to CVS with our fingers crossed and returned triumphantly with heavy-duty 3M wall hooks. These ingenious hooks, known for their strong adhesive, allowed us to simply stick them to the ceiling and elegantly swag our little green shades into place. Success! We then just plugged them in, and our lighting dilemma was instantly solved, adding both ambient light and a stylish design element to the bedroom.
To further personalize Carrie’s little jewel box of a room, we strategically incorporated her existing items. The vibrant pillows from her old apartment, her comforting blue throw, and a collection of colorful books on her new side table all contributed to a sense of warmth and familiarity. We also added one more pillow – a beautiful goldy-green one from Ikea for just $7.99 – which cleverly tied the green shades of the new pendant lights and the subtle green stripes in her existing curtains into the overall color scheme, harmonizing beautifully with the red and blue accents we had integrated. To provide another fun pop of color, essential for any rental where wall painting is prohibited, we brought in her existing red canvas art. Instead of hanging it, we simply leaned it against the wall behind her childhood dressers, which she had wisely snagged from home for free. This arrangement not only added visual interest but also maintained the rental-friendly ethos of the entire makeover.
But what about the large sliding glass doors that led into the room? Those transparent barriers that gave Carrie’s roommates a rather “Truman Show-esque” perspective into her personal space? Initially, we considered hanging traditional curtains, but we felt that something a bit flatter and less billowy, at least for part of the impressive 10-foot expanse of glass, might prevent Carrie from feeling like she was sleeping in a curtain warehouse. Our goal was privacy and visual interest without overwhelming the room. So, we embarked on a hunt at Ikea for interesting textures that we could affix over the glass from the inside. Wrapping paper? Too thin and flimsy. Wallpaper? We didn’t find any suitable options. Then, we stumbled upon the jackpot: grasscloth window panels! It felt like discovering huge rolls of exquisite grasscloth wallpaper, but for only $15 a roll. We purchased two rolls to cover the entire area and began our innovative DIY project. The process was surprisingly simple: we meticulously cut the grasscloth panels to size, then used clear, heavy-duty packing tape to seamlessly seam them together and secure them to the glass. We absolutely loved the outcome – it was stylish, effective, and incredibly easy to execute. Here’s a quick play-by-play, as demonstrated by my resourceful other half:
Step 1: Measure and Cut. Begin by precisely measuring the dimensions of your glass panels. Then, cut the grasscloth panel to fit, deciding whether to orient it horizontally or vertically. For our wide sliding doors, a horizontal orientation worked best, as going vertical would have left too many small gaps.
Step 2: Apply with Tape. Using clear packaging tape, carefully and smoothly tape the exterior edges of each grasscloth panel to the metal frame surrounding the glass door. The key here is to go slow and steady, ensuring a clean, bubble-free application for the most polished effect possible. Heavy-duty clear tape is paramount for this job; ordinary Scotch tape simply won’t suffice for long-term adhesion and a neat finish. While hanging the grasscloth curtain panels as they were originally intended (from the ceiling or wall, which weren’t options for us) would also yield a fabulous and textured look, this DIY method offers an ingenious alternative. So, you certainly don’t have to DIY everything if you prefer the traditional hanging approach. Oh, and we’ve even thought of an alternative way to adhere the grasscloth if the tape method feels too sticky (literally) or if you’re concerned about its longevity in humid or warm environments. Very strong magnets, strategically placed on either side of the glass, would definitely hold the paper securely in place—and look pretty darn cool to boot!
That’s it! After a good amount of careful measuring, precise taping, stepping back to admire the progress, and repeating the process, you’ll have an awesome, custom-built privacy screen integrated right into your sliding doors. The transformation is striking and provides both privacy and a sophisticated textural element to the room. Of course, the use of heavy-duty clear tape is crucial for success, as this is definitely not a job for flimsy Scotch tape! And while hanging the grasscloth curtain panels in their intended manner (from the ceiling or wall, neither of which were options for us due to the room’s unique challenges) would also create a fabulous and textured look for your space, our DIY approach proved to be an inventive workaround. So, rest assured, you don’t necessarily have to DIY everything if you prefer to stick to hanging panels as they’re meant to be hung. As a bonus tip, we also brainstormed another way to adhere the grasscloth if the tape method is literally too sticky for your preference, or if your living environment is prone to humidity and warmth, which might impact the tape’s long-term durability. In such cases, very strong magnets, strategically placed on either side of the glass, would undoubtedly hold the paper firmly in place—and they would look pretty darn cool too!
Oh, and you’ll notice in the image above that we actually added two breezy curtain panels *after* hanging the grasscloth, creating a beautiful layered effect. These felt light enough not to be too invasive, adding softness without overwhelming the space. Plus, since we couldn’t hang the expansive wall of curtains behind the bed, we knew the room could benefit from a bit more softness in other areas. Thankfully, there were solid walls perpendicular to the glass sliders (unlike the challenging area behind the bed), which allowed us to securely hang a curtain wire between them. We absolutely loved how the textured grasscloth panels on the glass and the airy, billowy striped curtains worked together in perfect harmony, adding depth and elegance to the space. A helpful tip for anyone attempting this: curtains slide extra effortlessly on wire systems, making them an excellent choice for doorways or areas where curtains need to be frequently opened and closed. Ikea, for instance, sells a fantastic kit called the Dignitet, which is perfect for such applications.
So, that’s the captivating story of transforming an angular glass sunroom into a cozy bedroom, a journey fueled by an inspiring trip to Ikea, a disciplined $200 budget, and a ceiling that could probably deflect Superman. This makeover was a testament to creativity and resourcefulness, proving that even the most challenging spaces can be beautifully transformed without spending a fortune. Of course, we can’t just mention the budget without providing a detailed play-by-play of exactly how we spent our allotted cash. For all you curious home improvement enthusiasts and budget-savvy decorators, here’s the precise breakdown of our expenses. (Note: items not listed below were existing remnants from Carrie’s last apartment, which significantly helped us stretch our dough and stay strictly within our financial limits):
- Striped curtain panels used throughout the room: $30 (for two sets of 2 panels)
- Curtain clips (specifically for the panel over the bed) & curtain wire (to hang the sliding door curtains): $20
- Hanging lamp shades and lighting kits for both sides of the bed: $26 total (such an incredible deal!)
- Heavy-duty 3M hooks to securely hang the lights from the impervious-to-everything ceiling: $6
- The third Lack table, purchased to complete the custom headboard project: $8
- Wood (2×4 pieces) and metal brackets from Home Depot, essential for constructing the headboard: $12
- The charming goldy-green accent pillow on the bed: $8
- The stylish glass-topped side tables: $30 each (totaling $60 for two)
- Grasscloth curtain panels, ingeniously repurposed into sliding door privacy screens: $30 (for two rolls)
- GRAND TOTAL: $200 (and not a single penny to spare!)
Don’t you just adore those vibrant green hanging pendants? They truly stand out as one of our absolute favorite details in the entire room, adding a splash of personality and sophisticated lighting. And while the space remains compact (measuring 9 x 11 feet to be exact), it now exudes an incredibly cozy and inviting atmosphere, a testament to thoughtful design and clever solutions. Hooray for Ikea and the magic of budget-friendly apartment makeovers! Now, we turn the question to you, our wonderful readers. Is anyone out there itching to snag some of the fantastic goodies we sourced during our extensive shopping spree? Are there any soon-to-be headboard-making individuals ready to tackle the Lack table challenge we’ve meticulously detailed above? Or perhaps you, too, are grappling with the unique design dilemmas of wall-to-wall glass and impenetrable ceilings, facing curtain woes of your own? We’d love to hear your stories, your triumphs, and your frustrations. Let’s commiserate and inspire each other!