Gabriel’s Budget-Friendly Big Boy Room Makeover

Hope you’re enjoying that quiet week between Christmas and New Year’s. While we’ve been juggling family time and a little kitchen cabinet painting, we wanted to share a delightful rental-friendly makeover completed by Katy for her son Gabriel. This transformation was completed on a tight budget—Katy estimates under $200 for major items like a bed and a dresser—and was done in a rental, which always makes a project more inspiring. Big thanks to the landlord for allowing the changes that gave this room a fresh, intentional look.

Hi Sherry and John! I wanted to share my son’s room makeover with you. We moved into our house in 2011, a few weeks after I found it at a yard sale. Yes, crazy. We’re just renting it now, but would love to buy it someday.

The house needed a lot of TLC when we moved in. But I love a good project! Our son was not quite two when we moved, so his room was my first project in the hopes of making the move easier for him.

I knew I wanted to paint it a deep, peacock-like blue, and a previous old guest room gave me the inspiration I needed to go for it. I bought a gallon of Plumage along with a tinted primer and began transforming his space. My goal was to spend as little as possible, and I’m thrilled with the result.

My mom found a Jenny Lind–style bed that was exactly what I envisioned for Gabriel. Can you believe it was $80? It’s solid wood and in great condition. We refinished it with Annie’s Chalk Paint in French Linen and sealed it with clear wax. The finished bed is one of my favorite pieces in the room.

The dresser was a Craigslist find for $20 that I refinished at home. I added a thrift-store tapestry for texture and visual interest above it. Some of the hanging trees you see are actually repurposed Christmas decorations, and a set of charming paint-by-number pictures my mom gifted us now adds a personal touch to the room. A small mobile was spray-painted gold and holds old family photos of my dad, grandmother, and aunt, creating a sweet family vignette.

Books and simple art were important to me in crafting a cozy, meaningful space. As a child, my grandpa gave me Shel Silverstein books, so I was delighted to find Falling Up at a thrift store. I used pages from the book as wall art—taped casually so they feel lived-in and fun. We enjoy reading the poems, studying the illustrations, and playing I-spy together. A bench from our wedding and a basket for books and toys complete a tidy, functional corner.

So there is Gabriel’s big-boy room—cozy, considered, and done on a strict budget. I’m excited to share it and hope it inspires others to make meaningful changes even in rental spaces. Thanks for letting me show it off!

We love how this room turned out. Gabriel is lucky to have such a thoughtful, well-curated space. A few small touches stand out: the Shel Silverstein pages taped to the wall are a brilliant, low-cost way to add personality and storytelling to a child’s room, and the refinished Jenny Lind bed gives the space a timeless focal point. The thrifted tapestry and the spray-painted family-photo mobile add warmth and personal history without a big investment. For anyone planning a rental-friendly makeover, this project shows how a strategic paint color, a few thrift-store finds, and some DIY refinishing can deliver a dramatic, affordable transformation.

Thanks, Katy, for sharing these photos and tips. If you’re planning your own budget bedroom makeover, consider choosing one striking paint color, hunting for a solid secondhand bed or dresser, and using meaningful items—books, family photos, and small keepsakes—to make the space feel personal and complete.