When a sweet daughter wrote in for ideas for her mom’s space, we were more than thrilled to put our heads together to come up with some great ideas for them.
This duo is located in the Portland area, so warm colors were important. Living in a small space as renters is a bit of a design challenge of sorts, and we were all about finding some great solutions to help their space work harder.
She loves the color coral and jewel tones, so we packed it with personality, and went for glam sophistication with a flare of that fun global feel we sensed from her when viewing the space and what she already has. They were up for a little DIY, so we were all about choosing some great solutions they could personalize for the room, while fully utilizing all the area available. She mentioned she needed some storage for her sentimental items and books, and a space for toiletries and makeup.
So here’s what they’re starting with:
And here’s a few solutions we came up with for this small space renter’s bedroom:
1. The bed and shelving
Some of the challenges in this bedroom is in the limited space. We think she’ll feel much better about it when she can simplify the big pieces that are going on in there. The idea is to maximize your potential with minimal pieces in the space. For instance, we see a lot of potential for all the books she loves, in that space above the bed area.
• The headboard – We love the idea of a simple headboard {image originally found here} made from planks. You can purchase premium pine from your local home improvement store, and brace them together on the back + pair them with some bed rails for a great handmade piece.
• The sconces – we love the sconces mounted to the headboard for some great night time reading.
• The shelving – This would take care of a lot of those storage issues, and free up her floor space. It would also be a great place to store a combo of her collectables and sentimentals, along with books, and then baskets for the things she doesn’t want out in the open.
This is a great option for renters, because they have the feel of built ins, but you can definitely take them with you and alter/add on if you ever relocate.
2. The bedding
We kept it warm, while bringing in a touch of those jewel tones that she loves… and we hope that a mixture of patterns on the bed will make it livable for her furry friend ;} (she mentioned that she has a cat). We love that they can sew, so most of it is simply fabrics… the beauty of this is that she can customize the combos to whatever she likes!
• Pillows + bedding – A bolster pillow in this pattern gave it a bit of a global feel with that fun color and pattern play to build off of for a lot of personality with deep tones. We love that paired with pillows in this and a throw from this material at the foot of the bed, to tie it all together. We chose the bedding in a combo of this ikat {the pattern will be smaller in real life than the actual illustration, so there will be a lot less prominent white and more pattern} and this linen {also curtains in this- we think simple lined panels to the floor} to tie it all together, and offer some contrast, as well. Another way to reflect that global feel with lots of pattern we think she’ll love, and we hope that the fabrics hide the pet love, as well.
3. The rug
We adore the idea of warming it all up with this golden rug under foot. This is a great way to bring in another color element in a simple way, with lots of pattern to keep that warm feel that she loves.
4. The Vanity
The perfect, glam spot to store that much needed area for makeup and toiletries she requested. This desk was originally from here but she can probably find an old desk like this by perusing your local flea markets and garage sales – I even had one from my childhood. We love the idea of giving it a new lease on life by lacquering it up {try benjamin moor’s pacific palisades or americana in a high sheen finish} and bringing in some nice brass hardware.
Depending on the dimensions of what you find, this may be used as a substitute for the dresser OR both… depending on how it all feels. The key is to keep the space open and functional with less. {More on that below}
• The mirror
Was found here for the board, but solely for illustration purposes only. We recommend Etsy, Ebay and perusing local flea markets for that ultimate find… mounted to the wall or leaning on her desk, it makes an instant vanity, and a great area to call her very own for all things fun and girly – like a special treat, it now makes storing things like makeup and toiletries intentional. You never know what you’ll find, but a large mirror will add a little more of that glitz, and help open up the space as well.
• The Stool
We love this stool for something that easily tucks away, but also serves as a great sitting area just for her, and reflects that global feel. It contrasts in a fun way with a dramatic vanity set up!
5. Map
She mentioned she loves old maps and we found this great one here for her area of the world… and we really love this one. Be sure to keep an eye out, because you never know what perfect piece you may find… it brings in some more of that color in a fun, vintage way. We do like the idea of the light blue though, to bring some contrast and balance to all of that warmth going on. Depending on what piece she uses underneath it {see mention of dresser below and on the furniture plan} may dictate the size.
6. Rolling Storage
A great how to here for rolling storage, but even if it’s just tupperware containers, that gives her another great option for clothing storage under the bed and utilizes all the space.
We also love the dresser she included in the original photos and think she should just refinish it for more of a polished feel. It has great, timeless character. We included it in the floor plan we have as an option – we left that or the table. But it may interchange with the vanity depending on what she has room for and can find – We think the less furniture the better, but she also needs storage. It’s just important to maximize your space with less. ;}
7. Jewelry Storage
We love the idea of a large installation that doubles as art for her space. We noticed she had it in a few separate areas in her room, and think that an old vintage frame {or a built one painted} with the classic peg board approach would clear those surfaces and make things a bit more manageable/ simplified. Plenty of old frames are waiting to be found at flea markets, and the possibilities of using this as an art installation are really fun for her space.
Paint
Last but not least, we love these colors – you can have these colors matched up and mixed at your local home improvement store – they should have them on file} for a great warm feeling in the entire space. We recommend getting your hands on the fabric you really want before you make the call with paint, but something in that area {maybe even a little lighter for a nice balance} should keep her space warm and inviting all year round with fun color.
** Please note: out of respect for our clients, we no longer share all of our sources here. Thank you for your understanding!**
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We hope they feel that this is a great place to start with space planning and some fun designs that reflect her! Thank you so very much for thinking of us – what are some solutions you have for a small renter’s bedroom space? We’d love to hear!
Want some ideas for your space? Read about our design services, here!
Janet says
Ooooo these ideas are just what I needed for our bedroom now! Love the idea of shelving you can take with you without damaging the space- great ideas!
Layla K says
The shelf idea! Why have I never considered it before? Lovely board and ideas- you guys are always clever. Thank you for sharing them.