The 12 Best Bedroom Makeovers of 2023 Are All Filled with Personality

Chloe Konrad
·9 min read
Bedroom with white wall behind bed with blue drawings and words

The perfect bedroom is something that’s hard to pin down because it’s something that’s so personal. One person’s perfect bedroom might be minimalist and neutral; another’s might be dark and moody. Still others want spaces that feel vibrant and full of energy. The best bedroom design, in the end, is one that makes you happy.

This year, the Apartment Therapy editors saw some incredibly creative bedroom makeovers that followed that motto. Not only did these bedroom makeovers bring big style to spaces where it might have been lacking, but they also showcased smart ideas for storage and organization. In 2023, designers and DIYers who shared their bedroom makeovers with Apartment Therapy certainly did not disappoint. Below, find AT’s list of the top 12 best bedroom redos of 2023 for inspirational hacks, huge transformations, and haven-like spaces.

Messy bedroom before renovation.
White bedroom after renovation with neutral colored textile headboard and plush graphic rug.

1. A $525 Bedroom Redo Has a Must-See IKEA Headboard Hack, Plus Tons of Other DIYS

Taking on even one DIY project is a tall order, which is why this bedroom redo from Nicole Herrick’s (@nicoleherrickdiy) is so impressive. When she decided to finally redo her bedroom, she had seven (!!!) goals, including transforming secondhand nightstands, DIYing a better headboard, making her own lamps, fixing her armchair, and upgrading other smaller elements of the room. 

Nicole ended up painting her brown nightstands a creamy white and created a new headboard for her IKEA bed frame using plywood wrapped in batting and fabric. Finally, she reupholstered an eyesore armchair and increased lighting to really brighten the room. The total for all that? Just $525.

"Before" photo of a bed and wall/s before makeover. Plain gray wall, mattress on the floor
"After" photo of a bed and wall/s after makeover. Wall is covered with white "notes" and drawings (in blue). Bed has gold fuzzy headboard, navy blue pillows.

2. A Bare-Walled Bedroom Gets a Bold, One-of-a-Kind Makeover for $500

You’ve probably never seen a bedroom that looks like this bold one in Rebekah Skovron’s (@rebbypaints) apartment, but funnily enough, Rebekah herself has seen a space that looks quite a bit like this in NYC. It was an eyewear boutique called Selima Optique that gave her the idea to cover the wall of her own bedroom with dozens of separate blue line paintings, which she then covered with frames and more artwork and painted a nightstand to match. 

As for her bed, Rebekah knew she didn’t want to stick with her basic metal frame. This time, a bar in Nolita inspired her to order yellow faux fur to cover the frame. “Big Bird entered the chat, and I’m so happy about it,” she says. “I’m very tactile, too, so it’s perfect for me. No regrets.”

White bedroom with ceiling fan before renovation.
Floral wallpaper with dark purple painted door and trim in newly renovated home.

3. A $6,000 Bedroom Redo Packs a Punch with a Surprising Color Combo

This “completely un-designed” bedroom in Amala Raj Swenson’s (@amalarajinteriors) home got a totally chic design, thanks to bold purple paint (Dunn-Edwards’ Plum Perfect) and a bold floral wallpaper.

“We both love color and felt such a positive energy shift in the new space,” Amala says of the room she shares with her husband, Ryan. “I love that the new space finally reflects my partner’s and my personality … it looks like completely different people live there now!”

Wooden dresser in bedroom before renovation.
Disco light reflected around newly renovated bedroom with dark painted walls and mirror gallery wall above wooden dresser.

4. This Dramatic $1,400 Bedroom Redo Proves the Power of Thrifting

An accent wall can be a simple-yet-stunning way to take a bedroom to the next level. When DIYer Emily Huxford (@happilyhuxford) started redoing her guest bedroom, she described the before as a “basic beige box.” So she ripped up the carpets and replaced them with new flooring, added molding to the walls, and painted the room a dark green color (Sherwin-Williams’ Greenblack). 

While the dark paint color is definitely a dramatic change, the star of the show is the gleaming gallery wall of secondhand gold-framed mirrors. It turns the room into a living art piece, and the addition of a disco ball makes light bounce around the room and between the mirrors.

BEdroom before refinishing/repainting: Dark wood finish closet doors, white cabinets above, white walls, bed with gray headboard, white, ochre and floral bedding
bedroom after repainting/remodel. Cantaloupe colored walls with decorative moulding, art prints of lamps, wood nightstand, white, ochre, blush, rose bedding with watermelon pattern pillow, cat on bed

5. A Budget-Savvy Bedroom Redo Has a Chic Fix for Ugly Closet Doors

Upgrading closet doors can also be a game-changer in a bedroom makeover. Renters Lucía Gogenola and her husband, Agustin Gomez (@proyectopasillodeco), had a creative solution for their dark brown closet doors. 

In addition to painting an accent wall with orange-coral paint and adding picture frame molding, Lucía and Agustin updated their sliding closet doors with a terrazzo vinyl in a color scheme that matched the paint. “Painting a wall, putting vinyl or wallpaper, and installing moldings are changes that take little time, can be undone if you rent or regret, do not require much budget, and can make a big difference,” Lucía says.

gray minimally furnished bedroom before remodel
Credit: Carrie Kline Credit: Carrie Kline
Bedroom with burnt sienna or rust colored walls with floral accent wallpaper and warm decor accents. White painted brick wall over headboard with floating plant shelf
Credit: Carrie Kline Credit: Carrie Kline

6. A DIY-Filled Bedroom Makeover Goes Bold with an Unexpected Color

Love eclectic design but want your room to stay serene and relaxing? Serial DIYer Carrie Kline (@honeydohoney_home) struck the perfect balance in her deep-pomegranate sanctuary bedroom. 

The paint color is actually a custom color-match to a piece of the floral wallpaper that adorns the top portion of the walls. Other DIYs in the space include the faux brick wall, the budget-friendly picture frame molding, the painted bed, and the shelf that holds tons of plants.

Before: a white bedroom with bay windows in the corner
After: a pink bedroom with bay windows

7. A Bold and Glamorous Rental Bedroom Redo Took Inspiration from a Surprising Source

While there are drawbacks to older apartments, Natalie Price was blessed with some great bones in her 1920s pad, including gorgeous windows and flooring. However, even with the natural light, the room felt overwhelmingly beige and altogether incoherent. 

Natalie hired interior decorator Ally Doman (of Doman Decors) to upgrade the room, and with a goal to get rid of the beige, Ally went with a top-to-bottom pink color scheme. “Natalie was an angel to work with,” Ally says. “She trusted me wholeheartedly and totally embraced the monochromatic pink room concept.” Fun fact: One of the inspirations for the space was Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” music video set.

Bunkbeds stacked in shared kid's bedroom.
Disco ball hangs in dark painted kids bedroom with wood paneled ceilings.

8. A $1,000 Kids’ Bedroom Makeover Adds Lots of Vertical Drama

When decorating a kids’ bedroom, the usual instinct is to go very bright and very colorful, but this kid’s room by DIYer AnnMarie Woods (@amwoods_), shared by three of her daughters, actually goes dark with an almost-black charcoal (Sherwin-Williams’ Homburg Gray). 

“One delightful surprise was how readily our girls embraced the opportunity to lend a hand in the painting process,” AnnMarie says. “It became a collaborative effort.” In addition to painting the walls, they added wood to the ceilings for a unique touch. A disco ball ensures that the room is still youthful, as does the checkerboard rug and polka-dot bedding.

A bedroom with wooden doors, tv above a large wooden dresser, and wooden floors.
Two beds against black accent wall with woven baskets.

9. Thrift Store Finds Are Key to This $400 Afro-Bohemian Redo

For Jamala Wallace (@urvintagegirl), becoming an empty nester was her chance to take advantage of her thrifting skills to turn her sons’ shared bedroom into a guest bedroom. “The room stayed neutral while they lived here, with very little decoration,” she says. “After they left, it was time to give the room some thought and create a bright, airy, plant-friendly room. I wanted to infuse my love of Afro-centric decor with vintage pieces that reflected my love of thrift shopping.” 

Jamala brightened up the room with a crisp blue paint, but painted one wall black to help hide an extra, unnecessary door — a smart paint trick worth stealing for your next project! She then filled the space with budget-friendly thrift finds that suited her vision of a space with Afro-centric style.

Primary bedroom before renovation: White walls with no art or decoration, wood dresser against wall with a plant, candles, bed with quilted gray headboard, sliding glass doors letting in light with open pale neutral curtains
Primary bedroom after renovation: Bed with quilted gray headboard, sliding glass doors letting in light with open pale neutral curtains, pale nuted green walls, framed painting over bed, new built in floor to ceiling closet, small stool with plant on it. Bed has bedding in grays and browns, lots of pillows

10. A “White Box” Bedroom Redo Is Now Packed with Storage, Thanks to IKEA

If there’s one thing a bedroom needs (besides a bed, of course), it’s ample storage. DIYer Rebecca Rajs (@rebs_home) waited a year after moving into her home to renovate her room, and one of her priorities was adding storage to the “white box” from before. Her first task was to swap out her wooden dresser for IKEA PAX storage along the wall, which seamlessly blended in and resembled built-ins, thanks to some trim and filler that extends the units all the way up to the ceiling. 

Rebecca made her bedroom extra serene by drenching the walls, IKEA storage, and DIY crown molding in Benjamin Moore’s Sea Haze, a sage-meets-gray tone that was quite popular in bedrooms this year.

Bedroom with blue painted walls before renovation.
Newly renovated bedroom with cognac headboard, quilt on the bed and gallery wall above bed.

11. This Eclectic $5,000 Bedroom Redo Is a Master Class in Pattern Mixing

Designing a guest room is a unique challenge. You want to show your design personality, but don’t always want it to be as personal as your own space. Caleb and Elle Crosby started off with a room that lacked color aside from the walls, and felt a little boring. “This room was a creative exercise for me,” Caleb, an architect and designer, says. “I’ve been designing for a few years now, and I really wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone on this project. Pattern and color are not my usual comfort zone, but I found myself really inspired by spaces that use a lot of pattern play and color.”

To achieve this vibe, the couple embraced the strengths of pattern mixing and their own personal styles. They put in new hardwood floors, added white wainscotting and trim, chose a gray toile wallpaper for the top half of the walls, and added in both fresh and thrifted furniture. What really pulled the room together, though, was a frame gallery wall above the bed and a gorgeous patterned quilt.

Before: a wooden bunk bed with toys on the bottom bunk and fans on the top
After: a yellow bunk bed with green and white sheets in front of a yellow and white wall

12. A Hand-Me-Down Bunk Bed Inspires a Whole-Room Redo in a Surprising Color Combo

In this kids’ room redo by designer Suzanne Kryton (@suzannekrytondesigns), the wall behind the bright yellow bunk is painted with matching yellow stripes that are so perfect they look like wallpaper — for a fraction of the cost.

The rest of the room was filled with yellow and lilac furniture, horses, books, and green accents. Even though it has so many colors, the room works well because of the balance between white and light shades. “We are in love with the results,” Suzanne says. “The color is so cheery and now it’s the happiest room in our house!” And for only $600, the project was a steal, too.

Inspired? Submit your own project here.