The fixer upper life isn’t always easy or convenient. But this DIY bedroom renovation project stretched our skills and ended with an incredible accomplishment.
If you’ve been here for more than a minute, you’ve picked up on the fact that we are major DIY-ers. Neither of us have come into these house projects knowing how to do it all. But we’ve learned so much over the years from working on our three previous homes.
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So when it came time to build a new bedroom, we decided to go for it. I mean, how much more could we learn? Ummm…a lot.
{And really, I am using “we” very loosely here. James is 90% “we” and I am the leftover 10%.}
Turns out that this DIY bedroom renovation project was a lot of work. And took a lot of hours. James spent most evenings and Saturday’s this year building this space into a bedroom for our daughter.
It took a little over 8 months from the day we began demo until the day we moved her in. And as you’ll see, there are still some projects left undone. Those will come in the next few months.
BEDROOM RENOVATION BEFORE
I could go on and on and show you the bazillion photos and videos I took of him and our 3 children working in here. And yes, our kids helped so much! It was incredible to watch them learn new skills from James. Seeing them take an active part in the DIY process was one of my favorite aspects of it. The other favorite thing was to watch James work so hard in here. He started out in the dead of winter where he could see his breath and worked beyond the stifling heat of summer.
{You can always catch more of our ongoing projects on Instagram→click HERE.}
Let’s cut to the chase though…
AFTER 8 MONTHS OF WORK
THE FLOORS
These floors were never meant to be refinished. I am sure the builder who installed them over 100 years ago never imagined a 40-something year old woman refinishing them in the 2000’s. But I just knew they could be beautiful…
And they are!
{Missed how I refinished the floors in half our house…all by myself? Click HERE.}
BEDROOM NOW
She is moved in. And she has what she needs in her bedroom. That was the beginning, middle, and end of the criteria for her room at this point. We are thinking through all the fun parts of a bedroom makeover…and I promise to share those along the way! But, for now…she’s in the room and absolutely loving it!
This bed frame. It’s my childhood bed. ♥
Can you tell that I’ve got a book lover? You better believe we are brainstorming fun ideas for storing and displaying her growing collection.
This sweet little closet was added to the room and in time, James will build and hang a door.
We moved her bedroom door from {an unneeded one in} our dining room and I love that it not only saved us an expense, but that it also matches all the interior doors in our home.
This cabinet was hanging on a wall in our farmhouse, but she has decided that she loves it and wants it on her floor. Craft storage it is then, girl!
This desk was a sweet purchase from my momma when I moved into my first apartment out of college.
Ummm…she paints, draws, and creates all the time.
She and I are very excited about the plans we have coming up soon for her bedroom. My overall goal for bedrooms is that we live in them first before jumping into anything. And then spend time evaluating how that the bedroom can best serve the person. If I focus on the room meeting the needs of the one living in it, then it will always turn out perfect.
Can you do me a favor? James has worked so hard on this DIY bedroom renovation project. Could you leave him a comment below? Tell him what you love about it. Or even just a little, “woohoo!” would be amazing! Thank you.
♥Leigh
MOTIVATING “WORSHIP WHILE YOU WORK” PLAYLIST:
Click HERE for my {FREE!} go-to playlist for project motivation
MORE PROJECTS YOU’LL LOVE:
A Simple, Clever, and Cheap Chandelier Update
Easy DIY Fireplace Mantel Makeover
SHOP THIS LOOK:
PIN IT FOR LATER:
Wall color: Behr Swiss Coffee in flat
Trim: Behr base white in satin
Floors: Minwax High-Traffic Polyurethane
Wow! Such a huge transformation. And from building our own house, I know how much sweat and tears it takes to finish something out! It’s absolutely beautiful, and I love all the brightness, the gorgeous floors, as how each space functions for her! Absolutely fantastic work. I love the canvas and black dresser, too. Ok, I love it all!!
Angie,
You are so sweet! Thank you. And yes, it was a great taste of building your own home for him…not sure if he ever wants to do that someday now…but he could! 😉
I love how the floors turned out. But I think my favorite part is how your family worked together to make this happen. James, woohoo! Great job!
Thank you, Kathy! I loved watching the kids work alongside him. It was a great learning experience for everyone.
Amazing job! I know your daughter is thrilled!
Thank you, Peg! She is over the moon about it! ♥
Great job James and family! The bedroom looks amazing and it’s the result of a lot of hard work and creativity.. The floors are beautiful!
Great job James and family! The bedroom looks amazing and it’s the result of a lot of hard work and creativity.. The floors are beautiful!
This looks amazing! Good job James and Co! I’m sure your daughter loves it even more knowing how much time and love went into this space.
It is beautiful! I have enjoyed watching the process! Great job!
I love how you two work as a team and show your kids the importance of teamwork as a family and in your marriage. It is important for them to understand that if you want something it takes work.
The room looks amazing.
I am seriously impressed and your daughter looks so happy! There are so many things I love…the floors….the door….the closet nook! It looks fantastic!! You guys are pros IMHO!
James,
You totally rocked this project! The space looks wonderful!
Leigh,
My fave thing is that you used pieces with meaning in the room. Your desk from college and the bed. Love that!
Congrats and well done!
James,
You totally rocked this project! The space looks wonderful!
Leigh,
My fave thing is that you used pieces with meaning in the room. Your desk from college and the bed. Love that!
Congrats! Y’all did a great job!
The courage to even take this job on!! I’m very impressed, James. Now that her room is done you can knock out the other side with ease. 😁
I love every single part of this room!! I love attic rooms!!! The slants the nooks and crannies!!! Y’all do lovely work!! Team work makes the dream work 💕
Fantastic job ..we are in the Reno business and on house number 3 so I know how much work was involved. Beautiful job hope your girl and her books are very happy there!!
The room is awesome just gorgeous. What girl wouldn’t love that bedroom. So cozy clean and bright. I love it. You’ve got an amazing guy there. He worked so hard and it shows in how nice the room came out. Your home is so pretty.
Oh wow, beautiful! Great job!
Can I ask some diy questions? Do you have a stairwell to this level? Or is it an attic hatch of some sort? What kind of insulation did you use? Are you hearing and cooling it on the house system or on it’s own system? We have a 1928 Foursquare (in Canada) that I’m dying to finish out the attic and need allllll the info I can find. Thx R
Wow! If James ever wants a side job, I’ll fly him down to Florida and he can work on my house!
What a transformation! This is such a warm, cozy space. No wonder your daughter loves it! And I agree with a previous comment that the best part is that your family did it together. What great experiences and memories you are giving to your children!
This is Beautiful! This room became every thing I imagined it would. The wide pine floors with the perfect color. The beadboard walls and ceilings. The pretty white color. I’ve always dreamed of a room like this. So much hard work and many hours and I can only imagine how worth it that it feels. It’s so beautiful…
It came out beautiful. I’m sure it made your daughter feel very special and one day she is going to look back and smile when she remembers how much love was put into a space that was made just for her. Great job James, mom and brothers.
What a GREAT transformation in this space, and I’m sure that your daughter loves it!!
What an amazing job, James! I love it! Can you tell us more about how you dealt with the temperature fluctuations in the space? (We have unfinished attic space ourselves, and are considering insulating/drywalling etc.)
I love it – especially the craft cupboard (I have one) 🙂 and I also love that stool/night stand. The floors look amazing too!
James, AWESOME job!!!! It is such an inspiration to see what you have done from start to finish! And, now that you’re a pro (🤣) can I book you to do ours??? Hahaha!!!
Yesssssss!! I remember family projects done together & they were the best of times & the worst of times, but always turned out fun & worthwhile!! James you did a fantastic job & should be proud of hanging in there & finishing what you started!!
Wow, guys!!! It looks fabulous! I always wanted an attic room as a kid, but my mom was a total party pooper using our attic for storage. 🙄😉😂 I absolutely LOVE how the room looks like it has always been there! You all did a GREAT job!
What a beautiful room! You should really be proud of yourself and your husband for making such a lovely space for your daughter. Can’t wait to see what you tackle next!
Well done! What a great memory for your daughter that this room was created with her in mind. Not every teen can say their mom & dad created a special attic bedroom for them. It’s quite a space and looks beautiful!
James and Leigh, you both have done an incredible job of renovating the different parts of your home. The bedroom makeover for your daughter is beautiful! Kudos James for the ‘can do it!’ attitude of learning as you go when you’re not sure how to do something!
Nice work! Those floors are beautiful! Way to go, James! Leigh, love your blog! I think it’s awesome that you are teaching your kids to be DIYers, skills that will serve them well in the future for sure!
WOW!! I’ve been following progress of this on IG and oh my word, all the hard work totally paid off!! What an incredible transformation! Love this space! ❤️ Job well done, James (and fam)! 😊
Beautiful job, James!
We live in a 1900s farm house we bought 4 years ago and I we have done a few projects already. My husband, who has many talents, always does most of the work and makes everything fit when nothing is square, nothing is level. So we can definitely appreciate the labor of love for your family!
This room looks amazing! James did an awesome job, and those floors are so beautiful!
What a beautiful transformation! And such a treasure for a sweet young lady! She will enjoy many creative hours in the room for years to come. This would have been like heaven to me at her age! Enjoy!
Great job James! I’m showing these pics to my hubby for inspiration in our basement space. Loving the beadboard. I was curious how it would look turned sideways and I think it looks GREAT! Also love ur photos! I think they reflect real life and not a staged shoot. Loving all the texture and details in her desk pictures!! 😘✌
James, trust me, I know just how much work you put into that space and I know that it wasn’t only the work but the creativity to get it just how you know it should be. I think we all learn just by trying but in the end we usually figure it out. I love the space! I’m sure your daughter feels like it’s her own little hideaway and that can be fun but knowing you did this for her will be a memory she will not forget.
I’m too old to tackle a project like this now but I do have grandchildren who live with me and they want that upstairs attic space for their own. I am going to be the -reject manager now and give direction to my son, daughter and grandkids (because they are teenagers) and see what we can get built up there for them. My attic is huge. We want 2 bedrooms a bathroom and a recreation room. I hope they can do it but I have a contractor on the side just in case. 😊
How fun, Shirley! I’d love to see some photos of your project. And thank you for the encouragement to James! ♥