One can only dream of a weekend house like the one from the Pearson Design Group shown above. After being inspired by Kimberley Seldon’s weekend retreat that I highlighted in last week’s design post, I tried my hand at putting together a bedroom for an average person’s weekend retreat in this new series.  The goal of this series was to do three bedrooms (1 twin, 2 queens) for under $5,000 with furniture.  For this post, I will tackle a small bedroom that will only fit a twin bed.

Most people who have weekend houses are unlikely to spend a lot of money on good furniture as most are rented out or only use them sparingly. However, that does not mean you can not create something cozy and inviting to make it more desirable for people to visit.  My inspiration for the bedrooms was something very soothing with an uncluttered approach to design.  This approach is bare bones where people can customize with their own accessories and layer with personal knick knacks.

I’m not a big DIY person and would unlikely spend a lot of time saving money by making anything.  I am also not likely to spend time scouring Ebay, Craiglist, etc. for second hand furniture which would most likely offset the overall costs.  My approach to this series is to select items from big box retailers that people can easily purchase and mix together to create a cohesive look.

Bedroom 1:  Twin Size with a budget of $1,000 for the basics.

Total without tax, shipping, etc:  $997 with the Anthropologie knobs. 

The inspiration:

For this small bedroom, I wanted a coherent country cottage design with modern touches through lighting and other accessories.

The Finds:

This Dorel Manila Metal bed from Taget was $117.

This Koppang 3 drawer chest from IKEA is only $100 and complements the cottage vibe that we are going for.  Customize it with new knobs from Anthropologie.

This Gallop Knob ($10/knob) from Anthropologie works with the traditional design of the chest while adding a bit of uniqueness to the standard dresser.  This adds $60 to the total budget but makes the cheap IKEA chest looks much more expensive.  Mixing brass into the decor adds a bit of glamour and color to an otherwise neutral palette.

Another knob option is the Glinted Prism Knob ($8.00/knob).

We can add a mirror with clean lines to reflect light. It also gives a sense of a bigger space to this small bedroom.  IKEA Stave Mirror for $30 is a great option.  There are other colors and you can also paint it as well.  Keep it simple with black to pop against the white and brass.

Add this small and colorful IKEA Akerulla rug ($30) to the side of the bed for an instant pop of color.

Add something completely different to the mix to make  it look a bit more interesting.  I really like this Target Threshold Wooden Accent Table ($70) for this room as it has clean modern lines and a nice wood tone. The color adds a bit of warmth to an overall sterile space.

I love this Swing Arm Sconce from CB2 ($90) as it has a whimsical industrial look that also saves space and adds some oomph to an otherwise basic cottage bedroom.

There are many mattress options out there and you should definitely price those options out. There is a new vendor to this crowded field that has a whole new way to deliver mattresses. They also have a lot of good reviews.  As this is a weekend house, you do not need to spend a ton of money on a mattress.  The Casper twin mattress retails for $500.

Additional

Ideally you should keep your bedding white for this small room but you can play up the texture and color with a throw at the end of the bed like this affordable fringe throw ($35) from H&M.

Author:  Chau Hoang